[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]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P