[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52681-52684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25026]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted
Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act; September 1995
AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice lists new proposals for welfare reform and
combined welfare reform/Medicaid demonstration projects submitted to
the Department of Health and Human Services for the month of September,
1995. It includes both those proposals being considered under the
standard waiver process and those being considered under the 30 day
process. Federal approval for the proposals has been requested pursuant
to section 1115 of the Social Security Act. This notice also lists
proposals that were previously submitted and are still pending a
decision and projects that have been approved since September 1, 1995.
The Health Care Financing Administration is publishing a separate
notice for Medicaid only demonstration projects.
Comments: We will accept written comments on these proposals. We will,
if feasible, acknowledge receipt of all comments, but we will not
provide written responses to comments. We will, however, neither
approve nor disapprove new proposals under the standard application
process for at least 30 days after the date of this notice to allow
time to receive and consider comments. Direct comments as indicated
below.
ADDRESSES: For specific information or questions on the content of a
project contact the State contact listed for that project.
Comments on a proposal or requests for copies of a proposal should
be addressed to: Howard Rolston, Administration for Children and
Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Aerospace Building, 7th Floor
West, Washington DC 20447,Fax: (202) 205-3598, Phone: (202) 401-9220.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Under section 1115 of the Social Security Act (the Act), the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may approve research and
demonstration project proposals with a broad range of policy
objectives.
In exercising her discretionary authority, the Secretary has
developed a number of policies and procedures for reviewing proposals.
On September 27, 1994, we published a notice in the Federal Register
(59 FR 49249) that specified (1) the principles that we ordinarily will
consider when approving or disapproving demonstration projects under
the authority in section 1115(a) of the Act; (2) the procedures we
expect States to use in involving the public in the development of
proposed demonstration projects under section 1115; and (3) the
procedures we ordinarily will follow in reviewing demonstration
proposals. We are committed to a thorough and expeditious review of
State requests to conduct such demonstrations.
On August 16, 1995, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal
Register (60 FR 42574) exercising her discretion to request proposals
testing welfare reform strategies in five areas. Since such projects
can only incorporate provisions included in that announcement, they are
not subject to the Federal notice procedures. The Secretary proposed a
30 day approval process for those provisions. As previously noted, this
notice lists all new or pending welfare reform demonstration proposals
under section 1115. Where possible, we have identified the proposals
being considered under the 30 day process. However, the Secretary
reserves the right to exercise her discretion to consider any proposal
under the 30 day process if it meets the criteria in the five specified
areas and the State requests it or concurs.
II. Listing of New and Pending Proposals for the Month of September,
1995
As part of our procedures, we are publishing a monthly notice in
the Federal Register of all new and pending proposals. This notice
contains proposals for the month of September, 1995.
Project Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project
(Amendment).
Description: Would amend Work Pays Demonstration Project by adding
provisions to: Reduce benefit levels by 10% (but retaining the need
level); reduce benefits an additional 15% after 6 months on assistance
for cases with an able-bodied adult; time-limit assistance to able-
bodied adults to 24 months, and not increase benefits for children
conceived while receiving AFDC.
Date Received: 3/14/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Glen Brooks, (916) 657-3291.
Project Title: California--Assistance Payments Demonstration
Project (Amendment).
Description: Would amend the Assistance Payments Demonstration
Project by: Exempting certain categories of AFDC families from the
State's benefit cuts; paying the exempt cases based on grant levels in
effect in California on November 1, 1992; and renewing the waiver of
the Medicaid maintenance of effort provision at section 1902(c)(1) of
the Social Security Act, which was vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals in its decision in Beno v. Shalala.
Date Received: 8/26/94.
Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: Pending.
[[Page 52682]]
Contact Person: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
Project Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project
(Amendment).
Description: Would amend the Work Pays Demonstration Project by
adding provisions to not increasing AFDC benefits to families for
additional children conceived while receiving AFDC.
Date Received: 11/9/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
Project Title: California--School Attendance Demonstration Project.
Description: In San Diego County, require AFDC recipients ages 16-
18 to attend school or participate in JOBS.
Date Received: 12/5/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
Project Title: Connecticut--A Fair Chance--Modification.
Description: Proposed modifications would: establish time limits;
disregard earnings for time-limited recipients up to poverty level;
reduce benefit increase for additional children by one-half; require
minor parents to live with adult; change redetermination, verification,
and reporting requirements; provide employer tax credits for hiring
AFDC recipients; require biometric identification as condition of
eligibility for unit; establish two-tier payment system for new
residents; simplify and conform AFDC and Food Stamp rules on resources;
allow 24 weeks of job search without child care guarantee; change good
cause criteria regarding participation; change JOBS sanctions; apply
uniform sanction policy for JOBS, child support, and voluntary quits;
extend transitional Medicaid to two years; provide transitional child
care while income below 75% of state median; limit the application
period for transitional child care to 6 months after leaving AFDC;
establish fee for child care for AFDC recipients; serve non-custodial
parents under JOBS.
Date Received: 8/10/95.
Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Nancy Wiggett, (203) 424-5329.
Project Title: Georgia--Work for Welfare Project.
Description: Work for Welfare Project. In 10 pilot counties would
require every non-exempt recipient and non-supporting parent to work up
to 20 hours per month in a state, local government, federal agency or
nonprofit organization; extends job search; and increases sanctions for
JOBS noncompliance. On a statewide basis, would increase the automobile
exemption to $4,500 and disregard earned income of children who are
full-time students.
Date Received: 6/30/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Nancy Meszaros, (404) 657-3608.
Project Title: Georgia--Jobs First Project.
Description: In ten pilot counties, would replace AFDC payment with
paid employment; extend transitional Medicaid to 24 months; eliminate
100 hour employment rule for eligibility determination in AFDC-UP
cases.
Date Received: 7/5/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending (not previously published).
Contact Person: Nancy Meszaros, (404) 657-3608.
Project Title: Hawaii--Families Are Better Together.
Description: Statewide, would eliminate 100-hour, attachment to the
work force, 30 day unemployment and principal wage earner criteria for
AFDC-UP families.
Date Received: 5/22/95.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Patricia Murakami, (808) 586-5230.
Project Title: Illinois--Six Month Paternity Establishment
Demonstration.
Description: In 20 counties, would require the establishment of
paternity, unless good cause exists, within 6 months of application or
redetermination as a condition of AFDC and Medicaid eligibility for
both mother and child; would deny Medicaid to children age 7 and under,
exclude children from filing rules, and exempt Department from making
protective payments to eligible children, when custodial parent has not
cooperated in establishing paternity; delegate the establishment of
paternity in uncontested cases to caseworkers who perform assistance
payment or social service functions under title IV-A or XX.
Date Received: 7/18/95.
Title: AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.
Project Title: Kansas--Actively Creating Tomorrow for Families
Demonstration.
Description: Would, after 30 months of participation in JOBS, make
adults ineligible for AFDC for 3 years; replace $30 and \1/3\ income
disregard with continuous 40% disregard; disregard lump sum income and
income and resources of children in school; count income and resources
of family members who receive SSI; exempt one vehicle without regard
for equity value if used to produce income; allow only half AFDC
benefit increase for births of a second child to families where the
parent is not working and eliminate increase for the birth of any child
if families already have at least two children; eliminate 100-hour rule
and work history requirements for UP cases; expand AFDC eligibility to
pregnant women in 1st and 2nd trimesters; extend Medicaid transitional
benefits to 24 months; eliminate various JOBS requirements, including
those related to target groups, participation rate of UP cases and the
20-hour work requirement limit for parents with children under 6;
require school attendance; require minors in AFDC and NPA Food Stamps
cases to live with a guardian; make work requirements and penalties in
the AFDC and Food Stamp programs more uniform; and increase sanctions
for not cooperating with child support enforcement activities.
Date Received: 7/26/94.
Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Faith Spencer, (913) 296-0775.
Project Title: Louisiana--Individual Responsibility Project.
Description: Statewide, would limit AFDC benefits to 24 months out
of a 60 month period for able-bodied recipients with extensions where
the individual has been actively seeking employment, where job
availability is unfavorable, where the individual loses a job for
factors unrelated to his job performance, or where the individual
requires up to one year to complete employment related education or
training; require each child to attend school and be immunized or the
child will be removed from the budget group; and applies a full family
sanction where the parent has declined or refused an opportunity for
full-time employment, without good cause.
Date Received: 9/22/95.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: New.
Contact Person: Sammy Guillory, (504) 342-4089.
Project Title: Maine--Welfare to Work Program.
Description: Statewide, would require caretaker relatives to sign a
family contract; require participation in parenting classes and health
care
[[Page 52683]]
services; provide one-time vendor payments in lieu of AFDC for the
purpose of obtaining/retaining employment; provide voucher payments to
both married and unmarried minor parents; limit JOBS exemptions; expand
eligibility for Transitional Medicaid and Child Care and replace
sliding-scale fees with flat-rate fees; reduce Transitional Medicaid
reporting requirements; disregard entire value of one vehicle; and
apply any federal savings to the JOBS program services. In selected
sites, implement ASPIRE-Plus, a subsidized employment program, would
cash out food stamps, divert AFDC benefits and pass through all child
support collected to families who participate in ASPIRE-Plus.
Date Received: 9/20/95.
Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: New.
Contact Person: Susan Dustin, (207) 287-3104.
Project Title: New Hampshire--Earned Income Disregard Demonstration
Project.
Description: AFDC applicants and recipients would have the first
$200 plus \1/2\ the remaining earned income disregarded.
Date Received: 9/20/93.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Avis L. Crane, (603) 271-4255.
Project Title: New Hampshire--New Hampshire Employment Program and
Family Assistance Program.
Description: Statewide, would replace AFDC with Employment Program
administered by both Employment Security Agency and Family Assistance
Program; require job search and other employment-related activities for
first 26 weeks of receipt followed by work-related activities for 26
weeks; eliminate JOBS target group funding requirement and change JOBS
reporting requirements; require recipients attending post-secondary or
part-time vocational training to participate in work-related
activities; eliminate JOBS services priority for volunteers; establish
limits for provision of transportation and other JOBS services based on
activity and local conditions; eliminate remoteness as exemption from
JOBS; require non-custodial parents to participate in JOBS; increase
earned income disregard to 50%; eliminate AFDC-UP eligibility
requirements; allow transitional case management for up to one year;
raise resource limit to $2,000 and exclude one vehicle and life
insurance policies; pass through child support directly to family; take
SSI income into account in determining eligibility/payment; eliminate
conciliation and apply JOBS sanction of 50% of AFDC benefits for three
months followed by no payment for three months, allowing option to
increase initial sanction up to 100%; exempt pregnant women from JOBS
only during third trimester; for minor parents cases, include in
assistance unit any parent or sibling living in the home; eliminate
gross income test; disregard educational grants; allow emergency
assistance for families with employment-related barriers; allow State
to eliminate the certificate option for child care and development
block grant funds and use of these funds for capital improvement;
eliminate ceiling on At Risk Child Care funds; provide that FFP for
AFDC not be reduced during life of demonstration; fund computer system
modifications at 80% FFP; require pregnant recipients to cooperate with
child support; require that AFDC apply for Medicaid as a unit and not
individually; eliminate requirement of receipt of AFDC for 3 of last 6
months in order to receive transitional Medicaid; and allow State to
require that some individuals be assigned to a managed care program;
substitute outcome measures for JOBS participation rates; change
participation requirements for parents with children under 6, UP
recipients and minors; establish a medical deduction; increase the
sanction for non-cooperation with child support; exempt individuals
with significant employment barriers from JOBS; treat lump sum income
and all real property, except a home, as a resource; and use 20% of
gross earned income as a Medicaid disregard. Also contains various Food
Stamp waivers.
Date Received: 9/18/95.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: New.
Contact Person: Marianne Broshek, (603) 271-4442.
Project Title: North Carolina--Work First Program.
Description: Statewide would eliminate increase in AFDC benefits
resulting from a birth of a child, limit JOBS exemptions, require a
self-sufficiency contract, and limit AFDC receipt to 24 cumulative
months. Families who reach the time limit could not reapply for 3
years. The contract would require: Cooperation with child support;
child immunizations and medical check-ups; school attendance; and that
teen parents live with a parent/adult and graduate from high school.
Failure to sign the contract would result in denial of the AFDC
application. Failure to comply would result in the loss of the adult's
AFDC benefits and (starting with the second sanction) Medicaid coverage
for of a minimum of: 3 months for the first sanction, 3 months for the
second, 6 months for the third, and 3 years for the fourth. The State
would offer new applicants a one-time payment in lieu of AFDC; expand
AFDC-UP eligibility; raise the resource limit to $3,000 and the vehicle
asset limit to $5,000 for AFDC and Food Stamps; and provide for
automatic food stamps eligibility for AFDC-eligible families.
Date Received: 9/20/95.
Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: New.
Contact Person: Kevin Fitzgerald, (919) 733-3055.
Project Title: Oregon--Oregon Option.
Description: As a statewide project, would incorporate waivers
already approved in 1992 for JOBS Welfare Program and in 1994 for the
JOBS Plus Demonstration with previously pending waiver requests to
increase vehicle asset limit and extend transitional child care.
Requests guaranteed level of federal funding, with funds not used for
benefits to be used for other community support or prevention programs.
Also would, with some exceptions, limit receipt of AFDC benefits to no
more than 24 out of 84 months for families with employable parents;
allow case manager to determine JOBS exemptions on an individual basis;
eliminate the time restrictions on job search; impose progressive
sanctions, leading to full-family ineligibility, for non-compliance
with JOBS; require ineligible alien parents of AFDC children to
participate in JOBS; require counseling for recipients with substance
abuse problems; require teen parents to live in an adult-supervised
setting; discontinue the AFDC-UP program from June through September
each year and eliminate the 100-hour rule and work history
requirements; increase asset limit to $2,500 for non-JOBS participants
and $10,000 for JOBS participants, and treat lump-sum payments as an
asset; require annual AFDC eligibility redeterminations; modify the
rules for potential liability under EBT.
Date Received: 7/10/95.
Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.
Project Title: Oregon--Expansion of the Transitional Child Care
Program.
Description: Provide transitional child care benefits without
regard to months of prior receipt of AFDC and provide benefits for 24
months.
Date Received: 8/8/94.
Type: AFDC.
[[Page 52684]]
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.
Project Title: Oregon--Increased AFDC Motor Vehicle Limit.
Description: Would increase automobile asset limit to $9000.
Date Received: 11/12/93.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.
Project Title: Pennsylvania--School Attendance Improvement Program.
Description: In 7 sites, would require school attendance as
condition of eligibility.
Date Received: 9/12/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, (717) 787-4081.
Project Title: Pennsylvania--Savings for Education Program.
Description: Statewide, would exempt as resources college savings
bonds and funds in savings accounts earmarked for vocational or
secondary education and disregard interest income earned from such
accounts.
Date Received: 12/29/94.
Type: AFDC.
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, (717) 787-4081.
Project Title: South Carolina--Family Independence Program.
Description: Statewide, would, with exceptions, time limit AFDC
benefits to families with able bodied adults to 24 months out of 120
months, not to exceed 60 months in a lifetime; eliminate increase in
AFDC benefit resulting from birth of children 10 or more months after
the family begins AFDC receipt, but provide benefits to such children
in the form of vouchers for goods and services permitting child's
mother to participate in education, training, and employment-related
activities; eliminate deprivation requirements, principal earner
provisions, work history requirements, and 100-hour rule for AFDC-UP;
increase AFDC resource limit to $2,500 and disregard as resources one
vehicle with a market value up to $10,000, the balance in an Individual
Development Account (IDA) up to $10,000, and the cash value of life
insurance; disregard from income up to $10,000 in lump sum payments
deposited in an IDA within 30 days of receipt, earned income of
children attending school, and interest and dividend income up to $400;
require participation in a family skills training program; require
certain AFDC recipients to submit to random drug tests and/or
participate in alcohol or drug treatment; require children to attend
school; increase amount of child support passed through to AFDC
recipients; require more extensive information for child support
enforcement purposes; modify JOBS exemptions and good cause criteria,
and increase sanctions for non-compliance; make job search a condition
of eligibility; allow non-custodial parents of AFDC children to
participate in JOBS; pay transitional grant equaling 3 percent of the
maximum family grant following employment; and provide transitional
grant Medicaid and child care for 12 months from the date of employment
for cases previously closed due to time limit.
Date Received: 6/12/95.
Type: AFDC .
Current Status: Pending.
Contact Person: Linda Martin (804) 737-6010.
III. Listing of Approved Proposals Since September 1, 1995
Project Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project
(Amendments) originally submitted as Incentive to Self-Sufficiency
Demonstration.
Contact Person: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
Project Title: Florida--Family Transition Program (Amendments).
Contact Person: Don Winstead, (904) 921-5567.
Project Title: Illinois--School Attendance Demonstration.
Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.
Project Title: Illinois--Work and Responsibility Demonstration.
Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.
Project Title: Mississippi--A New Direction Demonstration Program--
Amendment.
Contact Person: Larry Temple, (601) 359-4476.
Project Title: North Dakota--Training, Education, Employment and
Management Project.
Contact Person: Kevin Iverson, (701) 224-2729.
Project Title: Ohio--Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP)
Program.
Contact Person: Jackie Martin, (614) 466-8530.
Project Title: Washington--Success Through Employment Program.
Contact Person: Liz Begert Dunbar, (206) 438-8350.
IV. Requests for Copies of a Proposal
Requests for copies of an AFDC or combined AFDC/Medicaid proposal
should be directed to the Administration for Children and Families
(ACF) at the address listed above. Questions concerning the content of
a proposal should be directed to the State contact listed for the
proposal.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program, No. 93562;
Assistance Payments--Research).
Dated: October 3, 1995.
Howard Rolston,
Director, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 95-25026 Filed 10-6-95; 8:45 am]
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