To reauthorize and improve the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families, improve access to quality child care, and for other purposes.

March 17, 2005

Mr. GRASSLEY, from the Committee on Finance, reported the following original bill; which was read twice and placed on the calendar

To reauthorize and improve the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families, improve access to quality child care, and for other purposes.

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 `Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone Act' or the `PRIDE Act'.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.

Sec. 2. Table of contents.

Sec. 3. References.

TITLE I--TANF

Sec. 101. State plan.

Sec. 102. Family assistance grants.

Sec. 103. Promotion of family formation and healthy marriage.

Sec. 104. Supplemental grant for population increases in certain States.

Sec. 105. Bonus to reward employment achievement.

Sec. 106. Contingency fund.

Sec. 107. Use of funds.

Sec. 108. Repeal of Federal loan for State welfare programs.

Sec. 109. Work participation requirements.

Sec. 110. Universal engagement and family self-sufficiency plan requirements; other prohibitions and requirements.

Sec. 111. Penalties.

Sec. 112. Data collection and reporting.

Sec. 113. Direct funding and administration by Indian tribes.

Sec. 114. Research, evaluations, and national studies.

Sec. 115. Study by the census bureau.

Sec. 116. Funding for child care.

Sec. 117. Definitions.

Sec. 118. Responsible fatherhood program.

Sec. 119. Additional grants.

Sec. 120. Technical corrections.

TITLE II--ABSTINENCE EDUCATION

Sec. 201. Extension of abstinence education program.

TITLE III--CHILD SUPPORT

Sec. 301. Distribution of child support collected by States on behalf of children receiving certain welfare benefits.

Sec. 302. Mandatory review and adjustment of child support orders for families receiving TANF.

Sec. 303. Report on undistributed child support payments.

Sec. 304. Decrease in amount of child support arrearage triggering passport denial.

Sec. 305. Use of tax refund intercept program to collect past-due child support on behalf of children who are not minors.

Sec. 306. Garnishment of compensation paid to veterans for service-connected disabilities in order to enforce obligations.

Sec. 307. Improving Federal debt collection practices.

Sec. 308. Maintenance of technical assistance funding.

Sec. 309. Maintenance of Federal parent locator service funding.

Sec. 310. Identification and seizure of assets held by multistate financial institutions.

Sec. 311. Information comparisons with insurance data.

Sec. 312. Tribal access to the Federal parent locator service.

Sec. 313. Reimbursement of secretary's costs of information comparisons and disclosure for enforcement of obligations on higher education act loans and grants.

Sec. 314. Technical amendment relating to cooperative agreements between States and Indian tribes.

Sec. 315. Claims upon longshore and harbor workers' compensation for child support.

Sec. 316. State option to use Statewide automated data processing and information retrieval system for interstate cases.

Sec. 317. State law requirement concerning the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA).

Sec. 318. Grants to States for access and visitation programs.

Sec. 319. Timing of corrective action year for State noncompliance with child support enforcement program requirements.

Sec. 320. Requirement that State child support enforcement agencies seek medical support for children from either parent.

Sec. 321. Notice to State child support enforcement agency from health care plan administrator under certain circumstances when a child loses health care coverage.

Sec. 322. Authority to continue State program for monitoring and enforcement of child support orders.

Sec. 323. Technical amendment relating to information comparisons and disclosure to assist in Federal debt collection.

TITLE IV--CHILD WELFARE

Sec. 401. Extension of authority to approve demonstration projects.

Sec. 402. Removal of Commonwealth of Puerto Rico IV-E funds from limitation on payments.

Sec. 403. Authority of Indian tribes to receive Federal funds for foster care and adoption assistance.

Sec. 404. Technical correction.

TITLE V--SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME

Sec. 501. Review of State agency blindness and disability determinations.

Sec. 502. Temporary expansion of length of time-limited eligibility of qualified aliens for supplemental security income benefits.

TITLE VI--TRANSITIONAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

Sec. 601. Extension and simplification of the transitional medical assistance program (TMA).

TITLE VII--EFFECTIVE DATE

Sec. 701. Effective date.

Sec. 702. Extension through remainder of fiscal year 2005.

SEC. 3. REFERENCES.

Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the amendment or repeal shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Social Security Act.

TITLE I--TANF

SEC. 101. STATE PLAN.

(a) PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT- Section 402(a) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1)--

(A) in subparagraph (A)--

(i) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (vii); and

(ii) by striking clause (v) and inserting the following:

`(v) Establish specific measurable performance objectives for pursuing the purposes of the program funded under this part or with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) as described in section 401(a), including by--

`(I) establishing objectives (as determined by the State) after giving consideration to the criteria used by the Secretary in establishing performance targets under section 403(a)(4)(C) (with respect to workplace attachment and advancement), and such additional criteria related to other purposes of the program under this part as described in section 401(a) as the Secretary, in consultation with the National Governors' Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the American Public Human Services Association, shall establish; and

`(II) describing the methodology that the State will use to measure State performance in relation to each such objective.

`(vi) Describe any strategies and programs the State is using or plans to use to address--

`(I) employment retention and advancement for recipients of assistance under the program, including placement into high-demand jobs, and whether the jobs are identified using labor market information;

`(II) efforts to reduce teen pregnancy;

`(III) services for struggling and noncompliant families, and for clients with special problems; and

`(IV) program integration, including the extent to which employment and training services under the program are provided through the One-Stop delivery system created under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and the extent to which former recipients of such assistance have access to additional core, intensive, or training services funded through such Act.'; and

(B) in subparagraph (B)--

(i) by striking clauses (i) and (iv);

(ii) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively; and

(iii) by inserting after clause (ii) (as so redesignated by clause (ii)) the following:

`(iii) If the State is undertaking any strategies or programs to engage faith-based organizations in the delivery of services funded under this part, or that otherwise relate to section 104 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the document shall describe such strategies and programs.

`(iv) The document shall describe strategies to improve program management and performance.

`(v) The document shall include, to the extent applicable with respect to each program that provides assistance that will be funded under this part or with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), a description of--

`(I) the applicable financial and nonfinancial eligibility rules for assistance provided under the program, including income eligibility thresholds, the treatment of earnings, asset eligibility rules, and excluded forms of income;

`(II) the amount of assistance provided to needy families, and the methodology for determining assistance amounts; and

`(III) the applicable time limit policies, including the length of the time limit, exemption and extension policies, and procedures for providing services to families reaching the time limit and who have lost assistance due to time limits.

`(vi) The document shall set forth the criteria for applying section 407(c)(6)(E) to an adult recipient or minor child head of household who is the parent or caretaker relative for a child or adult dependent for care.

`(vii) The document shall describe how the State informs families receiving assistance under the State program funded under this part that do not include an adult or minor child head of household of the information required to be provided to other families under section 408(b)(2)(G) (relating to work support and other assistance for which the family may be eligible).';

(2) in paragraph (4), by inserting `and tribal' after `local' each place it appears; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

`(8) CERTIFICATION OF CONSULTATION ON PROVISION OF TRANSPORTATION AID- In the case of a State that provides transportation aid under the State program, a certification by the chief executive officer of the State that State and local transportation agencies and planning bodies have been consulted in the development of the plan.'.

(b) PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING AND AMENDING STATE PLANS-

(1) IN GENERAL- Subsection (b) of section 402 (42 U.S.C. 602(b)) is amended to read as follows:

`(b) PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING AND AMENDING STATE PLANS-

`(1) STANDARD STATE PLAN FORMAT- The Secretary shall, after notice and public comment, develop a proposed Standard State Plan Form to be used by States under subsection (a) and for purposes of filing an amendment to the State plan in accordance with paragraph (5). Such form shall be finalized by the Secretary for use by States not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone Act.

`(2) REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLETED PLAN USING STANDARD STATE PLAN FORMAT BY FISCAL YEAR 2007- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each State shall submit a complete State plan, using the Standard State Plan Form developed under paragraph (1), not later than October 1, 2006, and all subsequent State plan submissions, including any State plan amendments, shall be made using such form.

`(3) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT- Prior to submitting a State plan to the Secretary under this section, the State shall--

`(A) make the proposed State plan available to the public through an appropriate State maintained Internet website and through other means as the State determines appropriate;

`(B) allow for a reasonable public comment period of not less than 45 days; and

`(C) make comments received concerning such plan or, at the discretion of the State, a summary of the comments received available to the public through such website and through other means as the State determines appropriate.

`(4) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF STATE PLAN- A State shall ensure that the State plan that is in effect for any fiscal year is available to the public through an appropriate State maintained Internet website and through other means as the State determines appropriate.

`(5) AMENDING THE STATE PLAN- A State shall file an amendment to the State plan with the Secretary if the State determines that there has been a material change in any information required to be included in the State plan or any other information that the State has included in the plan, including substantial changes in the use of funding. Prior to submitting an amendment to the State plan to the Secretary, the State shall--

`(A) make the proposed amendment available to the public as provided for in paragraph (3)(A);

`(B) allow for a reasonable public comment period of not less than 45 days; and

`(C) make the comments available as provided for in paragraph (3)(C).

`(6) STATE OPTION TO DELAY SUBMISSION OF PLAN- A State required to submit a State plan under this part during the period that begins on the date of enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone Act and ends on September 30, 2006, may wait until October 1, 2006, to submit such plan using the Standard State Plan Form developed under paragraph (1).'.

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Section 402 (42 U.S.C. 602) is amended by striking subsection (c).

(c) CONSULTATION WITH STATE REGARDING PLAN AND DESIGN OF TRIBAL PROGRAMS- Section 412(b)(1) (42 U.S.C. 612(b)(1)) is amended--

(1) in subparagraph (E), by striking `and' at the end;

(2) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting `; and'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

`(G) provides an assurance that each State in which the tribe is located has been consulted regarding the plan and its design.'.

(d) PERFORMANCE MEASURES- Section 413 (42 U.S.C. 613) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(k) PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT- The Secretary, in consultation with the States, shall develop uniform performance measures designed to assess the degree of effectiveness, and the degree of improvement, of State programs funded under this part in accomplishing the purposes of this part.'.

(e) ANNUAL RANKING OF STATES- Section 413(d)(1) (42 U.S.C. 613(d)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

`(1) ANNUAL RANKING OF STATES-

`(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall rank annually the States to which grants are paid under section 403 in the order of their success in--

`(i) placing recipients of assistance under the State program funded under this part into unsubsidized jobs;

`(ii) the success of the recipients in retaining employment;

`(iii) the ability of the recipients to increase their wages;

`(iv) the degree to which recipients have workplace attachment and advancement;

`(v) reducing the overall welfare caseload; and

`(vi) when a practicable method for calculating this information becomes available, diverting individuals from formally applying to the State program and receiving assistance.

`(B) CONSIDERATION OF OTHER FACTORS- In ranking States under this paragraph, the Secretary shall take into account the average number, and the average proportion, of minor children living at home in families in the State that have incomes below the poverty line and the amount of funding provided each State under this part for such families.'.

SEC. 102. FAMILY ASSISTANCE GRANTS.

(a) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY- Section 403(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)) is amended--

(1) in subparagraph (A)--

(A) by striking `1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003' and inserting `2006 through 2010'; and

(B) by inserting `payable to the State for the fiscal year' before the period; and

(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking `for fiscal year 2003' and all that follows through the period, and inserting `for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, $16,566,542,000 for grants under this paragraph.'.

(b) MATCHING GRANTS FOR THE TERRITORIES- Section 1108(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 1308(b)(2)) is amended by striking `1997 through 2003' and inserting `2006 through 2010'.

SEC. 103. PROMOTION OF FAMILY FORMATION AND HEALTHY MARRIAGE.

(a) STATE PLANS- Section 402(a)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A)), as amended by section 101(a), is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(viii) Encourage equitable treatment of healthy 2-parent married families under the program referred to in clause (i).'.

(b) HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROMOTION GRANTS; REPEAL OF BONUS FOR REDUCTION OF ILLEGITIMACY RATIO- Section 403(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows: