[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 636 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 636

 To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow funds 
  provided under the program of block grants to States for temporary 
 assistance for needy families to be used for alternative-to-abortion 
                               services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 22, 2009

  Mrs. Bachmann (for herself, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Paul, Mr. Pitts, Mrs. 
 Blackburn, Mr. Neugebauer, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Bartlett, Mr. 
   McCotter, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. Jordan of Ohio, Mr. Kline of 
 Minnesota, Mr. McHenry, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Mr. 
   Herger) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow funds 
  provided under the program of block grants to States for temporary 
 assistance for needy families to be used for alternative-to-abortion 
                               services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Positive Alternatives Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO USE TANF FUNDS FOR ALTERNATIVE-TO-ABORTION 
              SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 408(a)(6) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 608(a)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Exception for alternative-to-abortion 
                services.--
                            ``(i) In general.--As used in subparagraph 
                        (A), the term `medical services' does not 
                        include alternative-to-abortion services.
                            ``(ii) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Alternative-to-abortion 
                                services.--The term `alternative-to-
                                abortion services' means--
                                            ``(aa) information or 
                                        counseling that promotes 
                                        childbirth instead of abortion, 
                                        and assists pregnant women in 
                                        making an informed decision 
                                        regarding the alternatives of 
                                        adoption or parenting with 
                                        respect to her born or unborn 
                                        child; and
                                            ``(bb) any other service 
                                        designed to assist a qualified 
                                        individual who is a woman to 
                                        carry her unborn child to term, 
                                        or to support a qualified 
                                        individual in a parenting or 
                                        adoption decision, including 
                                        the provision of self-
                                        administered pregnancy testing, 
                                        baby food, maternity or baby 
                                        clothing, baby furniture, or 
                                        information or education 
                                        (including classes), regarding 
                                        prenatal care, childbirth, 
                                        adoption, parenting, chastity, 
                                        or abstinence.
                                    ``(II) Qualified individual.--The 
                                term `qualified individual' means--
                                            ``(aa) an individual who 
                                        is, or has reasonable grounds 
                                        to believe she may be, 
                                        pregnant;
                                            ``(bb) an individual who is 
                                        a parent or legal guardian of a 
                                        child who has not attained 12 
                                        months of age; or
                                            ``(cc) an individual who is 
                                        the spouse or a former spouse 
                                        of, is a parent of a child of, 
                                        or cohabitates or has 
                                        cohabitated with an individual 
                                        described in item (aa) or 
                                        (bb).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
shall apply to grants made under part A of title IV of the Social 
Security Act for fiscal years ending after such 90-day period.
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