[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 29, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1917-H1935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            WELFARE REFORM TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT OF 1997

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1048) to make technical amendments relating to the Personal 
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1048

       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 ``Welfare Reform Technical 
     Corrections Act of 1997''.

     SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.

    TITLE I--BLOCK GRANTS FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES

Sec. 101. Amendment of the Social Security Act.
Sec. 102. Eligible States; State plan.
Sec. 103. Grants to States.
Sec. 104. Use of grants.
Sec. 105. Mandatory work requirements.
Sec. 106. Prohibitions; requirements.
Sec. 107. Penalties.
Sec. 108. Data collection and reporting.
Sec. 109. Direct funding and administration by Indian Tribes.
Sec. 110. Research, evaluations, and national studies.
Sec. 111. Report on data processing.
Sec. 112. Study on alternative outcomes measures.
Sec. 113. Limitation on payments to the territories.
Sec. 114. Conforming amendments to the Social Security Act.
Sec. 115. Other conforming amendments.
Sec. 116. Modifications to the job opportunities for certain low-income 
              individuals program.
Sec. 117. Denial of assistance and benefits for drug-related 
              convictions.
Sec. 118. Transition rule.
Sec. 119. Effective dates.

                 TITLE II--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME

            Subtitle A--Conforming and Technical Amendments

Sec. 201. Conforming and technical amendments relating to eligibility 
              restrictions
Sec. 202. Conforming and technical amendments relating to benefits for 
              disabled children.
Sec. 203. Additional technical amendments to title II.
Sec. 204. Additional technical amendments to title XVI.
Sec. 205. Additional technical amendments relating to titles II and 
              XVI.
Sec. 206. Effective dates.

                   Subtitle B--Additional Amendments

Sec. 211. Technical amendments relating to drug addicts and alcoholics.
Sec. 212. Extension of disability insurance program demonstration 
              project authority.
Sec. 213. Perfecting amendments related to withholding from social 
              security benefits.
Sec. 214. Treatment of prisoners.
Sec. 215. Social Security Advisory Board personnel.

                        TITLE III--CHILD SUPPORT

Sec. 301. State obligation to provide child support enforcement 
              services.
Sec. 302. Distribution of collected support.
Sec. 303. Civil penalties relating to State directory of new hires.
Sec. 304. Federal Parent Locator Service.
Sec. 305. Access to registry data for research purposes.
Sec. 306. Collection and use of social security numbers for use in 
              child support enforcement.
Sec. 307. Adoption of uniform State laws.
Sec. 308. State laws providing expedited procedures.
Sec. 309. Voluntary paternity acknowledgement.
Sec. 310. Calculation of paternity establishment percentage.
Sec. 311. Means available for provision of technical assistance and 
              operation of Federal Parent Locator Service.
Sec. 312. Authority to collect support from Federal employees.
Sec. 313. Definition of support order.
Sec. 314. State law authorizing suspension of licenses.
Sec. 315. International support enforcement.
Sec. 316. Child support enforcement for Indian Tribes.
Sec. 317. Continuation of rules for distribution of support in the case 
              of a title IV-E child.
Sec. 318. Good cause in foster care and food stamp cases.
Sec. 319. Date of collection of support.
Sec. 320. Administrative enforcement in interstate cases.
Sec. 321. Work orders for arrearages.
Sec. 322. Additional technical State plan amendments.
Sec. 323. Federal Case Registry of Child Support Orders.
Sec. 324. Full faith and credit for child support orders.
Sec. 325. Development costs of automated systems.
Sec. 326. Additional technical amendments.
Sec. 327. Effective date.

      TITLE IV--RESTRICTING WELFARE AND PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR ALIENS

     Subtitle A--Eligibility for Federal, State, and Local Benefits

Sec. 401. Alien eligibility for Federal benefits: limited application 
              to medicare and benefits under the Railroad Retirement 
              Act.
Sec. 402. Exceptions to benefit limitations: corrections to reference 
              concerning aliens whose deportation is withheld.
Sec. 403. Veterans exception: application of minimum active duty 
              service requirement; extension to unremarried surviving 
              spouse; expanded definition of veteran.

[[Page H1918]]

Sec. 404. Correction of reference concerning Cuban and Haitian 
              entrants.
Sec. 405. Notification concerning aliens not lawfully present: 
              correction of terminology.
Sec. 406. Freely associated states: contracts and licenses.
Sec. 407. Congressional statement regarding benefits for Hmong and 
              other highland Lao veterans.

                     Subtitle B--General Provisions

Sec. 411. Determination of treatment of battered aliens as qualified 
              aliens; inclusion of alien child of battered parent as 
              qualified alien.
Sec. 412. Verification of eligibility for benefits.
Sec. 413. Qualifying quarters: disclosure of quarters of coverage 
              information; correction to assure that crediting applies 
              to all quarters earned by parents before child is 18.
Sec. 414. Statutory construction: benefit eligibility limitations 
              applicable only with respect to aliens present in United 
              States.

Subtitle C--Miscellaneous Clerical and Technical Amendments; Effective 
                                  Date

Sec. 421. Correcting miscellaneous clerical and technical errors.
Sec. 422. Effective date.

                       TITLE V--CHILD PROTECTION

Sec. 501. Conforming and technical amendments relating to child 
              protection.
Sec. 502. Additional technical amendments relating to child protection.
Sec. 503. Effective date.

                          TITLE VI--CHILD CARE

Sec. 601. Conforming and technical amendments relating to child care.
Sec. 602. Additional conforming and technical amendments.
Sec. 603. Repeals.
Sec. 604. Effective dates.

  TITLE VII--ERISA AMENDMENTS RELATING TO MEDICAL CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS

Sec. 701. Amendments relating to section 303 of the Personal 
              Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
              1996.
Sec. 702. Amendment relating to section 381 of the Personal 
              Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
              1996.
Sec. 703. Amendments relating to section 382 of the Personal 
              Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
              1996.
    TITLE I--BLOCK GRANTS FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES

     SEC. 101. AMENDMENT OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT.

       Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this 
     title an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
     amendment to, or repeal of a section or other provision, the 
     reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
     other provision of the Social Security Act, and if the 
     section or other provision is of part A of title IV of such 
     Act, the reference shall be considered to be made to the 
     section or other provision as amended by section 103, and as 
     in effect pursuant to section 116, of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996.

     SEC. 102. ELIGIBLE STATES; STATE PLAN.

       (a) Later Deadline for Submission of State Plans.--Section 
     402(a) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended by striking ``2-year 
     period immediately preceding'' and inserting ``27-month 
     period ending with the close of the 1st quarter of''.
       (b) Clarification of Scope of Work Provisions.--Section 
     402(a)(1)(A)(ii) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A)(ii)) is amended by 
     inserting ``, consistent with section 407(e)(2)'' before the 
     period.
       (c) Correction of Cross-Reference.--Section 402(a)(1)(A)(v) 
     (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A)(v)) is amended by striking 
     ``403(a)(2)(B)'' and inserting ``403(a)(2)(C)(iii)''.
       (d) Notification of Plan Amendments.--Section 402 (42 
     U.S.C. 602) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c) and 
     inserting after subsection (a) the following:
       ``(b) Plan Amendments.--Within 30 days after a State amends 
     a plan submitted pursuant to subsection (a), the State shall 
     notify the Secretary of the amendment.''; and
       (2) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated), by inserting 
     ``or plan amendment'' after ``plan''.

     SEC. 103. GRANTS TO STATES.

       (a) Bonus for Decrease in Illegitimacy Modified To Take 
     Account of Certain Territories.--
       (1) In general.--Section 403(a)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 
     603(a)(2)(B)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(B) Amount of grant.--
       ``(i) In general.--If, for a bonus year, none of the 
     eligible States is Guam, the Virgin Islands, or American 
     Samoa, then the amount of the grant shall be--

       ``(I) $20,000,000 if there are 5 eligible States; or
       ``(II) $25,000,000 if there are fewer than 5 eligible 
     States.

       ``(ii) Amount if certain territories are eligible.--If, for 
     a bonus year, Guam, the Virgin Islands, or American Samoa is 
     an eligible State, then the amount of the grant shall be--

       ``(I) in the case of such a territory, 25 percent of the 
     mandatory ceiling amount (as defined in section 1108(c)(4)) 
     with respect to the territory; and
       ``(II) in the case of a State that is not such a 
     territory--

       ``(aa) if there are 5 eligible States other than such 
     territories, $20,000,000, minus \1/5\ of the total amount of 
     the grants payable under this paragraph to such territories 
     for the bonus year; or
       ``(bb) if there are fewer than 5 such eligible States, 
     $25,000,000, or such lesser amount as may be necessary to 
     ensure that the total amount of grants payable under this 
     paragraph for the bonus year does not exceed $100,000,000.''.
       (2) Certain territories to be ignored in ranking other 
     states.--Section 403(a)(2)(C)(i)(I)(aa) (42 U.S.C. 
     603(a)(2)(C)(i)(I)(aa)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following: ``In the case of a State that is not a territory 
     specified in subparagraph (B), the comparative magnitude of 
     the decrease for the State shall be determined without regard 
     to the magnitude of the corresponding decrease for any such 
     territory.''.
       (b) Computation of Bonus Based on Ratios of Out-of-Wedlock 
     Births to All Births Instead of Numbers of Out-of-Wedlock 
     Births.--Section 403(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)) is amended--
       (1) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``ratio'' before 
     the period;
       (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking all that follows 
     ``bonus year'' and inserting a period; and
       (3) in subparagraph (C)--
       (A) in clause (i)--
       (i) in subclause (I)(aa)--

       (I) by striking ``number of out-of-wedlock births that 
     occurred in the State during'' and inserting ``illegitimacy 
     ratio of the State for''; and
       (II) by striking ``number of such births that occurred 
     during'' and inserting ``illegitimacy ratio of the State 
     for''; and

       (ii) in subclause (II)(aa)--

       (I) by striking ``number of out-of-wedlock births that 
     occurred in'' each place such term appears and inserting 
     ``illegitimacy ratio of''; and
       (II) by striking ``calculate the number of out-of-wedlock 
     births'' and inserting ``calculate the illegitimacy ratio''; 
     and

       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iii) Illegitimacy ratio.--The term `illegitimacy ratio' 
     means, with respect to a State and a period--

       ``(I) the number of out-of-wedlock births to mothers 
     residing in the State that occurred during the period; 
     divided by
       ``(II) the number of births to mothers residing in the 
     State that occurred during the period.''.

       (c) Use of Calendar Year Data Instead of Fiscal Year Data 
     in Calculating Bonus for Decrease in Illegitimacy Ratio.--
     Section 403(a)(2)(C) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)(C)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (i)--
       (A) in subclause (I)(bb)--
       (i) by striking ``the fiscal year'' and inserting ``the 
     calendar year for which the most recent data are available''; 
     and
       (ii) by striking ``fiscal year 1995'' and inserting 
     ``calendar year 1995'';
       (B) in subclause (II), by striking ``fiscal'' each place 
     such term appears and inserting ``calendar''; and
       (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``fiscal years'' and 
     inserting ``calendar years''.
       (d) Correction of Heading.--Section 403(a)(3)(C)(ii) (42 
     U.S.C. 603(a)(3)(C)(ii)) is amended in the heading by 
     striking ``1997'' and inserting ``1998''.
       (e) Clarification of Contingency Fund Provision.--Section 
     403(b) (42 U.S.C. 603(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``(5)'' and inserting 
     ``(4)'';
       (2) by striking paragraph (4) and redesignating paragraphs 
     (5) and (6) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
       ``(6) Annual reconciliation.--
       ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraph (3), if the 
     Secretary makes a payment to a State under this subsection in 
     a fiscal year, then the State shall remit to the Secretary, 
     within 1 year after the end of the first subsequent period of 
     3 consecutive months for which the State is not a needy 
     State, an amount equal to the amount (if any) by which--
       ``(i) the total amount paid to the State under paragraph 
     (3) of this subsection in the fiscal year; exceeds
       ``(ii) the product of--

       ``(I) the Federal medical assistance percentage for the 
     State (as defined in section 1905(b), as such section was in 
     effect on September 30, 1995);
       ``(II) the State's reimbursable expenditures for the fiscal 
     year; and
       ``(III) \1/12\ times the number of months during the fiscal 
     year for which the Secretary made a payment to the State 
     under such paragraph (3).

       ``(B) Definitions.--As used in subparagraph (A):
       ``(i) Reimbursable expenditures.--The term `reimbursable 
     expenditures' means, with respect to a State and a fiscal 
     year, the amount (if any) by which--

       ``(I) countable State expenditures for the fiscal year; 
     exceeds
       ``(II) historic State expenditures (as defined in section 
     409(a)(7)(B)(iii)), excluding any amount expended by the 
     State for child care under subsection (g) or (i) of section 
     402

[[Page H1919]]

     (as in effect during fiscal year 1994) for fiscal year 1994.

       ``(ii) Countable state expenditures.--The term `countable 
     expenditures' means, with respect to a State and a fiscal 
     year--

       ``(I) the qualified State expenditures (as defined in 
     section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) (other than the expenditures 
     described in subclause (I)(bb) of such section)) under the 
     State program funded under this part for the fiscal year; 
     plus
       ``(II) any amount paid to the State under paragraph (3) 
     during the fiscal year that is expended by the State under 
     the State program funded under this part.''.

       (f) Administration of Contingency Fund Transferred to the 
     Secretary of HHS.--Section 403(b)(7) (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(7)) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(7) State defined.--As used in this subsection, the term 
     `State' means each of the 50 States and the District of 
     Columbia.''.

     SEC. 104. USE OF GRANTS.

        Section 404(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 604(a)(2)) is amended by 
     inserting ``, or (at the option of the State) August 21, 
     1996'' before the period.

     SEC. 105. MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Family With a Disabled Parent Not Treated as a 2-Parent 
     Family.--Section 407(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 607(b)(2)) is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) Family with a disabled parent not treated as a 2-
     parent family.--A family that includes a disabled parent 
     shall not be considered a 2-parent family for purposes of 
     subsections (a) and (b) of this section.''.
       (b) Correction of Heading.--Section 407(b)(3) (42 U.S.C. 
     607(b)(3)) is amended in the heading by inserting ``and not 
     resulting from changes in state eligibility criteria'' before 
     the period.
       (c) State Option To Include Individuals Receiving 
     Assistance Under a Tribal Work Program in Participation Rate 
     Calculation.--Section 407(b)(4) (42 U.S.C. 607(b)(4)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the heading, by inserting ``or tribal work program'' 
     before the period; and
       (2) by inserting ``or under a tribal work program to which 
     funds are provided under this part'' before the period.
       (d) Sharing of 35-Hour Work Requirement Between Parents in 
     2-Parent Families.--Section 407(c)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 
     607(c)(1)(B)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (i)--
       (A) by striking ``is'' and inserting ``and the other parent 
     in the family are''; and
       (B) by inserting ``a total of'' before ``at least''; and
       (2) in clause (ii)--
       (A) by striking ``individual's spouse is'' and inserting 
     ``individual and the other parent in the family are'';
       (B) by inserting ``for a total of at least 55 hours per 
     week'' before ``during the month''; and
       (C) by striking ``20'' and inserting ``50''.
       (e) Clarification of Effort Required in Work Activities.--
     Section 407(c)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(1)(B)) is amended by 
     striking ``making progress'' each place such term appears and 
     inserting ``participating''.
       (f) Additional Condition Under Which 12 Weeks of Job Search 
     May Count as Work.--Section 407(c)(2)(A)(i) (42 U.S.C. 
     607(c)(2)(A)(i)) is amended by inserting ``or the State is a 
     needy State (within the meaning of section 403(b)(6))'' after 
     ``United States''.
       (g) Caretaker Relative of Child Under Age 6 Deemed To Be 
     Meeting Work Requirements if Engaged in Work for 20 Hours Per 
     Week.--Section 407(c)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)(B)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the heading, by inserting ``or relative'' after 
     ``parent'' each place such term appears; and
       (2) by striking ``in a 1-parent family who is the parent'' 
     and inserting ``who is the only parent or caretaker relative 
     in the family''.
       (h) Extension to Married Teens of Rule That Receipt of 
     Sufficient Education Is Enough To Meet Work Participation 
     Requirements.--Section 407(c)(2)(C) (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)(C)) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the heading, by striking ``Teen head of household'' 
     and inserting ``Single teen head of household or married 
     teen''; and
       (2) by striking ``a single'' and inserting ``married or 
     a''.
       (i) Clarification of Number of Hours of Participation in 
     Education Directly Related to Employment That Are Required in 
     Order for Single Teen Head of Household or Married Teen To Be 
     Deemed To Be Engaged in Work.--Section 407(c)(2)(C)(ii) (42 
     U.S.C. 607(c)(2)(C)(ii)) is amended by striking ``at least'' 
     and all that follows through ``subsection'' and inserting 
     ``an average of at least 20 hours per week during the 
     month''.
       (j) Clarification of Refusal To Work for Purposes of Work 
     Penalties for Individuals.--Section 407(e)(2) (42 U.S.C. 
     607(e)(2)) is amended by striking ``work'' and inserting 
     ``engage in work required in accordance with this section''.

     SEC. 106. PROHIBITIONS; REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Elimination of Redundant Language; Clarification of 
     Home Residence Requirement.--Section 408(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 
     608(a)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(1) No assistance for families without a minor child.--A 
     State to which a grant is made under section 403 shall not 
     use any part of the grant to provide assistance to a family, 
     unless the family includes a minor child who resides with the 
     family (consistent with paragraph (10)) or a pregnant 
     individual.''.
       (b) Clarification of Terminology.--Section 408(a)(3) (42 
     U.S.C. 608(a)(3)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``leaves'' the 1st, 3rd, and 4th places 
     such term appears and inserting ``ceases to receive 
     assistance under''; and
       (2) by striking ``the date the family leaves the program'' 
     the 2nd place such term appears and inserting ``such date''.
       (c) Elimination of Space.--Section 408(a)(5)(A)(ii) (42 
     U.S.C. 608(a)(5)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking 
     ``described.-- For'' and inserting ``described.--For''.
       (d) Corrections to 5-Year Limit on Assistance.--
       (1) Clarification of limitation on hardship exemption.--
     Section 408(a)(7)(C)(ii) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(7)(C)(ii)) is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking ``The number'' and inserting ``The average 
     monthly number''; and
       (B) by inserting ``during the fiscal year or the 
     immediately preceding fiscal year (but not both), as the 
     State may elect'' before the period.
       (2) Residence exception made more uniform and easier to 
     administer.--Section 408(a)(7)(D) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(7)(D)) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(D) Disregard of months of assistance received by adult 
     while living in indian country or an alaskan native village 
     with 50 percent unemployment.--
       ``(i) In general.--In determining the number of months for 
     which an adult has received assistance under a State or 
     tribal program funded under this part, the State or tribe 
     shall disregard any month during which the adult lived in 
     Indian country or an Alaskan Native village if the most 
     reliable data available with respect to the month (or a 
     period including the month) indicate that at least 50 percent 
     of the adults living in Indian country or in the village were 
     not employed.
       ``(ii) Indian country defined.--As used in clause (i), the 
     term `Indian country' has the meaning given such term in 
     section 1151 of title 18, United States Code.''.
       (e) Reinstatement of Deeming and Other Rules Applicable to 
     Aliens Who Entered the United States Under Affidavits of 
     Support Formerly Used.--Section 408 (42 U.S.C. 608) is 
     amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(d) Special Rules Relating to Treatment of Certain 
     Aliens.--For special rules relating to the treatment of 
     certain aliens, see title IV of the Personal Responsibility 
     and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
       ``(e) Special Rules Relating to the Treatment of Non-213A 
     Aliens.--The following rules shall apply if a State elects to 
     take the income or resources of any sponsor of a non-213A 
     alien into account in determining whether the alien is 
     eligible for assistance under the State program funded under 
     this part, or in determining the amount or types of such 
     assistance to be provided to the alien:
       ``(1) Deeming of sponsor's income and resources.--For a 
     period of 3 years after a non-213A alien enters the United 
     States:
       ``(A) Income deeming rule.--The income of any sponsor of 
     the alien and of any spouse of the sponsor is deemed to be 
     income of the alien, to the extent that the total amount of 
     the income exceeds the sum of--
       ``(i) the lesser of--

       ``(I) 20 percent of the total of any amounts received by 
     the sponsor or any such spouse in the month as wages or 
     salary or as net earnings from self-employment, plus the full 
     amount of any costs incurred by the sponsor and any such 
     spouse in producing self-employment income in such month; or
       ``(II) $175;

       ``(ii) the cash needs standard established by the State for 
     purposes of determining eligibility for assistance under the 
     State program funded under this part for a family of the same 
     size and composition as the sponsor and any other individuals 
     living in the same household as the sponsor who are claimed 
     by the sponsor as dependents for purposes of determining the 
     sponsor's Federal personal income tax liability but whose 
     needs are not taken into account in determining whether the 
     sponsor's family has met the cash needs standard;
       ``(iii) any amounts paid by the sponsor or any such spouse 
     to individuals not living in the household who are claimed by 
     the sponsor as dependents for purposes of determining the 
     sponsor's Federal personal income tax liability; and
       ``(iv) any payments of alimony or child support with 
     respect to individuals not living in the household.
       ``(B) Resource deeming rule.--The resources of a sponsor of 
     the alien and of any spouse of the sponsor are deemed to be 
     resources of the alien to the extent that the aggregate value 
     of the resources exceeds $1,500.
       ``(C) Sponsors of multiple non-213a aliens.--If a person is 
     a sponsor of 2 or more non-213A aliens who are living in the 
     same home, the income and resources of the sponsor and any 
     spouse of the sponsor that would be deemed income and 
     resources of any such alien under subparagraph (A) shall be 
     divided into a number of equal shares equal to the number of 
     such aliens, and the State shall deem the income and 
     resources of each such alien to include 1 such share.
       ``(2) Ineligibility of non-213a aliens sponsored by 
     agencies; exception.--A non-213A alien whose sponsor is or 
     was a public or private agency shall be ineligible for 
     assistance under a State program funded under this part, 
     during a period of 3 years after the

[[Page H1920]]

     alien enters the United States, unless the State agency 
     administering the program determines that the sponsor either 
     no longer exists or has become unable to meet the alien's 
     needs.
       ``(3) Information provisions.--
       ``(A) Duties of non-213a aliens.--A non-213A alien, as a 
     condition of eligibility for assistance under a State program 
     funded under this part during the period of 3 years after the 
     alien enters the United States, shall be required to provide 
     to the State agency administering the program--
       ``(i) such information and documentation with respect to 
     the alien's sponsor as may be necessary in order for the 
     State agency to make any determination required under this 
     subsection, and to obtain any cooperation from the sponsor 
     necessary for any such determination; and
       ``(ii) such information and documentation as the State 
     agency may request and which the alien or the alien's sponsor 
     provided in support of the alien's immigration application.
       ``(B) Duties of federal agencies.--The Secretary shall 
     enter into agreements with the Secretary of State and the 
     Attorney General under which any information available to 
     them and required in order to make any determination under 
     this subsection will be provided by them to the Secretary 
     (who may, in turn, make the information available, upon 
     request, to a concerned State agency).
       ``(4) Non-213a alien defined.--An alien is a non-213A alien 
     for purposes of this subsection if the affidavit of support 
     or similar agreement with respect to the alien that was 
     executed by the sponsor of the alien's entry into the United 
     States was executed other than pursuant to section 213A of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act.
       ``(5) Inapplicability to alien minor sponsored by a 
     parent.--This subsection shall not apply to an alien who is a 
     minor child if the sponsor of the alien or any spouse of the 
     sponsor is a parent of the alien.
       ``(6) Inapplicability to certain categories of aliens.--
     This subsection shall not apply to an alien who is--
       ``(A) admitted to the United States as a refugee under 
     section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
       ``(B) paroled into the United States under section 
     212(d)(5) of such Act for a period of at least 1 year; or
       ``(C) granted political asylum by the Attorney General 
     under section 208 of such Act.''.

     SEC. 107. PENALTIES.

       (a) States Given More Time To File Quarterly Reports.--
     Section 409(a)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(2)(A)) is amended by 
     striking ``1 month'' and inserting ``45 days''.
       (b) Treatment of Support Payments Passed Through to 
     Families as Qualified State Expenditures.--Section 
     409(a)(7)(B)(i)(I)(aa) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i)(I)(aa)) is 
     amended by inserting ``, including any amount collected by 
     the State as support pursuant to a plan approved under part 
     D, on behalf of a family receiving assistance under the State 
     program funded under this part, that is distributed to the 
     family under section 457(a)(1)(B) and disregarded in 
     determining the eligibility of the family for, and the amount 
     of, such assistance'' before the period.
       (c) Disregard of Expenditures Made To Replace Penalty Grant 
     Reductions.--Section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) (42 U.S.C. 
     609(a)(7)(B)(i)) is amended by redesignating subclause (III) 
     as subclause (IV) and by inserting after subclause (II) the 
     following:

       ``(III) Exclusion of amounts expended to replace penalty 
     grant reductions.--Such term does not include any amount 
     expended in order to comply with paragraph (12).''.

       (d) Treatment of Families of Certain Aliens as Eligible 
     Families.--Section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)(IV) (42 U.S.C. 
     609(a)(7)(B)(i)(IV)), as so redesignated by subsection (c) of 
     this section, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and families'' and inserting 
     ``families''; and
       (2) by striking ``Act or section 402'' and inserting ``Act, 
     and families of aliens lawfully present in the United States 
     that would be eligible for such assistance but for the 
     application of title IV''.
       (e) Elimination of Meaningless Language.--Section 
     409(a)(7)(B)(ii) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(ii)) is amended by 
     striking ``reduced (if appropriate) in accordance with 
     subparagraph (C)(ii)''.
       (f) Clarification of Source of Data To Be Used in 
     Determining Historic State Expenditures.--Section 
     409(a)(7)(B) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following:
       ``(v) Source of data.--In determining expenditures by a 
     State for fiscal years 1994 and 1995, the Secretary shall use 
     information which was reported by the State on ACF Form 231 
     or (in the case of expenditures under part F) ACF Form 331, 
     available as of the dates specified in clauses (ii) and (iii) 
     of section 403(a)(1)(D).''.
       (g) Clarification of Expenditures To Be Excluded in 
     Determining Historic State Expenditures.--Section 
     409(a)(7)(B)(iv) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(iv)) is amended--
       (1) in subclause (IV), by striking ``under Federal 
     programs'';
       (2) by striking subclause (III) and redesignating subclause 
     (IV) as subclause (III); and
       (3) in the 2nd sentence--
       (A) by striking ``(IV)'' and inserting ``(III)'';
       (B) by striking ``an amount equal to''; and
       (C) by striking ``that equal'' and inserting ``that 
     equals''.
       (h) Conforming Title IV-A Penalties to Title IV-D 
     Performance-Based Standards.--Section 409(a)(8) (42 U.S.C. 
     609(a)(8)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(8) Noncompliance of state child support enforcement 
     program with requirements of part d.--
       ``(A) In general.--If the Secretary finds, with respect to 
     a State's program under part D, in a fiscal year beginning on 
     or after October 1, 1997--
       ``(i)(I) on the basis of data submitted by a State pursuant 
     to section 454(15)(B), or on the basis of the results of a 
     review conducted under section 452(a)(4), that the State 
     program failed to achieve the paternity establishment 
     percentages (as defined in section 452(g)(2)), or to meet 
     other performance measures that may be established by the 
     Secretary;
       ``(II) on the basis of the results of an audit or audits 
     conducted under section 452(a)(4)(C)(i) that the State data 
     submitted pursuant to section 454(15)(B) is incomplete or 
     unreliable; or
       ``(III) on the basis of the results of an audit or audits 
     conducted under section 452(a)(4)(C) that a State failed to 
     substantially comply with 1 or more of the requirements of 
     part D; and
       ``(ii) that, with respect to the succeeding fiscal year--

       ``(I) the State failed to take sufficient corrective action 
     to achieve the appropriate performance levels or compliance 
     as described in subparagraph (A)(i); or
       ``(II) the data submitted by the State pursuant to section 
     454(15)(B) is incomplete or unreliable;

     the amounts otherwise payable to the State under this part 
     for quarters following the end of such succeeding fiscal 
     year, prior to quarters following the end of the first 
     quarter throughout which the State program has achieved the 
     paternity establishment percentages or other performance 
     measures as described in subparagraph (A)(i)(I), or is in 
     substantial compliance with 1 or more of the requirements of 
     part D as described in subparagraph (A)(i)(III), as 
     appropriate, shall be reduced by the percentage specified in 
     subparagraph (B).
       ``(B) Amount of reductions.--The reductions required under 
     subparagraph (A) shall be--
       ``(i) not less than 1 nor more than 2 percent;
       ``(ii) not less than 2 nor more than 3 percent, if the 
     finding is the 2nd consecutive finding made pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A); or
       ``(iii) not less than 3 nor more than 5 percent, if the 
     finding is the 3rd or a subsequent consecutive such finding.
       ``(C) Disregard of noncompliance which is of a technical 
     nature.--For purposes of this section and section 452(a)(4), 
     a State determined as a result of an audit--
       ``(i) to have failed to have substantially complied with 1 
     or more of the requirements of part D shall be determined to 
     have achieved substantial compliance only if the Secretary 
     determines that the extent of the noncompliance is of a 
     technical nature which does not adversely affect the 
     performance of the State's program under part D; or
       ``(ii) to have submitted incomplete or unreliable data 
     pursuant to section 454(15)(B) shall be determined to have 
     submitted adequate data only if the Secretary determines that 
     the extent of the incompleteness or unreliability of the data 
     is of a technical nature which does not adversely affect the 
     determination of the level of the State's paternity 
     establishment percentages (as defined under section 
     452(g)(2)) or other performance measures that may be 
     established by the Secretary.''.
       (i) Correction of Reference to 5-Year Limit on 
     Assistance.--Section 409(a)(9) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(9)) is 
     amended by striking ``408(a)(1)(B)'' and inserting 
     ``408(a)(7)''.
       (j) Correction of Errors in Penalty for Failure To Meet 
     Maintenance of Effort Requirement Applicable to the 
     Contingency Fund.--Section 409(a)(10) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(10)) 
     is amended--
       (1) by striking ``the expenditures under the State program 
     funded under this part for the fiscal year (excluding any 
     amounts made available by the Federal Government)'' and 
     inserting ``the qualified State expenditures (as defined in 
     paragraph (7)(B)(i) (other than the expenditures described in 
     subclause (I)(bb) of that paragraph)) under the State program 
     funded under this part for the fiscal year'';
       (2) by inserting ``excluding any amount expended by the 
     State for child care under subsection (g) or (i) of section 
     402 (as in effect during fiscal year 1994) for fiscal year 
     1994,'' after ``(as defined in paragraph (7)(B)(iii) of this 
     subsection),''; and
       (3) by inserting ``that the State has not remitted under 
     section 403(b)(6)'' before the period.
       (k) Penalty for State Failure to Expend Additional State 
     funds to Replace Grant Reductions.--Section 409(a)(12) (42 
     U.S.C. 609(a)(12)) is amended--
       (1) in the heading--
       (A) by striking ``Failure'' and inserting ``Requirement''; 
     and
       (B) by striking ``reductions'' and inserting ``reductions; 
     penalty for failure to do so''; and
       (2) by inserting ``, and if the State fails to do so, the 
     Secretary may reduce the grant payable to the State under 
     section 403(a)(1) for the fiscal year that follows such 
     succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to not

[[Page H1921]]

     more than 2 percent of the State family assistance grant'' 
     before the period.
       (l) Elimination of Certain Reasonable Cause Exceptions.--
     Section 409(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 609(b)(2)) is amended by 
     striking ``(7) or (8)'' and inserting ``(6), (7), (8), (10), 
     or (12)''.
       (m) Clarification of What It Means To Correct a 
     Violation.--Section 409(c) (42 U.S.C. 609(c)) is amended--
       (1) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), 
     by inserting ``or discontinue, as appropriate,'' after 
     ``correct'';
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in the heading, by inserting ``or discontinuing'' after 
     ``correcting''; and
       (B) by inserting ``or discontinues, as appropriate'' after 
     ``corrects''; and
       (3) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) in the heading, by inserting ``or discontinue'' after 
     ``correct''; and
       (B) by inserting ``or discontinue, as appropriate,'' before 
     ``the violation''.
       (n) Certain Penalties Not Avoidable Through Corrective 
     Compliance Plans.--Section 409(c)(4) (42 U.S.C. 609(c)(4)) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(4) Inapplicability to certain penalties.--This 
     subsection shall not apply to the imposition of a penalty 
     against a State under paragraph (6), (7), (8), (10), or (12) 
     of subsection (a).''.

     SEC. 108. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.

       Section 411(a) (42 U.S.C. 611(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by striking clause (ii) and inserting the following:
       ``(ii) Whether a child receiving such assistance or an 
     adult in the family is receiving--

       ``(I) disability insurance benefits under section 223;
       ``(II) benefits based on disability under section 202;
       ``(III) aid under a State plan approved under title XIV (as 
     in effect without regard to the amendment made by section 301 
     of the Social Security Amendments of 1972));
       ``(IV) aid or assistance under a State plan approved under 
     title XVI (as in effect without regard to such amendment) by 
     reason of being permanently and totally disabled; or
       ``(V) supplemental security income benefits under title XVI 
     (as in effect pursuant to such amendment) by reason of 
     disability.'';

       (ii) in clause (iv), by striking ``youngest child in'' and 
     inserting ``head of'';
       (iii) in each of clauses (vii) and (viii), by striking 
     ``status'' and inserting ``level''; and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(xvii) With respect to each individual in the family who 
     has not attained 20 years of age, whether the individual is a 
     parent of a child in the family.''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B)--
       (i) in the heading, by striking ``estimates'' and inserting 
     ``samples''; and
       (ii) in clause (i), by striking ``an estimate which is 
     obtained'' and inserting ``disaggregated case record 
     information on a sample of families selected''; and
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7) and 
     inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
       ``(6) Report on families receiving assistance.--The report 
     required by paragraph (1) for a fiscal quarter shall include 
     for each month in the quarter the number of families and 
     individuals receiving assistance under the State program 
     funded under this part (including the number of 2-parent and 
     1-parent families), and the total dollar value of such 
     assistance received by all families.''.

     SEC. 109. DIRECT FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION BY INDIAN TRIBES.

       (a) Prorating of Tribal Family Assistance Grants.--Section 
     412(a)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 612(a)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting 
     ``which shall be reduced for a fiscal year, on a pro rata 
     basis for each quarter, in the case of a tribal family 
     assistance plan approved during a fiscal year for which the 
     plan is to be in effect,'' before ``and shall''.
       (b) Tribal Option To Operate Work Activities Program.--
     Section 412(a)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 612(a)(2)(A)) is amended by 
     striking ``The Secretary'' and all that follows through 
     ``2002'' and inserting ``For each of fiscal years 1997, 1998, 
     1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, the Secretary shall pay to each 
     eligible Indian tribe that proposes to operate a program 
     described in subparagraph (C)''.
       (c) Discretion of Tribes To Select Population To Be Served 
     by Tribal Work Activities Program.--Section 412(a)(2)(C) (42 
     U.S.C. 612(a)(2)(C)) is amended by striking ``members of the 
     Indian tribe'' and inserting ``such population and such 
     service area or areas as the tribe specifies''.
       (d) Reduction of Appropriation for Tribal Work Activities 
     Programs.--Section 412(a)(2)(D) (42 U.S.C. 612(a)(2)(D)) is 
     amended by striking ``$7,638,474'' and inserting 
     ``$7,633,287''.
       (e) Availability of Corrective Compliance Plans to Indian 
     Tribes.--Section 412(f)(1) (42 U.S.C. 612(f)(1)) is amended 
     by striking ``and (b)'' and inserting ``(b), and (c)''.
       (f) Eligibility of Tribes for Federal Loans for Welfare 
     Programs.--Section 412 (42 U.S.C. 612) is amended by 
     redesignating subsections (f), (g), and (h) as subsections 
     (g), (h), and (i), respectively, and by inserting after 
     subsection (e) the following:
       ``(f) Eligibility for Federal Loans.--Section 406 shall 
     apply to an Indian tribe with an approved tribal assistance 
     plan in the same manner as such section applies to a State, 
     except that section 406(c) shall be applied by substituting 
     `section 412(a)' for `section 403(a)'.''.

     SEC. 110. RESEARCH, EVALUATIONS, AND NATIONAL STUDIES.

       (a) Research.--
       (1) Methods.--Section 413(a) (42 U.S.C. 613(a)) is amended 
     by inserting ``, directly or through grants, contracts, or 
     interagency agreements,'' before ``shall conduct''.
       (2) Correction of cross reference.--Section 413(a) (42 
     U.S.C. 613(a)) is amended by striking ``409'' and inserting 
     ``407''.
       (b) Correction of Erroneously Indented Paragraph.--Section 
     413(e)(1) (42 U.S.C. 613(e)(1)) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall annually rank States 
     to which grants are made under section 403 based on the 
     following ranking factors:
       ``(A) Absolute out-of-wedlock ratios.--The ratio 
     represented by--
       ``(i) the total number of out-of-wedlock births in families 
     receiving assistance under the State program under this part 
     in the State for the most recent year for which information 
     is available; over
       ``(ii) the total number of births in families receiving 
     assistance under the State program under this part in the 
     State for the year.
       ``(B) Net changes in the out-of-wedlock ratio.--The 
     difference between the ratio described in subparagraph (A) 
     with respect to a State for the most recent year for which 
     such information is available and the ratio with respect to 
     the State for the immediately preceding year.''.
       (c) Funding of Prior Authorized Demonstrations.--Section 
     413(h)(1)(D) (42 U.S.C. 613(h)(1)(D)) is amended by striking 
     ``September 30, 1995'' and inserting ``August 22, 1996''.
       (d) Child Poverty Reports.--
       (1) Delayed due date for initial report.--Section 413(i)(1) 
     (42 U.S.C. 613(i)(1)) is amended by striking ``90 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this part'' and inserting 
     ``November 30, 1997''.
       (2) Modification of factors to be used in establishing 
     methodology for use in determining child poverty rates.--
     Section 413(i)(5) (42 U.S.C. 613(i)(5)) is amended by 
     striking ``the county-by-county'' and inserting ``, to the 
     extent available, county-by-county''.

     SEC. 111. REPORT ON DATA PROCESSING.

       Section 106(a)(1) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2164) is amended by striking ``(whether in effect 
     before or after October 1, 1995)''.

     SEC. 112. STUDY ON ALTERNATIVE OUTCOMES MEASURES.

       Section 107(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2164) is amended by striking ``409(a)(7)(C)'' and 
     inserting ``408(a)(7)(C)''.

     SEC. 113. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS TO THE TERRITORIES.

       (a) Certain Payments To Be Disregarded in Determining 
     Limitation.--Section 1108(a) (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended to 
     read as follows:
       ``(a) Limitation on Total Payments to Each Territory.--
       ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this Act (except for paragraph (2) of this subsection), the 
     total amount certified by the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services under titles I, X, XIV, and XVI, under parts A and E 
     of title IV, and under subsection (b) of this section, for 
     payment to any territory for a fiscal year shall not exceed 
     the ceiling amount for the territory for the fiscal year.
       ``(2) Certain payments disregarded.--Paragraph (1) of this 
     subsection shall be applied without regard to any payment 
     made under section 403(a)(2), 403(a)(4), 406, or 413(f).''.
       (b) Certain Child Care and Social Services Expenditures by 
     Territories Treated as IV-A Expenditures for Purposes of 
     Matching Grant.--Section 1108(b)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 
     1308(b)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting ``, including any 
     amount paid to the State under part A of title IV that is 
     transferred in accordance with section 404(d) and expended 
     under the program to which transferred'' before the 
     semicolon.
       (c) Elimination of Duplicative Maintenance of Effort 
     Requirement.--Section 1108 (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended by 
     striking subsection (e).

     SEC. 114. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT.

       (a) Amendments to Part D of Title IV.--
       (1) Corrections to determination of paternity establishment 
     percentages.--Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (d)(3)(A), by striking all that follows 
     ``for purposes of'' and inserting ``section 409(a)(8), to 
     achieve the paternity establishment percentages (as defined 
     under section 452(g)(2)) and other performance measures that 
     may be established by the Secretary, and to submit data under 
     section 454(15)(B) that is complete and reliable, and to 
     substantially comply with the requirements of this part; 
     and''; and
       (B) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ``section 403(h)'' 
     and inserting ``section 409(a)(8)''.
       (2) Elimination of obsolete language.--Section 108(c)(8)(C) 
     of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2165) is amended by inserting ``and all that follows through 
     `the best interests of such child to do so' '' before ``and 
     inserting''.
       (3) Insertion of language inadvertently omitted.--Section 
     108(c)(13) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193;

[[Page H1922]]

     110 Stat. 2166) is amended by inserting ``and inserting 
     `pursuant to section 408(a)(3)' '' before the period.
       (4) Elimination of obsolete cross reference.--Section 
     464(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 664(a)(1)) is amended by striking 
     ``section 402(a)(26)'' and inserting ``section 408(a)(3)''.
       (b) Amendments to Part E of Title IV.--Each of the 
     following is amended by striking ``June 1, 1995'' each place 
     such term appears and inserting ``July 16, 1996'':
       (1) Section 472(a) (42 U.S.C. 672(a)).
       (2) Section 472(h) (42 U.S.C. 672(h)).
       (3) Section 473(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 673(a)(2)).
       (4) Section 473(b) (42 U.S.C. 673(b)).

     SEC. 115. OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Elimination of Amendments Included Inadvertently.--
     Section 110(l) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2173) is amended--
       (1) by adding ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6); and
       (2) by striking paragraph (7) and redesignating paragraph 
     (8) as paragraph (7).
       (b) Correction of Citation.--Section 109(f) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2177) is amended by 
     striking ``93-186'' and inserting ``93-86''.
       (c) Correction of Internal Cross Reference.--Section 
     103(a)(1) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2112) is amended by striking ``603(b)(2)'' and inserting 
     ``603(b)''.

     SEC. 116. MODIFICATIONS TO THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR CERTAIN 
                   LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS PROGRAM.

       Section 112(5) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2177) is amended in each of subparagraphs (A) and 
     (B) by inserting ``under'' after ``funded''.

     SEC. 117. DENIAL OF ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS FOR DRUG-RELATED 
                   CONVICTIONS.

       (a) Extension of Certain Requirements Coordinated With 
     Delayed Effective Date for Successor Provisions.--Section 
     115(d)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2181) is amended by striking ``convictions'' and inserting 
     ``a conviction if the conviction is for conduct''.
       (b) Immediate Effectiveness of Provisions Relating to 
     Research, Evaluations, and National Studies.--Section 116(a) 
     of such Act (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2181) is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) Research, evaluations, and national studies.--Section 
     413 of the Social Security Act, as added by the amendment 
     made by section 103(a) of this Act, shall take effect on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.''.

     SEC. 118. TRANSITION RULE.

       Section 116 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2181) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``(but subject to 
     subsection (b)(1)(A)(ii))'' after ``this section''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)(1)(A)(ii), by striking ``June 30, 
     1997'' and inserting ``the later of June 30, 1997, or the day 
     before the date described in subsection (a)(2)(B) of this 
     section''.

     SEC. 119. EFFECTIVE DATES.

       (a) Amendments to Part A of Title IV of the Social Security 
     Act.--The amendments made by this title to a provision of 
     part A of title IV of the Social Security Act shall take 
     effect as if the amendments had been included in section 
     103(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 at the time such section became 
     law.
       (b) Amendments to Parts D and E of Title IV of the Social 
     Security Act.--The amendments made by section 114 of this Act 
     shall take effect as if the amendments had been included in 
     section 108 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 at the time such 
     section 108 became law.
       (c) Amendments to Other Amendatory Provisions.--The 
     amendments made by section 115(a) of this Act shall take 
     effect as if the amendments had been included in section 110 
     of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 at the time such section 110 
     became law.
       (d) Amendments to Freestanding Provisions of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996.--The amendments made by this title to a provision of 
     the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 that, as of July 1, 1997, will not 
     have become part of another statute shall take effect as if 
     the amendments had been included in the provision at the time 
     the provision became law.
                 TITLE II--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME
            Subtitle A--Conforming and Technical Amendments

     SEC. 201. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO 
                   ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS

       (a) Denial of SSI Benefits for Fugitive Felons and 
     Probation and Parole Violators.--Section 1611(e)(6) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(6)) is amended by 
     inserting ``and section 1106(c) of this Act'' after ``of 
     1986''.
       (b) Treatment of Prisoners.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I)(i)(II) 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(I)(i)(II)) 
     is amended by striking ``inmate of the institution'' and all 
     that follows through ``this subparagraph'' and inserting 
     ``individual who receives in the month preceding the first 
     month throughout which such individual is an inmate of the 
     jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility 
     that furnishes information respecting such individual 
     pursuant to subclause (I), or is confined in the institution 
     (that so furnishes such information) as described in section 
     202(x)(1)(A)(ii), a benefit under this title for such 
     preceding month, and who is determined by the Commissioner to 
     be ineligible for benefits under this title by reason of 
     confinement based on the information provided by such 
     institution''.
       (c) Correction of Reference.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I)(i)(I) 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(I)(i)(I)) is 
     amended by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``this 
     paragraph''.

     SEC. 202. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO 
                   BENEFITS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN.

       (a) Eligibility Redeterminations for Current Recipients.--
     Section 211(d)(2)(A) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1382c note) 
     is amended by striking ``1 year'' and inserting ``18 
     months''.
       (b) Eligibility Redeterminations and Continuing Disability 
     Reviews.--
       (1) Disability eligibility redeterminations required for 
     ssi recipients who attain 18 years of age.--Section 
     1614(a)(3)(H)(iii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1382c(a)(3)(H)(iii)) is amended by striking subclauses (I) 
     and (II) and all that follows and inserting the following:
       ``(I) by applying the criteria used in determining initial 
     eligibility for individuals who are age 18 or older; and
       ``(II) either during the 1-year period beginning on the 
     individual's 18th birthday or, in lieu of a continuing 
     disability review, whenever the Commissioner determines that 
     an individual's case is subject to a redetermination under 
     this clause.
     With respect to any redetermination under this clause, 
     paragraph (4) shall not apply.''.
       (2) Continuing disability review required for low birth 
     weight babies.--Section 1614(a)(3)(H)(iv) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382c(a)(3)(H)(iv)) is amended--
       (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``Not'' and inserting 
     ``Except as provided in subclause (VI), not''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(VI) Subclause (I) shall not apply in the case of an 
     individual described in that subclause who, at the time of 
     the individual's initial disability determination, the 
     Commissioner determines has an impairment that is not 
     expected to improve within 12 months after the birth of that 
     individual, and who the Commissioner schedules for a 
     continuing disability review at a date that is after the 
     individual attains 1 year of age.''.
       (c) Additional Accountability Requirements.--Section 
     1631(a)(2)(F) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1383(a)(2)(F)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (ii)(III)(bb), by striking ``the total 
     amount'' and all that follows through ``1613(c)'' and 
     inserting ``in any case in which the individual knowingly 
     misapplies benefits from such an account, the Commissioner 
     shall reduce future benefits payable to such individual (or 
     to such individual and his spouse) by an amount equal to the 
     total amount of such benefits so misapplied''; and
       (2) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:
       ``(iii) The representative payee may deposit into the 
     account established under clause (i) any other funds 
     representing past due benefits under this title to the 
     eligible individual, provided that the amount of such past 
     due benefits is equal to or exceeds the maximum monthly 
     benefit payable under this title to an eligible individual 
     (including State supplementary payments made by the 
     Commissioner pursuant to an agreement under section 1616 or 
     section 212(b) of Public Law 93-66).''.
       (d) Reduction in Cash Benefits Payable to Institutionalized 
     Individuals Whose Medical Costs Are Covered by Private 
     Insurance.--Section 1611(e) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1382(e)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(B)--
       (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``hospital, extended care facility, nursing home, or 
     intermediate care facility'' and inserting ``medical 
     treatment facility'';
       (B) in clause (ii)--
       (i) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 
     ``hospital, home or''; and
       (ii) in subclause (I), by striking ``hospital, home, or'';
       (C) in clause (iii), by striking ``hospital, home, or''; 
     and
       (D) in the matter following clause (iii), by striking 
     ``hospital, extended care facility, nursing home, or 
     intermediate care facility which is a `medical institution or 
     nursing facility' within the meaning of section 1917(c)'' and 
     inserting ``medical treatment facility that provides services 
     described in section 1917(c)(1)(C)'';
       (2) in paragraph (1)(E)--
       (A) in clause (i)(II), by striking ``hospital, extended 
     care facility, nursing home, or intermediate care facility'' 
     and inserting ``medical treatment facility''; and
       (B) in clause (iii), by striking ``hospital, extended care 
     facility, nursing home, or intermediate care facility'' and 
     inserting ``medical treatment facility'';
       (3) in paragraph (1)(G), in the matter preceding clause 
     (i)--

[[Page H1923]]

       (A) by striking ``or which is a hospital, extended care 
     facility, nursing home, or intermediate care'' and inserting 
     ``or is in a medical treatment''; and
       (B) by inserting ``or, in the case of an individual who is 
     a child under the age of 18, under any health insurance 
     policy issued by a private provider of such insurance'' after 
     ``title XIX''; and
       (4) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) by striking ``same hospital, home, or facility'' and 
     inserting ``same medical treatment facility''; and
       (B) by striking ``same such hospital, home, or facility'' 
     and inserting ``same such facility''.
       (e) Correction of U.S.C. Citation.--Section 211(c) of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2189) is amended 
     by striking ``1382(a)(4)'' and inserting ``1382c(a)(4)''.

     SEC. 203. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS TO TITLE II.

       Title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) 
     is amended--
       (1) in section 205(j)(4)(B)(i), by adding ``and'' at the 
     end; and
       (2) in section 215(i)(2)(D), by striking ``He'' and 
     inserting ``The Commissioner of Social Security''.

     SEC. 204. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS TO TITLE XVI.

       Section 1615(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1382d(d)) is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence, by inserting a comma after 
     ``subsection (a)(1)''; and
       (2) in the last sentence, by striking ``him'' and inserting 
     ``the Commissioner''.

     SEC. 205. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO TITLES 
                   II AND XVI.

       Section 1110(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1310(a)(3)) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(or the Commissioner, with respect to 
     any jointly financed cooperative agreement or grant 
     concerning titles II or XVI)'' after ``Secretary'' the first 
     place it appears; and
       (2) by inserting ``(or the Commissioner, as applicable)'' 
     after ``Secretary'' the second place it appears.

     SEC. 206. EFFECTIVE DATES.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
     amendments made by this subtitle shall take effect as if 
     included in the enactment of title II of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2185).
       (b) Exception.--The amendments made by section 205 shall 
     take effect as if included in the enactment of the Social 
     Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994 
     (Public Law 103-296; 108 Stat. 1464).
                   Subtitle B--Additional Amendments

     SEC. 211. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO DRUG ADDICTS AND 
                   ALCOHOLICS.

       (a) Clarifications Relating to the Effective Date of the 
     Denial of Disability Benefits to Drug Addicts and 
     Alcoholics.--
       (1) Amendments relating to disability benefits under title 
     ii.--Section 105(a)(5) of the Contract with America 
     Advancement Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-121; 110 Stat. 853) 
     is amended--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``by the Commissioner 
     of Social Security'' and ``by the Commissioner''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(D) For purposes of this paragraph, an individual's 
     claim, with respect to benefits under title II of the Social 
     Security Act based on disability, which has been denied in 
     whole before the date of the enactment of this Act, may not 
     be considered to be finally adjudicated before such date if, 
     on or after such date--
       ``(i) there is pending a request for either administrative 
     or judicial review with respect to such claim, or
       ``(ii) there is pending, with respect to such claim, a 
     readjudication by the Commissioner of Social Security 
     pursuant to relief in a class action or implementation by the 
     Commissioner of a court remand order.
       ``(E) Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, 
     with respect to any individual for whom the Commissioner of 
     Social Security does not perform the entitlement 
     redetermination before the date prescribed in subparagraph 
     (C), the Commissioner shall perform such entitlement 
     redetermination in lieu of a continuing disability review 
     whenever the Commissioner determines that the individual's 
     entitlement is subject to redetermination based on the 
     preceding provisions of this paragraph, and the provisions of 
     section 223(f) of the Social Security Act shall not apply to 
     such redetermination.''.
       (2) Amendments relating to supplemental security income 
     disability benefits under title xvi.--Section 105(b)(5) of 
     such Act (Public Law 104-121; 110 Stat. 853) is amended--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``by the Commissioner 
     of Social Security'' and ``by the Commissioner''; and
       (B) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (F) 
     and by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new 
     subparagraphs:
       ``(D) For purposes of this paragraph, an individual's 
     claim, with respect to supplemental security income benefits 
     under title XVI of the Social Security Act based on 
     disability, which has been denied in whole before the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, may not be considered to be 
     finally adjudicated before such date if, on or after such 
     date--
       ``(i) there is pending a request for either administrative 
     or judicial review with respect to such claim, or
       ``(ii) there is pending, with respect to such claim, a 
     readjudication by the Commissioner of Social Security 
     pursuant to relief in a class action or implementation by the 
     Commissioner of a court remand order.
       ``(E) Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, 
     with respect to any individual for whom the Commissioner does 
     not perform the eligibility redetermination before the date 
     prescribed in subparagraph (C), the Commissioner shall 
     perform such eligibility redetermination in lieu of a 
     continuing disability review whenever the Commissioner 
     determines that the individual's eligibility is subject to 
     redetermination based on the preceding provisions of this 
     paragraph, and the provisions of section 1614(a)(4) of the 
     Social Security Act shall not apply to such 
     redetermination.''.
       (b) Corrections to Effective Date of Provisions Concerning 
     Representative Payees and Treatment Referrals of Drug Addicts 
     and Alcoholics.--
       (1) Amendments relating to title ii disability 
     beneficiaries.--Section 105(a)(5)(B) of such Act (Public Law 
     104-121; 110 Stat. 853) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(B) The amendments made by paragraphs (2) and (3) shall 
     take effect on July 1, 1996, with respect to any individual--
       ``(i) whose claim for benefits is finally adjudicated on or 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, or
       ``(ii) whose entitlement to benefits is based upon an 
     entitlement redetermination made pursuant to subparagraph 
     (C).''.
       (2) Amendments relating to supplemental security income 
     recipients.--Section 105(b)(5)(B) of such Act (Public Law 
     104-121; 110 Stat. 853) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(B) The amendments made by paragraphs (2) and (3) shall 
     take effect on July 1, 1996, with respect to any individual--
       ``(i) whose claim for benefits is finally adjudicated on or 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, or
       ``(ii) whose eligibility for benefits is based upon an 
     eligibility redetermination made pursuant to subparagraph 
     (C).''.
       (c) Repeal of Obsolete Reporting Requirements.--Subsections 
     (a)(3)(B) and (b)(3)(B)(ii) of section 201 of the Social 
     Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994 
     (Public Law 103-296; 108 Stat. 1497, 1504) are repealed.
       (d) Effective Dates.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and 
     (b) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of 
     section 105 of the Contract with America Advancement Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-121; 110 Stat. 852 et seq.).
       (2) Repeals.--The repeals made by subsection (c) shall take 
     effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 212. EXTENSION OF DISABILITY INSURANCE PROGRAM 
                   DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AUTHORITY.

       (a) In General.--Section 505 of the Social Security 
     Disability Amendments of 1980 (Public Law 96-265; 94 Stat. 
     473), as amended by section 12101 of the Consolidated Omnibus 
     Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-272; 100 
     Stat. 282), section 10103 of the Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-239; 103 Stat. 
     2472), section 5120(f) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation 
     Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-508; 104 Stat. 1388-282), and 
     section 315 of the Social Security Independence and Program 
     Improvements Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-296; 108 Stat. 
     1531), is further amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), by adding at the 
     end the following new sentence: ``The Commissioner may expand 
     the scope of any such experiment or demonstration project to 
     include any group of applicants for benefits under such 
     program with impairments which may reasonably be presumed to 
     be disabling for purposes of such experiment or demonstration 
     project, and may limit any such experiment or demonstration 
     project to any such group of applicants, subject to the terms 
     of such experiment or demonstration project which shall 
     define the extent of any such presumption.'';
       (2) in paragraph (3) of subsection (a), by striking ``June 
     10, 1996'' and inserting ``June 10, 1999'';
       (3) in paragraph (4) of subsection (a), by inserting ``and 
     on or before October 1, 1998,'' after ``1995,''; and
       (4) in subsection (c), by striking ``October 1, 1996'' and 
     inserting ``October 1, 1999''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 213. PERFECTING AMENDMENTS RELATED TO WITHHOLDING FROM 
                   SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS.

       (a) Inapplicability of Assignment Prohibition.--Section 207 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 407) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
     prohibit withholding taxes from any benefit under this title, 
     if such withholding is done pursuant to a request made in 
     accordance with section 3402(p)(1) of the Internal Revenue 
     Code of 1986 by the person entitled to such benefit or such 
     persons' representative payee.''.
       (b) Proper Allocation of Costs of Withholding Between the 
     Trust Funds and the General Fund.--Section 201(g) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 401(g)) is amended--

[[Page H1924]]

       (1) by inserting before the period in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) 
     the following: ``and the functions of the Social Security 
     Administration in connection with the withholding of taxes 
     from benefits, as described in section 207(c), pursuant to 
     requests by persons entitled to such benefits or such 
     persons' representative payee'';
       (2) by inserting before the period at the end of paragraph 
     (1)(A) the following: ``and the functions of the Social 
     Security Administration in connection with the withholding of 
     taxes from benefits, as described in section 207(c), pursuant 
     to requests by persons entitled to such benefits or such 
     persons' representative payee'';
       (3) in paragraph (1)(B)(i)(I), by striking ``subparagraph 
     (A)),'' and inserting ``subparagraph (A)) and the functions 
     of the Social Security Administration in connection with the 
     withholding of taxes from benefits, as described in section 
     207(c), pursuant to requests by persons entitled to such 
     benefits or such persons' representative payee,'';
       (4) in paragraph (1)(C)(iii), by inserting before the 
     period the following: ``and the functions of the Social 
     Security Administration in connection with the withholding of 
     taxes from benefits, as described in section 207(c), pursuant 
     to requests by persons entitled to such benefits or such 
     persons' representative payee'';
       (5) in paragraph (1)(D), by inserting after ``section 232'' 
     the following: ``and the functions of the Social Security 
     Administration in connection with the withholding of taxes 
     from benefits as described in section 207(c)''; and
       (6) in paragraph (4), by inserting after the first sentence 
     the following: ``The Board of Trustees of such Trust Funds 
     shall prescribe before January 1, 1998, the method of 
     determining the costs which should be borne by the general 
     fund in the Treasury of carrying out the functions of the 
     Social Security Administration in connection with the 
     withholding of taxes from benefits, as described in section 
     207(c), pursuant to requests by persons entitled to such 
     benefits or such persons' representative payee.''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (b) 
     shall apply to benefits paid on or after the first day of the 
     second month beginning after the month in which this Act is 
     enacted.

     SEC. 214. TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.

       (a) Implementation of Prohibition Against Payment of Title 
     II Benefits to Prisoners.--
       (1) In general.--Section 202(x)(3) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 402(x)(3)) is amended--
       (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(3)''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B)(i) The Commissioner shall enter into an agreement, 
     with any interested State or local institution comprising a 
     jail, prison, penal institution, correctional facility, or 
     other institution a purpose of which is to confine 
     individuals as described in paragraph (1)(A), under which--
       ``(I) the institution shall provide to the Commissioner, on 
     a monthly basis and in a manner specified by the 
     Commissioner, the names, social security account numbers, 
     dates of birth, confinement commencement dates, and, to the 
     extent available to the institution, such other identifying 
     information concerning the individuals confined in the 
     institution as the Commissioner may require for the purpose 
     of carrying out paragraph (1); and
       ``(II) the Commissioner shall pay to the institution, with 
     respect to information described in subclause (I) concerning 
     each individual who is confined therein as described in 
     paragraph (1)(A), who receives a benefit under this title for 
     the month preceding the first month of such confinement, and 
     whose benefit under this title is determined by the 
     Commissioner to be not payable by reason of confinement based 
     on the information provided by the institution, $400 (subject 
     to reduction under clause (ii)) if the institution furnishes 
     the information to the Commissioner within 30 days after the 
     date such individual's confinement in such institution 
     begins, or $200 (subject to reduction under clause (ii)) if 
     the institution furnishes the information after 30 days after 
     such date but within 90 days after such date.
       ``(ii) The dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(II) shall 
     be reduced by 50 percent if the Commissioner is also required 
     to make a payment to the institution with respect to the same 
     individual under an agreement entered into under section 
     1611(e)(1)(I).
       ``(iii) There is authorized to be transferred from the 
     Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the 
     Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, as appropriate, such 
     sums as may be necessary to enable the Commissioner to make 
     payments to institutions required by clause (i)(II).
       ``(iv) The Commissioner is authorized to provide, on a 
     reimbursable basis, information obtained pursuant to 
     agreements entered into under clause (i) to any agency 
     administering a Federal or federally-assisted cash, food, or 
     medical assistance program for eligibility purposes.''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
     shall apply to individuals whose period of confinement in an 
     institution commences on or after the first day of the fourth 
     month beginning after the month in which this Act is enacted.
       (b) Elimination of Title II Requirement That Confinement 
     Stem From Crime Punishable by Imprisonment for More Than 1 
     Year.--
       (1) In general.--Section 202(x)(1)(A) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 402(x)(1)(A)) is amended--
       (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``during'' and inserting ``throughout'';
       (B) in clause (i), by striking ``an offense punishable by 
     imprisonment for more than 1 year (regardless of the actual 
     sentence imposed)'' and inserting ``a criminal offense''; and
       (C) in clause (ii)(I), by striking ``an offense punishable 
     by imprisonment for more than 1 year'' and inserting ``a 
     criminal offense''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
     shall apply to individuals whose period of confinement in an 
     institution commences on or after the first day of the fourth 
     month beginning after the month in which this Act is enacted.
       (c) Inclusion of Title II Issues in Study and Report 
     Requirements Relating to Prisoners.--
       (1) In general.--Section 203(b)(1) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193) is amended--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``section 1611(e)(1)'' 
     and inserting ``sections 202(x) and 1611(e)(1)''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``section 
     1611(e)(1)(I)'' and inserting ``section 202(x)(3)(B) or 
     1611(e)(1)(I)''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 203(c) of such Act is 
     amended by striking ``section 1611(e)(1)(I)'' and all that 
     follows and inserting the following: ``sections 202(x)(3)(B) 
     and 1611(e)(1)(I) of the Social Security Act.''.
       (3) Application.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
     shall apply as if included in the enactment of section 203(b) 
     of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193). The 
     amendment made by paragraph (2) shall apply as if included in 
     the enactment of section 203(c) of such Act.
       (d) Conforming Title XVI Amendments.--
       (1) Fifty percent reduction in title xvi payment in case 
     involving comparable title ii payment.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I) 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(I)), as 
     amended by section 201(b) of this Act, is amended further--
       (A) in clause (i)(II), by inserting ``(subject to reduction 
     under clause (ii))'' after ``$400'' and after ``$200'';
       (B) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses 
     (iii) and (iv) respectively; and
       (C) by inserting after clause (i) the following new clause:
       ``(ii) The dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(II) shall 
     be reduced by 50 percent if the Commissioner is also required 
     to make a payment to the institution with respect to the same 
     individual under an agreement entered into under section 
     202(x)(3)(B).''.
       (2) Expansion of categories of institutions eligible to 
     enter into agreements with the commissioner.--Section 
     1611(e)(1)(I)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(I)(i)) is 
     amended in the matter preceding subclause (I) by striking 
     ``institution'' and all that follows through ``section 
     202(x)(1)(A),'' and inserting ``institution comprising a 
     jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility, or 
     with any other interested State or local institution a 
     purpose of which is to confine individuals as described in 
     section 202(x)(1)(A)(ii),''.
       (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
     shall take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
     203(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2186). The reference to section 202(x)(1)(A)(ii) of the 
     Social Security Act in section 1611(e)(1)(I)(i) of such Act 
     as amended by paragraph (2) shall be deemed a reference to 
     such section 202(x)(1)(A)(ii) as amended by subsection 
     (b)(1)(C).
       (e) Exemption From Computer Matching Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--Section 552a(a)(8)(B) of title 5, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (v) and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (B) by inserting ``or'' at the end of clause (vi); and
       (C) by inserting after clause (vi) the following new 
     clause:
       ``(vii) matches performed pursuant to section 202(x), 
     205(j), 1611(e)(1), or 1631(a)(2) of the Social Security 
     Act;''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 1611(e)(1)(I)(iii) of 
     the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(e)(1)(I)(iii)), as so 
     redesignated by subsection (d)(1)(B) of this section, is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking ``(I) The provisions'' and all that follows 
     through ``(II) The Commissioner'' and inserting ``The 
     Commissioner''; and
       (B) by inserting ``agency administering a'' before 
     ``Federal or federally-assisted''.
       (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
     shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (f) Continued Denial of Benefits to Sex Offenders Remaining 
     Confined to Public Institutions Upon Completion of Prison 
     Term.--
       (1) In General.--Section 202(x)(1)(A) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(x)(1)(A)) is amended--
       (A) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' at the end;
       (B) in clause (ii)(IV), by striking the period and 
     inserting ``, or''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new clause:

[[Page H1925]]

       ``(iii) immediately upon completion of confinement as 
     described in clause (i) pursuant to conviction of a criminal 
     offense an element of which is sexual activity, is confined 
     by court order in an institution at public expense pursuant 
     to a finding that the individual is a sexually dangerous 
     person or a sexual predator or a similar finding.''.
       (2) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
     shall apply with respect to benefits for months ending after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 215. SOCIAL SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD PERSONNEL.

       (a) In General.--Section 703(i) of the Social Security Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 903(i)) is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence, by striking ``, and three'' and 
     all that follows through ``Board,''; and
       (2) in the last sentence, by striking ``clerical''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
     108 of the Contract with America Advancement Act of 1996 
     (Public Law 104-121; 110 Stat. 857).
                        TITLE III--CHILD SUPPORT

     SEC. 301. STATE OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE CHILD SUPPORT 
                   ENFORCEMENT SERVICES.

       (a) Individuals Subject to Fee For Child Support 
     Enforcement Services.--Section 454(6)(B) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)) is amended by striking 
     ``individuals not receiving assistance under any State 
     program funded under part A, which'' and inserting ``an 
     individual, other than an individual receiving assistance 
     under a State program funded under part A or E, or under a 
     State plan approved under title XIX, or who is required by 
     the State to cooperate with the State agency administering 
     the program under this part pursuant to subsection (l) or (m) 
     of section 6 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, and''.
       (b) Correction of Reference.--Section 464(a)(2)(A) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(a)(2)(A)) is amended in 
     the first sentence by striking ``section 454(6)'' and 
     inserting ``section 454(4)(A)(ii)''.

     SEC. 302. DISTRIBUTION OF COLLECTED SUPPORT.

       (a) Continuation of Assignments.--Section 457(b) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(b)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``which were assigned'' and inserting 
     ``assigned''; and
       (2) by striking ``and which were in effect'' and all that 
     follows and inserting ``and in effect on September 30, 1997 
     (or such earlier date, on or after August 22, 1996, as the 
     State may choose), shall remain assigned after such date.''.
       (b) State Option for Applicability.--
       (1) In general.--Section 457(a) of the Social Security Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 657(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(6) State option for applicability.--Notwithstanding any 
     other provision of this subsection, a State may elect to 
     apply the rules described in clauses (i)(II), (ii)(II), and 
     (v) of paragraph (2)(B) to support arrearages collected on 
     and after October 1, 1998, and, if the State makes such an 
     election, shall apply the provisions of this section, as in 
     effect and applied on the day before the date of enactment of 
     section 302 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193, 110 Stat. 2200), 
     other than subsection (b)(1) (as so in effect), to amounts 
     collected before October 1, 1998.''.
       (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 408(a)(3)(A) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(3)(A)) is amended--
       (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``(I)'' after ``(i)'';
       (B) in clause (ii)--
       (i) by striking ``(ii)'' and inserting ``(II)''; and
       (ii) by striking the period and inserting ``; or''; and
       (C) by adding at the end, the following:
       ``(ii) if the State elects to distribute collections under 
     section 457(a)(6), the date the family ceases to receive 
     assistance under the program, if the assignment is executed 
     on or after October 1, 1998.''.
       (c) Distribution of Collections With Respect to Families 
     Receiving Assistance.--Section 457(a)(1) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(1)) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following flush language:

     ``In no event shall the total of the amounts paid to the 
     Federal Government and retained by the State exceed the total 
     of the amounts that have been paid to the family as 
     assistance by the State.''.
       (d) Families Under Certain Agreements.--Section 457(a)(4) 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(4)) is amended 
     to read as follows:
       ``(4) Families under certain agreements.--In the case of an 
     amount collected for a family in accordance with a 
     cooperative agreement under section 454(33), distribute the 
     amount so collected pursuant to the terms of the 
     agreement.''.
       (e) Study and Report.--Section 457(a)(5) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(5)) is amended by striking 
     ``1998'' and inserting ``1999''.
       (f) Corrections of References.--Section 457(a)(2)(B) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(2)(B)) is amended--
       (1) in clauses (i)(I) and (ii)(I)--
       (A) by striking ``(other than subsection (b)(1))'' each 
     place it appears; and
       (B) by inserting ``(other than subsection (b)(1) (as so in 
     effect))'' after ``1996'' each place it appears; and
       (2) in clause (ii)(II), by striking ``paragraph (4)'' and 
     inserting ``paragraph (5)''.
       (g) Correction of Territorial Match.--Section 457(c)(3)(A) 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(c)(3)(A)) is 
     amended by striking ``the Federal medical assistance 
     percentage (as defined in section 1118)'' and inserting ``75 
     percent''.
       (h) Definitions.--
       (1) Federal share.--Section 457(c)(2) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657(c)(2)) is amended by striking 
     ``collected'' the second place it appears and inserting 
     ``distributed''.
       (2) Federal medical assistance percentage.--Section 
     457(c)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     657(c)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ``as in effect on 
     September 30, 1996'' and inserting ``as such section was in 
     effect on September 30, 1995''.
       (i) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Section 464(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 664(a)(2)(A)) is amended, in the penultimate sentence, 
     by inserting ``in accordance with section 457'' after 
     ``owed''.
       (2) Section 466(a)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 666(a)(3)(B)) is amended by striking ``457(b)(4) or 
     (d)(3)'' and inserting ``457''.

     SEC. 303. CIVIL PENALTIES RELATING TO STATE DIRECTORY OF NEW 
                   HIRES.

       Section 453A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653a) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (d)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``shall be less than'' and inserting ``shall not exceed''; 
     and
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$25'' and inserting 
     ``$25 per failure to meet the requirements of this section 
     with respect to a newly hired employee''; and
       (2) in subsection (g)(2)(B), by striking ``extracts'' and 
     all that follows through ``Labor'' and inserting 
     ``information''.

     SEC. 304. FEDERAL PARENT LOCATOR SERVICE.

       (a) In General.--Section 453 of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 653) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(a)''; and
       (B) by striking ``to obtain'' and all that follows through 
     the period and inserting ``for the purposes specified in 
     paragraphs (2) and (3).
       ``(2) For the purpose of establishing parentage, 
     establishing, setting the amount of, modifying, or enforcing 
     child support obligations, the Federal Parent Locator Service 
     shall obtain and transmit to any authorized person specified 
     in subsection (c)--
       ``(A) information on, or facilitating the discovery of, the 
     location of any individual--
       ``(i) who is under an obligation to pay child support;
       ``(ii) against whom such an obligation is sought; or
       ``(iii) to whom such an obligation is owed,
     including the individual's social security number (or 
     numbers), most recent address, and the name, address, and 
     employer identification number of the individual's employer;
       ``(B) information on the individual's wages (or other 
     income) from, and benefits of, employment (including rights 
     to or enrollment in group health care coverage); and
       ``(C) information on the type, status, location, and amount 
     of any assets of, or debts owed by or to, any such 
     individual.
       ``(3) For the purpose of enforcing any Federal or State law 
     with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child, 
     or making or enforcing a child custody or visitation 
     determination, as defined in section 463(d)(1), the Federal 
     Parent Locator Service shall be used to obtain and transmit 
     the information specified in section 463(c) to the authorized 
     persons specified in section 463(d)(2).'';
       (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b)(1) Upon request, filed in accordance with subsection 
     (d), of any authorized person, as defined in subsection (c) 
     for the information described in subsection (a)(2), or of any 
     authorized person, as defined in section 463(d)(2) for the 
     information described in section 463(c), the Secretary shall, 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law, provide through 
     the Federal Parent Locator Service such information to such 
     person, if such information--
       ``(A) is contained in any files or records maintained by 
     the Secretary or by the Department of Health and Human 
     Services; or
       ``(B) is not contained in such files or records, but can be 
     obtained by the Secretary, under the authority conferred by 
     subsection (e), from any other department, agency, or 
     instrumentality of the United States or of any State,

     and is not prohibited from disclosure under paragraph (2).
       ``(2) No information shall be disclosed to any person if 
     the disclosure of such information would contravene the 
     national policy or security interests of the United States or 
     the confidentiality of census data. The Secretary shall give 
     priority to requests made by any authorized person described 
     in subsection (c)(1). No information shall be disclosed to 
     any person if the State has notified the Secretary that the 
     State has reasonable evidence of domestic violence or child 
     abuse and the disclosure of such information could be harmful 
     to the custodial parent or the child of such parent, provided 
     that--
       ``(A) in response to a request from an authorized person 
     (as defined in subsection (c) and section 463(d)(2)), the 
     Secretary shall advise the authorized person that the 
     Secretary has been notified that there is reasonable evidence 
     of domestic violence or child

[[Page H1926]]

     abuse and that information can only be disclosed to a court 
     or an agent of a court pursuant to subparagraph (B); and
       ``(B) information may be disclosed to a court or an agent 
     of a court described in subsection (c)(2) or section 
     463(d)(2)(B), if--
       ``(i) upon receipt of information from the Secretary, the 
     court determines whether disclosure to any other person of 
     that information could be harmful to the parent or the child; 
     and
       ``(ii) if the court determines that disclosure of such 
     information to any other person could be harmful, the court 
     and its agents shall not make any such disclosure.
       ``(3) Information received or transmitted pursuant to this 
     section shall be subject to the safeguard provisions 
     contained in section 454(26).''; and
       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or to seek to enforce 
     orders providing child custody or visitation rights''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) by inserting ``or to serve as the initiating court in 
     an action to seek an order'' after ``issue an order''; and
       (ii) by striking ``or to issue an order against a resident 
     parent for child custody or visitation rights''.
       (b) Use of the Federal Parent Locator Service.--Section 463 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 663) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``any State which is able and willing to do 
     so,'' and inserting ``every State''; and
       (ii) by striking ``such State'' and inserting ``each 
     State''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or visitation'' after 
     ``custody'';
       (2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ``or visitation'' 
     after ``custody'';
       (3) in subsection (d)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or visitation'' after 
     ``custody''; and
       (B) in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2), by 
     inserting ``or visitation'' after ``custody'' each place it 
     appears;
       (4) in subsection (f)(2), by inserting ``or visitation'' 
     after ``custody''; and
       (5) by striking ``noncustodial'' each place it appears.

     SEC. 305. ACCESS TO REGISTRY DATA FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES.

       (a) In General.--Section 453(j)(5) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 653(j)(5)) is amended by inserting ``data in 
     each component of the Federal Parent Locator Service 
     maintained under this section and to'' before 
     ``information''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 453 of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (j)(3)(B), by striking ``registries'' and 
     inserting ``components''; and
       (2) in subsection (k)(2), by striking ``subsection (j)(3)'' 
     and inserting ``section 453A(g)(2)''.

     SEC. 306. COLLECTION AND USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR 
                   USE IN CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT.

       Section 466(a)(13) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     666(a)(13)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A)--
       (A) by striking ``commercial''; and
       (B) by inserting ``recreational license,'' after 
     ``occupational license,''; and
       (2) in the matter following subparagraph (C), by inserting 
     ``to be used on the face of the document while the social 
     security number is kept on file at the agency'' after ``other 
     than the social security number''.

     SEC. 307. ADOPTION OF UNIFORM STATE LAWS.

       Section 466(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     666(f)) is amended by striking ``together'' and all that 
     follows and inserting ``and as in effect on August 22, 1996, 
     including any amendments officially adopted as of such date 
     by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State 
     Laws.''.

     SEC. 308. STATE LAWS PROVIDING EXPEDITED PROCEDURES.

       Section 466(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     666(c)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``, part E,'' after 
     ``part A''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (G), by inserting ``any current support 
     obligation and'' after ``to satisfy''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)(A)--
       (A) in clause (i), by striking ``the tribunal and''; and
       (B) in clause (ii)--
       (i) by striking ``tribunal may'' and inserting ``court or 
     administrative agency of competent jurisdiction shall''; and
       (ii) by striking ``filed with the tribunal'' and inserting 
     ``filed with the State case registry''.

     SEC. 309. VOLUNTARY PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

       Section 466(a)(5)(C)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 666(a)(5)(C)(i)) is amended by inserting ``, or 
     through the use of video or audio equipment,'' after 
     ``orally''.

     SEC. 310. CALCULATION OF PATERNITY ESTABLISHMENT PERCENTAGE.

       Section 452(g)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     652(g)(2)) is amended, in the matter following subparagraph 
     (C), by striking ``subparagraph (A)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) and (B)''.

     SEC. 311. MEANS AVAILABLE FOR PROVISION OF TECHNICAL 
                   ASSISTANCE AND OPERATION OF FEDERAL PARENT 
                   LOCATOR SERVICE.

       (a) Technical Assistance.--Section 452(j) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 652(j)), is amended, in the matter 
     preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``to cover costs 
     incurred by the Secretary'' and inserting ``which shall be 
     available for use by the Secretary, either directly or 
     through grants, contracts, or interagency agreements,''.
       (b) Operation of Federal Parent Locator Service.--
       (1) Means available.--Section 453(o) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 653(o)) is amended--
       (A) in the heading, by striking ``Recovery of Costs'' and 
     inserting ``Use of Set-Aside Funds''; and
       (B) by striking ``to cover costs incurred by the 
     Secretary'' and inserting ``which shall be available for use 
     by the Secretary, either directly or through grants, 
     contracts, or interagency agreements,''.
       (2) Availability of funds.--Section 453(o) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653(o)) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following: ``Amounts appropriated under this 
     subsection for each of fiscal years 1997 through 2001 shall 
     remain available until expended.''.

     SEC. 312. AUTHORITY TO COLLECT SUPPORT FROM FEDERAL 
                   EMPLOYEES.

       (a) Response to Notice or Process.--Section 459(c)(2)(C) of 
     the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 659(c)(2)(C)) is amended 
     by striking ``respond to the order, process, or 
     interrogatory'' and inserting ``withhold available sums in 
     response to the order or process, or answer the 
     interrogatory''.
       (b) Moneys Subject to Process.--Section 459(h)(1) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 659(h)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) and in 
     subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``paid or'' each place it 
     appears;
       (2) in subparagraph (A)--
       (A) in clause (ii)(V), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in clause (iii)--
       (i) by inserting ``or payable'' after ``paid''; and
       (ii) by striking ``but'' and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by inserting after clause (iii), the following:
       ``(iv) benefits paid or payable under the Railroad 
     Retirement System, but''; and
       (3) in subparagraph (B)--
       (A) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' at the end;
       (B) in clause (ii), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; or''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iii) of periodic benefits under title 38, United States 
     Code, except as provided in subparagraph (A)(ii)(V).''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 454(19)(B)(ii) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(19)(B)(ii)) is amended by 
     striking ``section 462(e)'' and inserting ``section 
     459(i)(5)''.

     SEC. 313. DEFINITION OF SUPPORT ORDER.

       Section 453(p) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     653(p)), is amended by striking ``a child and'' and inserting 
     ``of''.

     SEC. 314. STATE LAW AUTHORIZING SUSPENSION OF LICENSES.

       Section 466(a)(16) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     666(a)(16)) is amended by inserting ``and sporting'' after 
     ``recreational''.

     SEC. 315. INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT.

       Section 454(32)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     654(32)(A)) is amended by striking ``section 459A(d)(2)'' and 
     inserting ``section 459A(d)''.

     SEC. 316. CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT FOR INDIAN TRIBES.

       (a) Cooperative Agreements by Indian Tribes and States for 
     Child Support Enforcement.--Section 454(33) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(33)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and enforce support orders, and'' and 
     inserting ``or enforce support orders, or'';
       (2) by striking ``guidelines established by such tribe or 
     organization'' and inserting ``guidelines established or 
     adopted by such tribe or organization'';
       (3) by striking ``funding collected'' and inserting 
     ``collections''; and
       (4) by striking ``such funding'' and inserting ``such 
     collections''.
       (b) Correction of Subsection Designation.--Section 455 of 
     the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 655), is amended by 
     redesignating subsection (b), as added by section 375(b) of 
     the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193, 110 Stat. 
     2256), as subsection (f).
       (c) Direct Grants to Tribes.--Section 455(f) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 655(f)), as redesignated by 
     subsection (b), is amended to read as follows:
       ``(f) The Secretary may make direct payments under this 
     part to an Indian tribe or tribal organization that 
     demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that it has 
     the capacity to operate a child support enforcement program 
     meeting the objectives of this part, including establishment 
     of paternity, establishment, modification, and enforcement of 
     support orders, and location of absent parents. The Secretary 
     shall promulgate regulations establishing the requirements 
     which must be met by an Indian tribe or tribal organization 
     to be eligible for a grant under this subsection.''.

     SEC. 317. CONTINUATION OF RULES FOR DISTRIBUTION OF SUPPORT 
                   IN THE CASE OF A TITLE IV-E CHILD.

       Section 457 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1), by striking ``subsection

[[Page H1927]]

     (e)'' and inserting ``subsections (e) and (f)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end, the following:
       ``(f) Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this 
     section, amounts collected by a State as child support for 
     months in any period on behalf of a child for whom a public 
     agency is making foster care maintenance payments under part 
     E--
       ``(1) shall be retained by the State to the extent 
     necessary to reimburse it for the foster care maintenance 
     payments made with respect to the child during such period 
     (with appropriate reimbursement of the Federal Government to 
     the extent of its participation in the financing);
       ``(2) shall be paid to the public agency responsible for 
     supervising the placement of the child to the extent that the 
     amounts collected exceed the foster care maintenance payments 
     made with respect to the child during such period but not the 
     amounts required by a court or administrative order to be 
     paid as support on behalf of the child during such period; 
     and the responsible agency may use the payments in the manner 
     it determines will serve the best interests of the child, 
     including setting such payments aside for the child's future 
     needs or making all or a part thereof available to the person 
     responsible for meeting the child's day-to-day needs; and
       ``(3) shall be retained by the State, if any portion of the 
     amounts collected remains after making the payments required 
     under paragraphs (1) and (2), to the extent that such portion 
     is necessary to reimburse the State (with appropriate 
     reimbursement to the Federal Government to the extent of its 
     participation in the financing) for any past foster care 
     maintenance payments (or payments of assistance under the 
     State program funded under part A) which were made with 
     respect to the child (and with respect to which past 
     collections have not previously been retained);

     and any balance shall be paid to the State agency responsible 
     for supervising the placement of the child, for use by such 
     agency in accordance with paragraph (2).''.

     SEC. 318. GOOD CAUSE IN FOSTER CARE AND FOOD STAMP CASES.

       (a) State Plan.--Section 454(4)(A)(i) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(4)(A)(i)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``or'' before ``(III)''; and
       (2) by inserting ``or (IV) cooperation is required pursuant 
     to section 6(l)(1) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
     2015(l)(1)),'' after ``title XIX,''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 454(29) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(29)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A)--
       (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking ``part 
     A of this title or the State program under title XIX'' and 
     inserting ``part A, the State program under part E, the State 
     program under title XIX, or the food stamp program, as 
     defined under section 3(h) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 
     U.S.C. 2012(h)),''; and
       (B) by striking clauses (i) and (ii) and all that follows 
     through the semicolon and inserting the following:
       ``(i) in the case of the State program funded under part A, 
     the State program under part E, or the State program under 
     title XIX shall, at the option of the State, be defined, 
     taking into account the best interests of the child, and 
     applied in each case, by the State agency administering such 
     program; and
       ``(ii) in the case of the food stamp program, as defined 
     under section 3(h) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
     2012(h)), shall be defined and applied in each case under 
     that program in accordance with section 6(l)(2) of the Food 
     Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2015(l)(2));'';
       (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``or the State program 
     under title XIX'' and inserting ``the State program under 
     part E, the State program under title XIX, or the food stamp 
     program, as defined under section 3(h) of the Food Stamp Act 
     of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2012(h))''; and
       (3) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``individual,'' and 
     all that follows through ``XIX,'' and inserting ``individual 
     and the State agency administering the State program funded 
     under part A, the State agency administering the State 
     program under part E, the State agency administering the 
     State program under title XIX, or the State agency 
     administering the food stamp program, as defined under 
     section 3(h) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
     2012(h)),''.

     SEC. 319. DATE OF COLLECTION OF SUPPORT.

       Section 454B(c)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     654B(c)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
     ``The date of collection for amounts collected and 
     distributed under this part is the date of receipt by the 
     State disbursement unit, except that if current support is 
     withheld by an employer in the month when due and is received 
     by the State disbursement unit in a month other than the 
     month when due, the date of withholding may be deemed to be 
     the date of collection.''.

     SEC. 320. ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT IN INTERSTATE CASES.

       (a) Procedures.--Section 466(a)(14) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(14)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(14) High-volume, automated administrative enforcement in 
     interstate cases.--
       ``(A) In general.--Procedures under which--
       ``(i) the State shall use high-volume automated 
     administrative enforcement, to the same extent as used for 
     intrastate cases, in response to a request made by another 
     State to enforce support orders, and shall promptly report 
     the results of such enforcement procedure to the requesting 
     State;
       ``(ii) the State may, by electronic or other means, 
     transmit to another State a request for assistance in 
     enforcing support orders through high-volume, automated 
     administrative enforcement, which request--

       ``(I) shall include such information as will enable the 
     State to which the request is transmitted to compare the 
     information about the cases to the information in the data 
     bases of the State; and
       ``(II) shall constitute a certification by the requesting 
     State--

       ``(aa) of the amount of support under an order the payment 
     of which is in arrears; and
       ``(bb) that the requesting State has complied with all 
     procedural due process requirements applicable to each case;
       ``(iii) if the State provides assistance to another State 
     pursuant to this paragraph with respect to a case, neither 
     State shall consider the case to be transferred to the 
     caseload of such other State; and
       ``(iv) the State shall maintain records of--

       ``(I) the number of such requests for assistance received 
     by the State;
       ``(II) the number of cases for which the State collected 
     support in response to such a request; and
       ``(III) the amount of such collected support.

       ``(B) High-volume automated administrative enforcement.--In 
     this part, the term `high-volume automated administrative 
     enforcement' means the use of automatic data processing to 
     search various State data bases, including license records, 
     employment service data, and State new hire registries, to 
     determine whether information is available regarding a parent 
     who owes a child support obligation.''.
       (b) Incentive Payments.--Section 458(d) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 658(d)) is amended by inserting ``, 
     including amounts collected under section 466(a)(14),'' after 
     ``another State''.

     SEC. 321. WORK ORDERS FOR ARREARAGES.

       Section 466(a)(15) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     666(a)(15)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(15) Procedures to ensure that persons owing overdue 
     support work or have a plan for payment of such support.--
     Procedures under which the State has the authority, in any 
     case in which an individual owes overdue support with respect 
     to a child receiving assistance under a State program funded 
     under part A, to issue an order or to request that a court or 
     an administrative process established pursuant to State law 
     issue an order that requires the individual to--
       ``(A) pay such support in accordance with a plan approved 
     by the court, or, at the option of the State, a plan approved 
     by the State agency administering the State program under 
     this part; or
       ``(B) if the individual is subject to such a plan and is 
     not incapacitated, participate in such work activities (as 
     defined in section 407(d)) as the court, or, at the option of 
     the State, the State agency administering the State program 
     under this part, deems appropriate.''.

     SEC. 322. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL STATE PLAN AMENDMENTS.

       Section 454 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (8)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by striking ``noncustodial''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``, for the purpose of establishing 
     parentage, establishing, setting the amount of, modifying, or 
     enforcing child support obligations, or making or enforcing a 
     child custody or visitation determination, as defined in 
     section 463(d)(1)'' after ``provide that'';
       (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking the comma and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking the semicolon and 
     inserting a comma; and
       (D) by inserting after subparagraph (B), the following 
     flush language:

     ``and shall, subject to the privacy safeguards required under 
     paragraph (26), disclose only the information described in 
     sections 453 and 463 to the authorized persons specified in 
     such sections for the purposes specified in such sections;'';
       (2) in paragraph (17)--
       (A) by striking ``in the case of a State which has'' and 
     inserting ``provide that the State will have''; and
       (B) by inserting ``and'' after ``section 453,''; and
       (3) in paragraph (26)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``will'';
       (B) in subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by inserting ``, modify,'' after ``establish'', the 
     second place it appears; and
       (ii) by inserting ``, or to make or enforce a child custody 
     determination'' after ``support'';
       (C) in subparagraph (B)--
       (i) by inserting ``or the child'' after ``1 party'';
       (ii) by inserting ``or the child'' after ``former party''; 
     and
       (iii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (D) in subparagraph (C)--
       (i) by inserting ``or the child'' after ``1 party'';

[[Page H1928]]

       (ii) by striking ``another party'' and inserting ``another 
     person'';
       (iii) by inserting ``to that person'' after ``release of 
     the information''; and
       (iv) by striking ``former party'' and inserting ``party or 
     the child''; and
       (E) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) in cases in which the prohibitions under 
     subparagraphs (B) and (C) apply, the requirement to notify 
     the Secretary, for purposes of section 453(b)(2), that the 
     State has reasonable evidence of domestic violence or child 
     abuse against a party or the child and that the disclosure of 
     such information could be harmful to the party or the child; 
     and
       ``(E) procedures providing that when the Secretary 
     discloses information about a parent or child to a State 
     court or an agent of a State court described in section 
     453(c)(2) or 463(d)(2)(B), and advises that court or agent 
     that the Secretary has been notified that there is reasonable 
     evidence of domestic violence or child abuse pursuant to 
     section 453(b)(2), the court shall determine whether 
     disclosure to any other person of information received from 
     the Secretary could be harmful to the parent or child and, if 
     the court determines that disclosure to any other person 
     could be harmful, the court and its agents shall not make any 
     such disclosure;''.

     SEC. 323. FEDERAL CASE REGISTRY OF CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS.

       Section 453(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     653(h)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and order'' after 
     ``with respect to each case''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in the heading, by inserting ``and order'' after 
     ``Case'';
       (B) by inserting ``or an order'' after ``with respect to a 
     case'' and
       (C) by inserting ``or order'' after ``and the State or 
     States which have the case''.

     SEC. 324. FULL FAITH AND CREDIT FOR CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS.

       Section 1738B(f) of title 28, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``a court may'' and all 
     that follows and inserting ``a court having jurisdiction over 
     the parties shall issue a child support order, which must be 
     recognized.''; and
       (2) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``under subsection (d)'' 
     after ``jurisdiction''.

     SEC. 325. DEVELOPMENT COSTS OF AUTOMATED SYSTEMS.

       (a) Definition of State.--Section 455(a)(3)(B) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 655(a)(3)(B)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (i)--
       (A) by inserting ``or system described in clause (iii)'' 
     after ``each State''; and
       (B) by inserting ``or system'' after ``the State''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iii) For purposes of clause (i), a system described in 
     this clause is a system that has been approved by the 
     Secretary to receive enhanced funding pursuant to the Family 
     Support Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-485; 102 Stat. 2343) for 
     the purpose of developing a system that meets the 
     requirements of sections 454(16) (as in effect on and after 
     September 30, 1995) and 454A, including systems that have 
     received funding for such purpose pursuant to a waiver under 
     section 1115(a).''.
       (b) Temporary Limitation On Payments.--Section 344(b)(2) of 
     the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 655 note) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (B)--
       (A) by inserting ``or a system described in subparagraph 
     (C)'' after ``to a State''; and
       (B) by inserting ``or system'' after ``for the State''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``Act,'' and all that 
     follows and inserting ``Act, and among systems that have been 
     approved by the Secretary to receive enhanced funding 
     pursuant to the Family Support Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-
     485; 102 Stat. 2343) for the purpose of developing a system 
     that meets the requirements of sections 454(16) (as in effect 
     on and after September 30, 1995) and 454A, including systems 
     that have received funding for such purpose pursuant to a 
     waiver under section 1115(a), which shall take into account--
       ``(i) the relative size of such State and system caseloads 
     under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act; and
       ``(ii) the level of automation needed to meet the automated 
     data processing requirements of such part.''.

     SEC. 326. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Elimination of Surplusage.--Section 466(c)(1)(F) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 666(c)(1)(F)) is amended by 
     striking ``of section 466''.
       (b) Correction of Ambiguous Amendment.--Section 
     344(a)(1)(F) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2234) is amended by inserting ``the first place 
     such term appears'' before ``and all that follows''.
       (c) Correction of Erroneously Drafted Provision.--Section 
     215 of the Department of Health and Human Services 
     Appropriations Act, 1997, (as contained in section 101(e) of 
     the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997) is amended 
     to read as follows:
       ``Sec. 215. Sections 452(j) and 453(o) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 652(j) and 653(o)), as amended by 
     section 345 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 
     110 Stat. 2237) are each amended by striking `section 457(a)' 
     and inserting `a plan approved under this part'. Amounts 
     available under such sections 452(j) and 453(o) shall be 
     calculated as though the amendments made by this section were 
     effective October 1, 1995.''.
       (d) Elimination of Surplusage.--Section 456(a)(2)(B) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 656(a)(2)(B)) is amended by 
     striking ``, and'' and inserting a period.
       (e) Correction of Date.--Section 466(a)(1)(B) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking 
     ``October 1, 1996'' and inserting ``January 1, 1994''.

     SEC. 327. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
     amendments made by this title shall take effect as if 
     included in the enactment of title III of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2105).
       (b) Exception.--The amendments made by section 302(b)(2) 
     shall take effect as if the amendments had been included in 
     the enactment of section 103(a) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2112).
      TITLE IV--RESTRICTING WELFARE AND PUBLIC BENEFITS FOR ALIENS
              Subtitle A--Eligibility for Federal Benefits

     SEC. 401. ALIEN ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL BENEFITS: LIMITED 
                   APPLICATION TO MEDICARE AND BENEFITS UNDER THE 
                   RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT.

       (a) Limited Application to Medicare.--Section 401(b) of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611(b)) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(3) Subsection (a) shall not apply to any benefit payable 
     under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (relating to the 
     medicare program) to an alien who is lawfully present in the 
     United States as determined by the Attorney General and, with 
     respect to benefits payable under part A of such title, who 
     was authorized to be employed with respect to any wages 
     attributable to employment which are counted for purposes of 
     eligibility for such benefits.''.
       (b) Limited Application to Benefits Under the Railroad 
     Retirement Act.--Section 401(b) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611(b)) (as amended by subsection (a)) is 
     amended by inserting at the end the following:
       ``(4) Subsection (a) shall not apply to any benefit payable 
     under the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 or the Railroad 
     Unemployment Insurance Act to an alien who is lawfully 
     present in the United States as determined by the Attorney 
     General or to an alien residing outside the United States.''.

     SEC. 402. EXCEPTIONS TO BENEFIT LIMITATIONS: CORRECTIONS TO 
                   REFERENCE CONCERNING ALIENS WHOSE DEPORTATION 
                   IS WITHHELD.

       Sections 402(a)(2)(A)(iii), 402(b)(2)(A)(iii), 
     403(b)(1)(C), 412(b)(1)(C), and 431(b)(5) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(2)(A)(iii), 1612(b)(2)(A)(iii), 
     1613(b)(1)(C), 1622(b)(1)(C), and 1641(b)(5)) are each 
     amended by striking ``section 243(h) of such Act'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``section 243(h) of such Act (as in 
     effect immediately before the effective date of section 307 
     of division C of Public Law 104-208) or section 241(b)(3) of 
     such Act (as amended by section 305(a) of division C of 
     Public Law 104-208)''.

     SEC. 403. VETERANS EXCEPTION: APPLICATION OF MINIMUM ACTIVE 
                   DUTY SERVICE REQUIREMENT; EXTENSION TO 
                   UNREMARRIED SURVIVING SPOUSE; EXPANDED 
                   DEFINITION OF VETERAN.

       (a) Application of Minimum Active Duty Service 
     Requirement.--Sections 402(a)(2)(C)(i), 402(b)(2)(C)(i), 
     403(b)(2)(A), and 412(b)(3)(A) of the Personal Responsibility 
     and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1612(a)(2)(C)(i), 1612(b)(2)(C)(i), 1613(b)(2)(A), and 
     1622(b)(3)(A)) are each amended by inserting ``and who 
     fulfills the minimum active-duty service requirements of 
     section 5303A(d) of title 38, United States Code'' after 
     ``alienage''.
       (b) Exception Applicable to Unremarried Surviving Spouse.--
     Section 402(a)(2)(C)(iii), 402(b)(2)(C)(iii), 403(b)(2)(C), 
     and 412(b)(3)(C) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1612(a)(2)(C)(iii), 1612(b)(2)(C)(iii), 1613(b)(2)(C), and 
     1622(b)(3)(C)) are each amended by inserting before the 
     period ``or the unremarried surviving spouse of an individual 
     described in clause (i) or (ii) who is deceased if the 
     marriage fulfills the requirements of section 1304 of title 
     38, United States Code''.
       (c) Expanded Definition of Veteran.--Sections 
     402(a)(2)(C)(i), 402(b)(2)(C)(i), 403(b)(2)(A), and 
     412(b)(3)(A) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1612(a)(2)(C)(i), 1612(b)(2)(C)(i), 1613(b)(2)(A), and 
     1622(b)(3)(A)) are each amended by inserting ``, 1101, or 
     1301, or as described in section 107'' after ``section 101''.

     SEC. 404. CORRECTION OF REFERENCE CONCERNING CUBAN AND 
                   HAITIAN ENTRANTS.

       Section 403(d) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1613(d)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``section 501 of the Refugee'' and insert 
     ``section 501(a) of the Refugee''; and

[[Page H1929]]

       (2) by striking ``section 501(e)(2)'' and inserting 
     ``section 501(e)''.

     SEC. 405. NOTIFICATION CONCERNING ALIENS NOT LAWFULLY 
                   PRESENT: CORRECTION OF TERMINOLOGY.

       Section 1631(e)(9) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1383(e)(9)) and section 27 of the United States Housing Act 
     of 1937, as added by section 404 of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996, are each amended by striking ``unlawfully in the United 
     States'' each place it appears and inserting ``not lawfully 
     present in the United States''.

     SEC. 406. FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES: CONTRACTS AND LICENSES.

       Sections 401(c)(2)(A) and 411(c)(2)(A) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611(c)(2)(A) and 1621(c)(2)(A)) are each 
     amended by inserting before the semicolon at the end ``, or 
     to a citizen of a freely associated state, if section 141 of 
     the applicable compact of free association approved in Public 
     Law 99-239 or 99-658 (or a successor provision) is in 
     effect''.

     SEC. 407. CONGRESSIONAL STATEMENT REGARDING BENEFITS FOR 
                   HMONG AND OTHER HIGHLAND LAO VETERANS.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Hmong and other Highland Lao tribal peoples were 
     recruited, armed, trained, and funded for military operations 
     by the United States Department of Defense, Central 
     Intelligence Agency, Department of State, and Agency for 
     International Development to further United States national 
     security interests during the Vietnam conflict.
       (2) Hmong and other Highland Lao tribal forces sacrificed 
     their own lives and saved the lives of American military 
     personnel by rescuing downed American pilots and aircrews and 
     by engaging and successfully fighting North Vietnamese 
     troops.
       (3) Thousands of Hmong and other Highland Lao veterans who 
     fought in special guerilla units on behalf of the United 
     States during the Vietnam conflict, along with their 
     families, have been lawfully admitted to the United States in 
     recent years.
       (4) The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193), the new 
     national welfare reform law, restricts certain welfare 
     benefits for noncitizens of the United States and the 
     exceptions for noncitizen veterans of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States do not extend to Hmong veterans of the Vietnam 
     conflict era, making Hmong veterans and their families 
     receiving certain welfare benefits subject to restrictions 
     despite their military service on behalf of the United 
     States.
       (b) Congressional Statement.--It is the sense of the 
     Congress that Hmong and other Highland Lao veterans who 
     fought on behalf of the Armed Forces of the United States 
     during the Vietnam conflict and have lawfully been admitted 
     to the United States for permanent residence should be 
     considered veterans for purposes of continuing certain 
     welfare benefits consistent with the exceptions provided 
     other noncitizen veterans under the Personal Responsibility 
     and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
                     Subtitle B--General Provisions

     SEC. 411. DETERMINATION OF TREATMENT OF BATTERED ALIENS AS 
                   QUALIFIED ALIENS; INCLUSION OF ALIEN CHILD OF 
                   BATTERED PARENT AS QUALIFIED ALIEN.

       (a) Determination of Status by Agency Providing Benefits.--
     Section 431 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1641) is 
     amended in subsections (c)(1)(A) and (c)(2)(A) by striking 
     ``Attorney General, which opinion is not subject to review by 
     any court)'' each place it appears and inserting ``agency 
     providing such benefits)''.
       (b) Guidance Issued by Attorney General.--Section 431(c) of 
     the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1641(c)) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new undesignated paragraph:
        ``After consultation with the Secretaries of Health and 
     Human Services, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban 
     Development, the Commissioner of Social Security, and with 
     the heads of such Federal agencies administering benefits as 
     the Attorney General considers appropriate, the Attorney 
     General shall issue guidance (in the Attorney General's sole 
     and unreviewable discretion) for purposes of this subsection 
     and section 421(f), concerning the meaning of the terms 
     `battery' and `extreme cruelty', and the standards and 
     methods to be used for determining whether a substantial 
     connection exists between battery or cruelty suffered and an 
     individual's need for benefits under a specific Federal, 
     State, or local program.''.
       (c) Inclusion of Alien Child of Battered Parent as 
     Qualified Alien.--Section 431(c) of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (8 U.S.C. 1641(c)) is amended--
       (1) at the end of paragraph (1)(B)(iv) by striking ``or'';
       (2) at the end of paragraph (2)(B) by striking the period 
     and inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (2)(B) and before the last 
     sentence of such subsection the following new paragraph:
       ``(3) an alien child who--
       ``(A) resides in the same household as a parent who has 
     been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty in the United 
     States by that parent's spouse or by a member of the spouse's 
     family residing in the same household as the parent and the 
     spouse consented or acquiesced to such battery or cruelty, 
     but only if (in the opinion of the agency providing such 
     benefits) there is a substantial connection between such 
     battery or cruelty and the need for the benefits to be 
     provided; and
       ``(B) who meets the requirement of subparagraph (B) of 
     paragraph (1).''.
       (d) Inclusion of Alien Child of Battered Parent Under 
     Special Rule for Attribution of Income.--Section 421(f)(1)(A) 
     of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1631(f)(1)(A)) is 
     amended--
       (1) at the end of clause (i) by striking ``or''; and
       (2) by striking ``and the battery or cruelty described in 
     clause (i) or (ii)'' and inserting ``or (iii) the alien is a 
     child whose parent (who resides in the same household as the 
     alien child) has been battered or subjected to extreme 
     cruelty in the United States by that parent's spouse, or by a 
     member of the spouse's family residing in the same household 
     as the parent and the spouse consented to, or acquiesced in, 
     such battery or cruelty, and the battery or cruelty described 
     in clause (i), (ii), or (iii)''.

     SEC. 412. VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS.

       (a) Regulations and Guidance.--Section 432(a) of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1642(a)) is amended--
       (1) by inserting at the end of paragraph (1) the following: 
     ``Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
     the Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1997, the 
     Attorney General of the United States, after consultation 
     with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall issue 
     interim verification guidance.''; and
       (2) by adding after paragraph (2) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(3) Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of the Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act of 
     1997, the Attorney General shall promulgate regulations which 
     set forth the procedures by which a State or local government 
     can verify whether an alien applying for a State or local 
     public benefit is a qualified alien, a nonimmigrant under the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act, or an alien paroled into the 
     United States under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act for less than 1 year, for purposes of 
     determining whether the alien is ineligible for benefits 
     under section 411 of this Act.''.
       (b) Disclosure of Information for Verification.--Section 
     384(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant 
     Responsibility Act of 1996 (division C of Public Law 104-208) 
     is amended by adding after paragraph (4) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(5) The Attorney General is authorized to disclose 
     information, to Federal, State, and local public and private 
     agencies providing benefits, to be used solely in making 
     determinations of eligibility for benefits pursuant to 
     section 431(c) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.''.

     SEC. 413. QUALIFYING QUARTERS: DISCLOSURE OF QUARTERS OF 
                   COVERAGE INFORMATION; CORRECTION TO ASSURE THAT 
                   CREDITING APPLIES TO ALL QUARTERS EARNED BY 
                   PARENTS BEFORE CHILD IS 18.

       (a) Disclosure of Quarters of Coverage Information.--
     Section 435 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1645) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following: ``Notwithstanding 
     section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the 
     Commissioner of Social Security is authorized to disclose 
     quarters of coverage information concerning an alien and an 
     alien's spouse or parents to a government agency for the 
     purposes of this title.''.
       (b) Correction to Assure that Crediting Applies to All 
     Quarters Earned by Parents Before Child is 18.--Section 
     435(1) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1645(1)) is amended by 
     striking ``while the alien was under age 18,'' and inserting 
     ``before the date on which the alien attains age 18,''.

     SEC. 414. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION: BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY 
                   LIMITATIONS APPLICABLE ONLY WITH RESPECT TO 
                   ALIENS PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES.

       Section 433 of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1643) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignated subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
     (c) and (d); and
       (2) by adding after subsection (a) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(b) Benefit Eligibility Limitations Applicable Only With 
     Respect to Aliens Present in the United States.--
     Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the 
     limitations on eligibility for benefits under this title 
     shall not apply to eligibility for benefits of aliens who are 
     not residing, or present, in the United States with respect 
     to--
       ``(1) wages, pensions, annuities, and other earned payments 
     to which an alien is entitled resulting from employment by, 
     or on behalf of, a Federal, State, or local government agency 
     which was not prohibited during the period of such employment 
     or service under section 274A or other applicable provision 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act; or
       ``(2) benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs.''.

[[Page H1930]]

Subtitle C--Miscellaneous Clerical and Technical Amendments; Effective 
                                  Date

     SEC. 421. CORRECTING MISCELLANEOUS CLERICAL AND TECHNICAL 
                   ERRORS.

       (a) Information Reporting Under Title IV of the Social 
     Security Act.--Effective July 1, 1997, section 408 of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608), as amended by section 
     103, and as in effect pursuant to section 116, of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996, and as amended by section 106(e) of this Act, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(f) State Required To Provide Certain Information.--Each 
     State to which a grant is made under section 403 shall, at 
     least 4 times annually and upon request of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service, furnish the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service with the name and address of, and 
     other identifying information on, any individual who the 
     State knows is not lawfully present in the United States.''.
       (b) Miscellaneous Clerical and Technical Corrections.--
       (1) Section 411(c)(3) of the Personal Responsibility and 
     Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1621(c)(3)) is amended by striking ``4001(c)'' and inserting 
     ``401(c)''.
       (2) Section 422(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1632(a)) is 
     amended by striking ``benefits (as defined in section 
     412(c)),'' and inserting ``benefits,''.
       (3) Section 412(b)(1)(C) of the Personal Responsibility and 
     Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1622(b)(1)(C)) is amended by striking ``with-holding'' and 
     inserting ``withholding''.
       (4) The subtitle heading for subtitle D of title IV of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996 is amended to read as follows:
                  ``Subtitle D--General Provisions''.
       (5) The subtitle heading for subtitle F of title IV of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996 is amended to read as follows:
 ``Subtitle F--Earned Income Credit Denied to Unauthorized Employees''.
       (6) Section 431(c)(2)(B) of the Personal Responsibility and 
     Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1641(c)(2)(B)) is amended by striking ``clause (ii) of 
     subparagraph (A)'' and inserting ``subparagraph (B) of 
     paragraph (1)''.
       (7) Section 431(c)(1)(B) of the Personal Responsibility and 
     Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1641(c)(1)(B)) is amended--
       (A) in clause (iii) by striking ``, or'' and inserting 
     ``(as in effect prior to April 1, 1997),''; and
       (B) by adding after clause (iv) the following new clause:
       ``(v) cancellation of removal pursuant to section 
     240A(b)(2) of such Act;''.

     SEC. 422. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       Except as otherwise provided, the amendments made by this 
     title shall be effective as if included in the enactment of 
     title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996.
                       TITLE V--CHILD PROTECTION

     SEC. 501. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO 
                   CHILD PROTECTION.

       (a) Methods Permitted for Conduct of Study of Child 
     Welfare.--Section 429A(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 628b(a)) is amended by inserting ``(directly, or by 
     grant, contract, or interagency agreement)'' after 
     ``conduct''.
       (b) Redesignation of Paragraph.--Section 471(a) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (17);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (18) (as 
     added by section 1808(a) of the Small Business Job Protection 
     Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-188; 110 Stat. 1903)) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by redesignating paragraph (18) (as added by section 
     505(3) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2278)) as paragraph (19).

     SEC. 502. ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO CHILD 
                   PROTECTION.

       (a) Part B Amendments.--
       (1) In general.--Part B of title IV of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 620-635) is amended--
       (A) in section 422(b)--
       (i) by striking the period at the end of the paragraph (9) 
     (as added by section 554(3) of the Improving America's 
     Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-382; 108 Stat. 4057)) and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (ii) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph (11); and
       (iii) by redesignating paragraph (9), as added by section 
     202(a)(3) of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1994 
     (Public Law 103-432, 108 Stat. 4453), as paragraph (10);
       (B) in sections 424(b) and 425(a), by striking 
     ``422(b)(9)'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``422(b)(10)''; and
       (C) by transferring section 429A (as added by section 503 
     of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2277)) to the end of subpart 1.
       (2) Clarification of Conflicting Amendments.--Section 
     204(a)(2) of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1994 
     (Public Law 103-432; 108 Stat. 4456) is amended by inserting 
     ``(as added by such section 202(a))'' before ``and 
     inserting''.
       (b) Part E Amendments.--Section 472(d) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 672(d)) is amended by striking 
     ``422(b)(9)'' and inserting ``422(b)(10)''.

     SEC. 503. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by this title shall take effect as if 
     included in the enactment of title V of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2277).
                          TITLE VI--CHILD CARE

     SEC. 601. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS RELATING TO 
                   CHILD CARE.

       (a) Funding.--Section 418(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 618(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``the greater of'' after ``equal to'';
       (B) in subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by striking ``the sum of'';
       (ii) by striking ``amounts expended'' and inserting 
     ``expenditures''; and
       (iii) by striking ``section--'' and all that follows and 
     inserting ``subsections (g) and (i) of section 402 (as in 
     effect before October 1, 1995); or'';
       (C) in subparagraph (B)--
       (i) by striking ``sections'' and inserting ``subsections''; 
     and
       (ii) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a 
     period; and
       (D) in the matter following subparagraph (B), by striking 
     ``whichever is greater.''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(B) Allotments to states.--The total amount available for 
     payments to States under this paragraph, as determined under 
     subparagraph (A), shall be allotted among the States based on 
     the formula used for determining the amount of Federal 
     payments to each State under section 403(n) (as in effect 
     before October 1, 1995).'';
       (B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(C) Federal matching of state expenditures exceeding 
     historical expenditures.--The Secretary shall pay to each 
     eligible State for a fiscal year an amount equal to the 
     lesser of the State's allotment under subparagraph (B) or the 
     Federal medical assistance percentage for the State for the 
     fiscal year (as defined in section 1905(b), as such section 
     was in effect on September 30, 1995) of so much of the 
     State's expenditures for child care in that fiscal year as 
     exceed the total amount of expenditures by the State 
     (including expenditures from amounts made available from 
     Federal funds) in fiscal year 1994 or 1995 (whichever is 
     greater) for the programs described in paragraph (1)(A).''; 
     and
       (C) in subparagraph (D)(i)--
       (i) by striking ``amounts under any grant awarded'' and 
     inserting ``any amounts allotted''; and
       (ii) by striking ``the grant is made'' and inserting ``such 
     amounts are allotted''.
       (b) Data Used To Determine Historic State Expenditures.--
     Section 418(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)), 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Data used to determine state and federal shares of 
     expenditures.--In making the determinations concerning 
     expenditures required under paragraphs (1) and (2)(C), the 
     Secretary shall use information that was reported by the 
     State on ACF Form 231 and available as of the applicable 
     dates specified in clauses (i)(I), (ii), and (iii)(III) of 
     section 403(a)(1)(D).''.
       (c) Definition of State.--Section 418(d) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618(d)) is amended by striking ``or'' 
     and inserting ``and''.

     SEC. 602. ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 658E(c)(2)(E)(ii), by striking ``tribal 
     organization'' and inserting ``tribal organizations'';
       (2) in section 658K(a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) in subparagraph (B)--

       (I) by striking clause (iv) and inserting the following:

       ``(iv) whether the head of the family unit is a single 
     parent;'';

       (II) in clause (v)--

       (aa) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 
     ``including the amount obtained from (and separately 
     identified)--'' and inserting ``including--''; and
       (bb) by striking subclause (II) and inserting the 
     following:

       ``(II) cash or other assistance under--

       ``(aa) the temporary assistance for needy families program 
     under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 601 et seq.); and
       ``(bb) a State program for which State spending is counted 
     toward the maintenance of effort requirement under section 
     409(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     609(a)(7));''; and

       (III) in clause (x), by striking ``week'' and inserting 
     ``month''; and

       (ii) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(D) Use of samples.--
       ``(i) Authority.--A State may comply with the requirement 
     to collect the information described in subparagraph (B) 
     through the use of disaggregated case record information

[[Page H1931]]

     on a sample of families selected through the use of 
     scientifically acceptable sampling methods approved by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(ii) Sampling and other methods.--The Secretary shall 
     provide the States with such case sampling plans and data 
     collection procedures as the Secretary deems necessary to 
     produce statistically valid samples of the information 
     described in subparagraph (B). The Secretary may develop and 
     implement procedures for verifying the quality of data 
     submitted by the States.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in the heading, by striking ``Biannual'' and inserting 
     ``Annual''; and
       (ii) by striking ``6'' and inserting ``12'';
       (3) in section 658L, by striking ``1997'' and inserting 
     ``1998'';
       (4) in section 658O(c)(6)(C), by striking ``(A)'' and 
     inserting ``(B)''; and
       (5) in section 658P(13), by striking ``or'' and inserting 
     ``and''.

     SEC. 603. REPEALS.

       (a) Child Development Associate Scholarship Assistance Act 
     of 1985.--Title VI of the Human Services Reauthorization Act 
     of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 10901-10905) is repealed.
       (b) State Dependent Care Development Grants Act.--
     Subchapter E of chapter 8 of subtitle A of title VI of the 
     Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9871-
     9877) is repealed.
       (c) Programs of National Significance.--Title X of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     8001 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 10413(a), by striking paragraph (4);
       (2) in section 10963(b)(2), by striking subparagraph (G); 
     and
       (3) in section 10974(a)(6), by striking subparagraph (G).
       (d) Native Hawaiian Family-Based Education Centers.--
     Section 9205 of the Native Hawaiian Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
     7905) is repealed.

     SEC. 604. EFFECTIVE DATES.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this 
     title and the amendments made by this title shall take effect 
     as if included in the enactment of title VI of the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2278).
       (b) Exceptions.--The amendment made by section 601(a)(2)(B) 
     and the repeal made by section 603(d) shall each take effect 
     on October 1, 1997.
  TITLE VII--ERISA AMENDMENTS RELATING TO MEDICAL CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS

     SEC. 701. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO SECTION 303 OF THE PERSONAL 
                   RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY 
                   RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996.

       (a) Privacy Safeguards for Medical Child Support Orders.--
     Section 609(a)(3)(A) of the Employee Retirement Income 
     Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1169(a)(3)(A)) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following: ``except that, to the extent 
     provided in the order, the name and mailing address of an 
     official of a State or a political subdivision thereof may be 
     substituted for the mailing address of any such alternate 
     recipient,''.
       (b) Payment to State Official Treated as Satisfaction of 
     Plan's Obligation.--Section 609(a) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
     1169(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(9) Payment to state official treated as satisfaction of 
     plan's obligation to make payment to alternate recipient.--
     Payment of benefits by a group health plan to an official of 
     a State or a political subdivision thereof who is named in a 
     qualified medical child support order in lieu of the 
     alternate recipient, pursuant to paragraph (3)(A), shall be 
     treated, for purposes of this title, as payment of benefits 
     to the alternate recipient.''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall be apply with respect to medical child support orders 
     issued on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 702. AMENDMENT RELATING TO SECTION 381 OF THE PERSONAL 
                   RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY 
                   RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996.

       (a) Clarification of Effect of Administrative Notices.--
     Section 609(a)(2)(B) of the Employee Retirement Income 
     Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1169(a)(2)(B)) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new sentence: ``For purposes 
     of this subparagraph, an administrative notice which is 
     issued pursuant to an administrative process referred to in 
     subclause (II) of the preceding sentence and which has the 
     effect of an order described in clause (i) or (ii) of the 
     preceding sentence shall be treated as such an order.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section 
     shall be effective as if included in the enactment of section 
     381 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 
     2257).

     SEC. 703. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO SECTION 382 OF THE PERSONAL 
                   RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY 
                   RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1996.

       (a) Elimination of Requirement that Orders Specify Affected 
     Plans.--Section 609(a)(3) of the Employee Retirement Income 
     Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1169(a)(3)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``, and'' and 
     inserting a period; and
       (2) by striking subparagraph (D).
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply with respect to medical child support orders 
     issued on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Shaw] and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin] each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw].
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to rise in support of H.R. 1048, the 
Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1997. Last year Congress 
passed and the President signed a new welfare law that substantially 
reformed the Nation's welfare policy, including Federal programs 
providing cash welfare, child care, child support and disability 
payments and welfare for noncitizens. That comprehensive legislation 
also included a provision requiring the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services and the Commissioner of Social Security to submit to Congress 
a detailed proposal for making technical corrections and conforming 
amendments to this law. The goal was to produce legislation that would 
facilitate the implementation of the new national welfare reform policy 
in the simplest, most sensible way. Thus we have the bill before us 
today.
  My motion also includes a minor change since the Committee on Ways 
and Means acted. This change is necessary to address the concerns of 
appropriations and budget committees with section 214 of the bill 
regarding payments to the prisoners.
  I understand that the minority is fully advised of this amendment and 
has no objection to that.
  There is little in this bill that is flashy or that rises above the 
truly technical. In fact, most changes would either correct or clarify 
the law by changing cross-references or correcting grammatical or 
format errors. Nonetheless, this is an important legislative product 
for several reasons:
  First, it is the result of cooperation between the administration, 
the Congress and the States. Most provisions of this bill stem from 
requests made by the administration and the States who are charged with 
swiftly and efficiently implementing the new welfare programs in 
accordance with new Federal law.
  Second, this bill is thoroughly bipartisan. One of the basic ground 
rules used in crafting this bill is that if any side, House 
Republicans, House Democrats, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats or 
the Clinton administration, objected to a provision, it would not be 
included in this bill. As a result, both the subcommittee and the full 
committee voted in favor of this legislation unanimously. I suspect 
that we will have a similar vote here on the floor today.
  Finally, this effort shows that all sides want to make welfare reform 
work. Either side could have derailed the process at any time along the 
way, and this so-far-friendly process could still be halted in the 
Senate. But for today the interests of making the new law work have won 
out over partisanship and grandstanding.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say a word about what is not in this bill, and it 
is not in this bill by design. This bill is not a vehicle to reopen the 
debate over fundamental welfare reform changes. These issues are 
settled, and all parties crafting this legislation accepted that fact 
at least for the moment. This legislation makes many changes that will 
allow welfare reform to work better, which is everybody's goal. While 
the changes made here are quite minor, this bill represents Congress at 
its best, fostering cooperation with the States, working in a 
bipartisan fashion and producing changes that make Government more 
efficient in its services to the people that we all serve.
  I urge all Members to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Today we are considering the Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act 
of 1997. This legislation will correct technical problems that impact 
implementation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act.
  Last year's bill carried out significant changes in the structure of 
our

[[Page H1932]]

Nation's welfare system. As we all know, it is inevitable when we pass 
comprehensive legislation that we must go back and correct technical 
errors. The basis of this bill began with a list of recommended 
corrections submitted by the administration early in the year. From the 
outset, the process of formulating this bill was always open. States, 
municipalities and advocacy groups contributed extensively to the 
process to ensure that this bill clears up any ambiguities due to 
drafting errors or oversight.
  By agreement among Republicans and Democrats on the committee, as 
mentioned by the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, this bill 
only addresses strictly technical problems which have been identified 
since the bill's passage. Each of the measures in this bill is 
technical in nature and does not change the substance of the new law. 
If a proposed change was considered substantive or controversial by 
either Republicans or Democrats, it was not included in this 
legislation.
  For example, the bill clarifies that Social Security benefits are 
denied to prison inmates and prohibits them from receiving Old Age 
Disability Insurance benefits. The bill also clarifies the sharing of 
the 35-hour work requirement and the provision for child care in cases 
of two-parent families who must work a combined 35 hours plus 20 hours, 
or 55 hours, per week to be counted toward meeting the work 
requirement.
  Another example, the bill also extends until February 22, 1998, the 
deadline for the Social Security Administration to determine the 
eligibility of children for certain benefits and gives States an 
additional 3 months to submit their biennial welfare plans.
  The noncontroversial nature of these corrections is reflected in the 
committee vote. The Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act passed the 
Committee on Ways and Means unanimously, 33 to zero. All Members, those 
who voted for the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act and 
those who did not, supported this technical corrections legislation.
  There are still substantive issues regarding the Personal 
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act which very much 
need bipartisan attention. I would cite as examples disability benefits 
for elderly legal immigrants and certain food stamp benefits. 
Negotiations on these matters are taking place within the context of 
budget discussions. This bill was not the intended vehicle for these 
outstanding concerns.
  This bill represents the culmination of a long process. I would like 
to thank the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw], chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Human Resources, for the manner in which this bill was 
handled from beginning to end.
  The staff also did an exemplary job in working together to keep the 
bill technical in nature, and the staff on both sides of the aisle is 
here with us this afternoon.
  Finally, the administration should be commended for the stellar job 
done in assembling the technical corrections that form the basis of 
this bill, specifically the Department of Health and Human Services and 
the Social Security Administration.
  Throughout this process, we have put aside our differences and 
focused on crafting a truly technical bill. In this spirit, as was true 
in the Committee on Ways and Means by unanimous vote, I urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this necessary 
technical correction legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
[Mr. DeLay].
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important 
legislation and I commend the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Archer] and the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw] for bringing it to the floor.
  Last year, when the Congress passed comprehensive welfare reform, the 
United States took a giant step in the right direction. By providing 
incentives for able-bodied Americans to leave welfare and move to 
private sector employment, we have given these Americans a chance to 
realize the American dream. But, Mr. Speaker, the administration has 
not received the message.
  The hallmark of our welfare reform law is flexibility. Give the 
States the ability to design their own systems to give people a hand 
up, not just a handout, and the States will be more successful than the 
Federal Government has been in bringing and making welfare work for the 
American people. This has proven to be the case in State after State, 
places like Wisconsin and Michigan.
  My home State of Texas wants to have that chance to help its people 
in ways unique to Texas. Texas has petitioned the Federal Government to 
approve its innovative welfare reform proposal. This proposal includes 
commonsense ideas such as one-stop benefits centers so that people who 
are on welfare do not have to waste time traveling from one center to 
another to collect benefits. This is a commonsense proposal and would 
save the American taxpayers millions of dollars while giving the 
welfare recipients more time to look for a job.
  Unfortunately, the administration has refused to give Texas the 
flexibility it needs to implement this program. Texas has met every 
requirement asked of it by the Federal Government since last July when 
it first started the approval process. Still, the administration has 
not granted full approval. Without that approval, Texas cannot 
implement its program of getting people off of welfare and putting them 
to work.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I urge the administration to stop stonewalling and 
give Texas a chance to move ahead with real welfare reform. What is 
good for the rest of the country should be good for the great State of 
Texas.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Let me just say in response to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay] 
that this matter is really not within the purview of this technical 
corrections bill. The administration is considering this matter and is 
taking time to make sure that it arrives at an appropriate answer.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman 
from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly].
  Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Shaw] and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin] for 
their hard work. I know that there are some who might say there is more 
interesting work than technical corrections but nothing is more 
important across this country to people who really do not know exactly 
what is said in the statute and, therefore, have to interpret it and 
live by it. So I really thank these gentlemen for the hard work that 
they have done so that people could understand exactly what is expected 
of them and they can carry out their duties as they should.
  I also as a ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Social Security 
am pleased to rise in support of this bill that has been so well 
crafted. The legislation includes several technical and miscellaneous 
changes related to Social Security. These changes clarify certain 
effective dates, extend demonstration project authority and improve the 
law which denies Social Security benefits to prisoners.
  Mr. Speaker, some years ago we passed legislation denying Social 
Security benefits to incarcerated criminals. However, for some reason 
it has been difficult to get local jails and other institutions to 
notify the Federal Government they have custody of such inmates. As a 
result, the law's implementation has been somewhat spotty.
  This legislation would provide a financial incentive for such 
reporting. I am hopeful that such an incentive will be effective in 
stopping benefits payments in a timely fashion.

                              {time}  1430

  Another provision of this bill would facilitate the implementation of 
voluntary tax withholding of Social Security benefits. The technical 
correction would remove an impediment to an already enacted law 
permitting this withholding. The law should have been effective in 
January of this year but the Social Security Act prohibits assignment 
of Social Security benefits.
  Today's technical correction will eliminate the inconsistency between 
those two laws and allow the voluntary withholding to go forward. Many 
people have contacted many Members of the Congress urging swift 
enactment of this technical correction, and this will clarify exactly 
what can happen.

[[Page H1933]]

  I expect we will find many beneficiaries who are anxious to utilize 
this option. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill. I really thank 
the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw] and the gentleman from Michigan 
[Mr. Levin] for the time and effort they have given to bringing this to 
the floor, and I am very glad to associate myself with it.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts [Mr. Meehan].
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Levin], for yielding me the time and I rise today in 
support of H.R. 1048, the Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act.
  Incorporated in this bipartisan legislation is a provision that 
statutorily denies Social Security benefits to a group of individuals 
who have been convicted of serious sex crimes. This provision is based 
on H.R. 237, a bill that I drafted in response to an expose by 
investigative reporter Joe Bergantino of WBZ in Boston.
  Mr. Chairman, in 1994 Congress amended the Social Security Act to 
close a host of loopholes which enabled prisoners and other dangerous 
individuals to receive Social Security benefits while incarcerated. 
Congress' intent was clear: Social Security benefits were denied on the 
grounds that these dangerous individuals sentenced to cost-free living 
in government institutions should not receive additional benefits.
  This was not a punitive action, Mr. Speaker, but a simple recognition 
that in an era of limited resources, prisoners and other dangerous 
individuals should not be able to double dip.
  By and large, the law succeeded. However, it had one glaring 
loophole. In at least 7 States, including the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts, there have been a number of sexual offenders who have 
been committed civilly to various institutions, usually upon completion 
of a criminal sentence. These individuals are currently eligible for 
Social Security benefits because they do not technically fit into a 
specific classification under the 1994 law.
  In Massachusetts, at Bridgewater Treatment Center, for example, there 
are about 20 men there, hardened sexual offenders, who receive more 
than $10,000 a month in benefits.
  It is an outrage that some of the most dangerous criminals in society 
continue to receive payments at a cost to hard-working Americans. 
Today, by passing this bill, we can close a huge loophole that has been 
long overdue and send a message to prisoners still collecting Social 
Security benefits. The message is: Your benefits are denied.
  I want to thank my colleagues on the Committee on Ways and Means, 
particularly the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Richard Neal, and 
the gentlewoman from Connecticut, Mrs. Barbara Kennelly, for their work 
on this legislation, and I strongly urge support of H.R. 1048.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Michigan for his 
tremendous work and cooperation. This could have developed into a 
circus, knowing of some of the controversies within welfare reform, but 
the Members all chose to be very professional and see this go through 
and go through in a very smooth way.
  I would also like to thank the staff of the administration as well as 
the minority and the majority here in the House. To craft a technical 
corrections bill of this size is quite a job, and quite a laborious job 
to come through the legislation and find things that need adjustment, 
fine-tuning and correction, and take care of that. For that I am very 
appreciative to all of our staffs for having done so.
  I also appreciate the cooperation we received from the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce, from the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. 
Goodling], and the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Stump], of the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs, in cooperating in their jurisdiction within this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record at this time a letter from the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania and the gentleman from Arizona as well.

                                            Committee on Education


                                            and the Workforce,

                                   Washington, DC, April 25, 1997.
     Hon. Newt Gingrich,
     Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: I am writing regarding H.R. 1048, the 
     Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1997 and have no 
     objection to this bill being scheduled for consideration. The 
     bill was introduced by Rep. Clay Shaw and was referred 
     additionally to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. 
     The Committee on Ways and Means ordered the bill favorably 
     reported on April 23, 1997. While the bill includes 
     amendments that affect programs within the jurisdiction of 
     this Committee, specifically the Mandatory Work Requirements 
     of Title I and the Child Care Provisions of Title VI, I do 
     not intend to call a full Committee meeting to consider this 
     bill; however, the Committee does hold an interest in 
     preserving its jurisdiction with respect to issues raised in 
     the bill and its jurisdictional prerogatives in future 
     legislation should the provisions of this bill be considered 
     in a conference with the Senate.
       Additionally, I would indicate that I am currently working 
     with Chairman Archer to include a technical amendment to the 
     Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), during 
     Floor consideration; this amendment is solely within the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
       I thank you for your attention to this matter and look 
     forward to swift passage of H.R. 1048.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bill Goodling,
     Chairman.
                                                                    ____

                                   Committee on Veterans' Affairs,


                                U.S. House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, April 28, 1997.
     Hon. Bill Archer,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Bill: Thanks for working with me and the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to straighten out the few problems which had 
     arisen with the payment of veterans benefits and the 
     operation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). I understand that the Welfare 
     Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1997 addresses all of our 
     concerns about the possible interruption of payment of 
     veterans benefits as a result of technical defects in the 
     Act. We very much appreciate your staff's willingness to get 
     these issues worked out.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Bob Stump,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 1048, the 
Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1997. This legislation 
makes a number of technical and clarifying amendments to the Personal 
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996--the 
welfare reform law--that Congress passed and President Clinton signed 
last year.
  I want to emphasize that these amendments are technical and 
clarifying in nature and do not change or undercut the important 
reforms of welfare that we made last year.
  A number of the provisions in H.R. 1048 fall within the jurisdiction 
of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Our committee has 
worked very closely with the Ways and Means Committee in putting this 
bill together, and I want to thank Chairman Archer and Chairman Shaw 
and their staffs for working with us in this process and accommodating 
our concerns along the way.
  I want to particularly highlight provisions that fall within the 
jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding 
mandatory work requirements in section 105, child care provisions in 
title VI, and ERISA amendments relating to medical child support orders 
in title VII.
  In the area of mandatory work requirements, H.R. 1048 makes the 
following technical and clarifying changes:
  First, it allows States to count 2-parent families in which one 
parent is disabled as a 1-parent family for purposes of calculating the 
State work participation rate.
  Second, it clarifies that States may exclude persons covered by a 
tribal work program from their calculation of work participation rates.
  Third, it allows States flexibility in counting the ours of work by 
each parent in 2-parent families.
  Fourth, it amends the conditions under which States may count up to 
12 weeks of job search as meeting work participation requirements to 
better reflect the type of economic conditions that were intended by 
that provision of the welfare reform law.
  Fifth, it addresses the work participation rate requirements for 
caretaker relatives for children under age 6 and makes those 
requirements consistent with those for parents.
  Sixth, it clarifies language regarding the qualifying number of hours 
for teenage head of households.
  In the area of child care, H.R. 1048 makes a number of drafting 
clarifications to the funding allocation language of the welfare reform

[[Page H1934]]

law. In addition, H.R. 1048 repeals the authorization for four narrowly 
targeted child care programs which we had intended to repeal as part of 
the welfare reform law, and as part of the consolidation of child care 
programs in that law. Because of the rules of the Senate, the 
provisions to repeal these programs were dropped from last year's 
welfare reform law, but are now included in this bill.
  Finally, title VII of H.R. 1048 contains four changes to the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act [ERISA], each of which relate to medical 
child support orders.
  Section 701(a) allows the name and mailing address of an official of 
a State or political subdivision to be substituted for the mailing 
address of an ``alternate recipient'' who is the custodial parent of a 
child covered under an ERISA group health plan. Section 701(b) allows 
an ERISA group health plan to make payment of benefits to an official 
of a State or political subdivision who is named in a qualified medical 
child support order. Together, these two provisions will facilitate the 
payment of benefits to the appropriate party and maintain 
confidentiality of information, particularly in the case of child 
abuse.
  Section 702 clarifies that an administrative notice which is issued 
in an administrative process in connection with a qualified medical 
child support order shall have the same effect as the order itself. 
This will facilitate the payment of benefits to the appropriate party 
on a timely basis and without having to seek a new court order.
  Section 703 deletes a requirement that a qualified medical child 
support order must contain the name of every plan to which the order 
applies. This will facilitate the time application of such an order 
when coverage changes from plan to plan.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that these are all good changes which help 
clarify the welfare reform law and will help the States implement that 
very important law. I urge my colleagues to join in support of this 
legislation.
  Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, as the House debates H.R. 
1048, I rise today to express my continuing concern regarding the 
negative impact of the welfare reform bill on the Hmong veterans who 
served along with our soldiers during the Vietnam war. I am pleased 
that the bill before us today recognizes the importance of this issue. 
However, the sense of Congress language does not go far enough to 
address the real need facing the Hmong community. I believe that every 
possible effort must be made to restore the benefits that were promised 
to these veterans.
  I agree that reform of the welfare system was necessary as a means to 
facilitate the transition from welfare to work and to encourage greater 
self-sufficiency for able-bodied adults. However, the legislation 
enacted last year will adversely affect the Hmong people of Laos who 
deserve special consideration because they cooperated and sacrificed 
for our Government and its Armed Forces during the Vietnam war.
  Because of a provision in the welfare reform law, legal residents, 
with a few exceptions, are ineligible to receive SSI. As a result, many 
of the elderly and disabled Hmong veterans and their dependents will be 
discontinued from the SSI program by August 22, 1997.
  During the Vietnam war, many of the Hmong people worked for our 
intelligence and Special Forces groups. It is wrong to abandon these 
men and women who served as valuable allies to us during the Southeast 
Asian conflict.
  Though not classified as veterans by our Government, the Hmong of 
Laos were engaged in covert operations directed by the Central 
Intelligence Agency. Since many served in non-uniformed units, it 
remains uncertain if ``veteran'' status can be proved. these Special 
Forces teams aided our efforts tremendously during the Southeast Asian 
conflict, but, at great cost and personal loss to themselves. Many of 
the Hmong lost their lives. They suffered innumerable casualties, and 
lost their homeland to Communist forces. After the war, the Hmong were 
forced to live in refugee camps, many in substandard conditions, and 
were later brought to our country as political refugees.
  The process of assimilation to the United States has been especially 
difficult for the Hmong. One major setback for many, is that their 
command of the English language is insufficient to successfully 
complete the naturalization process. This is partly because, up until 
the 1950's, the Hmong did not have a written language, which has made 
learning to speak, read, and write the English language extremely 
difficult. Further, the English-learning process has been stymied by 
the high rate of illiteracy among the Hmong in their own native 
language. Educational opportunities in their homeland, for the majority 
of the Hmong who were brought to the United States as political 
refugees, were seriously undermined as a result of the war-ravaged 
years in Laos.
  Aside from limited educational and work opportunities in the United 
States, the Hmong must overcome many other obstacles during their 
assimilation and adjustment process. First, many Hmong who survived the 
war are afflicted with physically-disabling conditions and mental 
disabilities such as post-traumatic stress syndrome. Second, they must 
adjust to a set of very different cultural practices and norms. 
Finally, the Hmong are subject to discrimination and prejudice in their 
new environment.
  Mr. Speaker, today we are taking a first step toward restoring 
benefits to this deserving group. It is imperative that we follow 
through on the statement in the bill today and ensure further 
legislative action is taken. I am committed to working with the 
committee to develop a workable solution to this problem. The Hmong, 
who sacrificed much to fight by our Nation's side during the Vietnam 
war, should not be forgotten.

                              Waxao Xiong


                             hmong, age 70

       Waxao served as a U.S. recruited soldier in the 
     Luangprabang area of Laos beginning in 1964. Because of his 
     leadership in the war, he was a special target of the 
     communists in Laos. He ran for his life, narrowly escaping 
     capture, but leaving behind his wife, mother and father in 
     Laos. In 1987 he received a special reward for his exemplary 
     military service in partnership with the United States.
       Now he says he wants very much to be a citizen of the 
     United States, especially because he was a leader in fighting 
     against the communists for the U.S. ``I want to work to help 
     this country, but I don't speak English. I went to adult 
     school for one year. Now I am studying in English and 
     citizenship classes in my apartment complex, but learning is 
     so slow. I do not know how I can pass the test.''

                                Lor Vang


                             hmong, age 74

       Lor was once a well respected mayor of his village in Laos. 
     Although Lor and his family had little formal education, he 
     nevertheless owned and worked their own land. During the 
     Vietnam War four of his six children and his parents were 
     killed. Following the war he lived for 13 years in two 
     refugee camps in Thailand and arrived in the United States in 
     1989 at age 66.
       Now, through tears, he grieves his losses and wonders how 
     American friends can assist him now. In Laos he was able to 
     support his family, but arriving in the U.S. with no skills 
     and no knowledge of English made him totally dependent on 
     others. ``The U.S. has been very good. But I had little 
     education in Laos, and it is hard to learn English here. 
     Because I can't pass the citizenship test, I am thinking 
     about killing myself.''

                             Pao Doua Vang


                             hmong, age 79

       Pao Doua Vang served as a soldier allied with the United 
     States in Laos during the Vietnam War from 1960-1975. His two 
     sons served in the military as well, including one son who 
     was only 13 when he was killed in battle. Pao was shot in the 
     head by Communist soldiers and lost most of his hearing due 
     to this injury. He also has a metal plate in his head from a 
     bomb blast (although he does not remember the blast). He 
     arrived in the United States in 1983 with his wife and 
     daughters to live with his sister-in-law.
       Due to the death of his mother and father when he was very 
     young, Pao never had an opportunity to go to school. Through 
     tears Pao says, ``I have lost hope in my old country. Now 
     America is my country and hope. My children are citizens. I 
     want to be a citizen too--but I have failed the English part 
     of the test. If I am not a citizen, I have no future. Please 
     help. My family is doing all they can, but they have their 
     own problems and not very much money. Please don't let 
     welfare reform happen to me.''

  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. The 
welfare reform legislation enacted last year was a major step in the 
right direction of improving the welfare system, but all of us who 
supported this bill knew that it wasn't perfect and that we needed to 
continue to strengthen this bill. I want to commend Chairman Shaw for 
his sincere commitment to doing the hard work necessary to make sure 
welfare reform legislation works the way that we intended.
  One of the key features of the welfare reform bill was the principle 
that States should be allowed to try innovative approaches to improve 
the welfare system. In that vein, I would like to take this opportunity 
to encourage the administration to approve the waiver allowing Texas to 
proceed with soliciting bids for the Texas Integrated Enrollment 
System.
  The Texas Integrated Enrollment System would allow private vendors to 
compete with public agencies for a contract to develop and operate an 
integrated enrollment system. The Texas Legislature determined that a 
private contractor, working in partnership with a public agency, might 
be able to make the transition to a integrated process more efficiently 
than the current structure and achieve savings that could be used to 
assist needy individuals more directly.
  I don't know if that assumption is correct. Some of my colleagues 
have raised valid concerns about the impact that privatization would 
have on the welfare system. I have some reservations myself about 
whether privatizing the

[[Page H1935]]

welfare eligibility system makes sense. But we are not debating whether 
or not privatization is a good idea. All we are debating--or at least 
all we should be debating--is whether Texas should be allowed to 
explore the options of allowing private contractors to administer a 
part of the welfare system. It is not possible for anyone to know what 
impact privatization will have until the bids are submitted. I would 
say to those who oppose privatization as well as those who support 
privatization: Let's wait and see what proposals are made for 
privatization before we jump to a conclusion either way.
  Injecting some competition into this process will produce a welfare 
system that is better for welfare recipients and taxpayers. I would 
hope that those who oppose privatization will put their energy into 
improving the current system instead of trying to prevent any 
competition.
  Approving the Texas waiver request does not necessarily mean that 
Texas will privatize any part of the welfare system. The Federal 
Government still must approve any contract with a private company 
before any privatization can become final. We should wait until we see 
the proposals from private companies before we decide whether or not 
privatization makes sense. We can't honestly debate the merits of 
privatization until we know the facts about what privatization will 
mean.
  If the bids by private contractors don't adequately address the 
concerns that have been raised about the impact that privatization will 
have on individuals applying for assistance and on the current 
employees, or if the public sector can demonstrate that they can 
administer welfare programs more efficiently and effectively than any 
of the private contractors, I will be the first to argue that we 
shouldn't go forward with privatization.
  I regret that this issue has become so politicized. I would urge all 
parties involved to cool our rhetoric and try to work together to find 
a way to allow Texas to explore this option while providing safeguards 
against the concerns we all share. I know Governor Bush and 
Commissioner McKinney are committed to finding a constructive solution, 
and believe that the administration is willing to work with them as 
well. I hope that they will continue their dialog to find a solution 
that will allow Texas to move forward with this proposal.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the move to make 
technical corrections to the welfare reform law, H.R. 1048. Although I 
was hopeful that the measure would include provisions to exempt Hmong 
veterans from benefit restrictions, I am pleased that the sense of 
Congress was included in the amendments offered. This sense of Congress 
would recognize the service of thousands of Hmong and other Highland 
Lao veterans who fought in special guerrilla units on behalf of the 
United States during the Vietnam war. I would also state that Congress 
should approve legislation for the purpose of continuing certain 
welfare benefits for these Hmong and Highland Lao veterans and their 
families based on their service to the United States.
  I believe that we must go further than this sense of Congress 
language to recognize the service of the Lao Hmong, however, this is an 
important step in the process of honoring the sacrifice of the Hmong 
patriots. The Hmong stood by the United States at a crucial time in our 
history; now we have an opportunity to repay that loyalty. Many of 
those who survived and made it to the United States are separated from 
other family members and are having a difficult time adjusting to life 
here.
  I worked to include language in this bill that would make the 
treatment of Hmong veterans commensurate with that of other aliens who 
served in United States regular military forces. While this provision 
was not included, I am encouraged that this sense of Congress has 
bipartisan support and expresses a shared intent to amend this matter 
and am hopeful that this issue will be resolved in the near future to 
avert the August 1997 deadline. The loss of benefits to these legal 
immigrants that can't pass an English language test is unfair and works 
a special hardship on the Hmong, refugees and asylees nationally.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House of 
Representatives approved the passage of H.R. 1048, the Welfare 
Technical Corrections Act of 1997, which I supported. The bill makes a 
number of technical corrections to the 104th Congress' historic welfare 
reform bill.
  I want to draw particular attention to section 407 of the bill. This 
section provides for:

       ...the sense of the Congress that Hmong and other Highland 
     Lao veterans who fought on behalf of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States during the Vietnam conflict and have lawfully 
     been admitted to the United States for permanent residence 
     should be considered veterans for purposes of continuing 
     certain welfare benefits consistent with the exceptions 
     provided other noncitizen veterans under the Personal 
     Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
     1996.

  The Hmong share a unique historic link with the United States and our 
objectives in the Vietnam war. It is because of their valiant service 
that these people deserve our concentrated attention. I want to thank 
Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Shaw, Congressman Kleczka, 
Congressman Ramstad, and the remaining members of the Ways and Means 
Committee for including this important language in the bill. I am 
pleased that my communication with the committee has in some measure 
contributed to raising awareness about the Hmong and their unique 
situation.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include therein extraneous material on H.R. 1048.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw] that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1048, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________