Using Evidence to Move Welfare Recipients into Work Act

Summary: Using Evidence to Move Welfare Recipients into Work Act This bill amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a database of the projects that used a proven approach or a promising approach in moving welfare recipients into work, which shall be called the What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into Work. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Using Evidence to Move Welfare 
Recipients into Work Act''.

SEC. 2. WHAT WORKS CLEARINGHOUSE.

    Section 413 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 613) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Development of What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and 
Promising Approaches Into Move Welfare Recipients to Work.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Labor, shall develop a database (which shall be 
        referred to as the `What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and 
        Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into Work') of 
        the projects that used a proven approach or a promising 
        approach in moving welfare recipients into work, based on 
        independent, rigorous evaluations of the projects. The database 
        shall include a separate listing of projects that used a 
        developmental approach in delivering services and a further 
        separate listing of the projects that used an approach in 
        delivering services that was proven to be ineffective in 
        achieving positive outcomes. The Secretary shall add to the 
        What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to 
        Move Welfare Recipients into Work data about the projects that, 
        based on an independent, well-conducted experimental evaluation 
        of a program or project, using random assignment or other 
        research methodologies that allow for the strongest possible 
        causal inferences, have shown they are proven, promising, 
        developmental, or ineffective approaches.
            ``(2) Criteria for evidence of effectiveness of approach.--
        The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and 
        organizations with experience in evaluating research on the 
        effectiveness of various approaches in delivering services to 
        move welfare recipients into work, shall--
                    ``(A) establish criteria for evidence of the 
                effectiveness of the approaches used in the 
                demonstration projects; and
                    ``(B) ensure that the process for establishing the 
                criteria--
                            ``(i) is transparent;
                            ``(ii) is consistent across agencies;
                            ``(iii) provides opportunity for public 
                        comment; and
                            ``(iv) takes into account efforts of 
                        Federal agencies to identify and publicize 
                        effective interventions, including efforts at 
                        the Department of Health and Human Services, 
                        the Department of Education, and the Department 
                        of Justice.
            ``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Approach.--The term `approach' means a 
                process, product, strategy, or practice that is--
                            ``(i) research-based, based on the results 
                        of 1 or more empirical studies, and linked to 
                        program-determined outcomes; and
                            ``(ii) evaluated using rigorous research 
                        designs.
                    ``(B) Proven approach.--The term `proven approach' 
                means an approach used in a demonstration project 
                conducted under this section that--
                            ``(i) meets the requirements of a promising 
                        approach; and
                            ``(ii) has demonstrated significant 
                        positive outcomes at more than 1 site in terms 
                        of increasing work and earnings of 
                        participants, reducing poverty and dependence, 
                        or strengthening families.
                    ``(C) Promising approach.--The term `promising 
                approach' means an approach used in a demonstration 
                project conducted under this section--
                            ``(i) that has been used in the project or 
                        elsewhere for at least 3 years;
                            ``(ii) that meets the requirements of 
                        subparagraph (D)(i);
                            ``(iii) that has been evaluated using well-
                        designed and rigorous randomized controlled or 
                        quasi-experimental research designs;
                            ``(iv) that has demonstrated significant 
                        positive outcomes at only 1 site in terms of 
                        increasing work and earnings of participants, 
                        reducing poverty and dependence, or 
                        strengthening families; and
                            ``(v) under which the benefits of the 
                        positive outcomes have exceeded the costs of 
                        achieving the outcomes.
                    ``(D) Developmental approach.--The term 
                `developmental approach' means an approach used in a 
                demonstration project conducted under this section 
                that--
                            ``(i) is research-based, grounded in 
                        relevant empirically based knowledge, and 
                        linked to program-determined outcomes;
                            ``(ii) is evaluated using rigorous research 
                        designs; and
                            ``(iii) has yet to demonstrate a 
                        significant positive outcome in terms of 
                        increasing work and earnings of participants in 
                        a cost-effective way.
            ``(4) Funding.--Of the amounts made available to carry out 
        section 403(b) for fiscal year 2016 and each succeeding fiscal 
        year, the Secretary shall reserve such funds as are necessary 
        to carry out this subsection.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 
2015.