[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         MINOR MOTHERS AND AFDC

                                 ______


                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 19, 1994

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, as the welfare reform debate begins to heat 
up we already are seeing numerous proposals from both sides of the 
aisle and across the political spectrum. As we try to sort through 
these ideas, let's start with those points on which there is widespread 
agreement.
  I think we all agree that the system is broken and needs fixing. Most 
experts acknowledge that the welfare system has contributed to the 
breakdown of the family and the rise in illegitimacy. Some argue that 
the system actually encourages minors to having children as a way to 
get out on their own and set up a separate household. At the very 
least, the subsidy removes a financial barrier to minors having 
children and makes it possible to consider such an option. I have long 
supported instituting a requirement for minors with children to live at 
home with their own parents or legal guardian in order to be eligible 
for AFDC. I introduced legislation along these lines in the 98th, 99th, 
and 100th Congresses. The President endorsed this idea in his State of 
the Union Address and several of the welfare reform proposals 
introduced so far include this provision or some variation of it. 
However, to my knowledge there is no separate bill providing an 
opportunity for members to endorse this reform on its own.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
prohibit minors with children living on their own from receiving AFDC 
benefits, except in certain special cases where no living adult 
relative is known or living with parents or relatives is not possible. 
For minors with children who do live with their parents, the income of 
the entire household would be taken into consideration when determining 
eligibility for welfare. I invite my colleagues to consider this 
legislation as the welfare debate gets underway. We need to send a 
signal to the administration and all committees with jurisdiction over 
welfare reform that ending the subsidy of illegitimacy is vital to 
effective reform. I urge my colleagues to join me in this first step in 
welfare reform and ask that a copy of the bill be inserted into the 
Record.

                                H.R. --

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

     SECTION 1. STATES REQUIRED TO DENY AID TO FAMILIES WITH 
                   DEPENDENT CHILDREN TO UNMARRIED MINORS NOT 
                   LIVING AT HOME OR UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION; 
                   EXCEPTIONS NARROWED.

       Section 402(a)(43) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     602(a)(43)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``at the option of the State,''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking clause (ii) and 
     redesignating clauses (iii), (iv), and (v) as clauses (ii), 
     (iii), and (iv), respectively.

     SEC. 2. INCOME OF MINOR PARENT DEEMED TO INCLUDE ALL INCOME 
                   OF MINOR'S PARENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN THE SAME 
                   HOME AS THE MINOR PARENT.

       Section 402(a)(39) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     602(a)(39)) is amended by striking ``, to the same extent 
     that the income of a stepparent is included under paragraph 
     (31)''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by this Act shall apply to aid payable 
     for months beginning after the calendar month in which this 
     Act is enacted.

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