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            Data for 1996 Welfare Reform Law Bonus to Reward Declines in            Nonmarital Births: Change in Nonmarital Birth            Ratios by State, 1995-96 to 1997-98**
The regulations            to implement the "Bonus to Reward Decrease in Illegitimacy            Ratio," an incentive provision included in *The Personal            Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996*,            specify that States and territories will qualify for the            "Bonus," administered by the Administration for Children            and Families, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), if they            are among the top five States with respect to their reduction in the            percent of births that are out of wedlock. The Final Rule to            implement Section 403 (a) (2) of the Social Security Act; Bonus to            Reward Decrease in Illegitimacy Ratio was published in the Federal            Register, Volume 64, No. 71, April 14, 1999.

The specific            birth data that are the basis for the bonus awards are the ratios of            nonmarital births to total births for the most recent 2-year            period for which data are available and the ratios for the prior      2-year period for each State. The National Center for Health            Statistics (NCHS), an agency within the Centers for Disease Control            and Prevention (CDC), HHS, was assigned the task of providing the            data. The birth data are provided by the States and the District of            Columbia to NCHS through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP).            NCHS also obtains birth data from the territories. These data are            compiled and published annually by NCHS.

The data on            births to unmarried women are based in all but a few States on a            direct question on the birth certificate, "Mother married? (At            birth, conception, or any time between) (Yes or no)." The            remaining States infer the mother�s marital status on the basis of            other information available in the birth registration process.            During the last few years, some States and registration areas have            changed their procedures for reporting the mother�s marital            status. The Final Rule specifically states that these States, if            they wish to compete for the bonus, must provide NCHS with data that      adjusts for the changes in reporting, so that the State�s            data for the full 4-year bonus period are as comparable as            possible. During the second bonus period, 1995-98, California,            Connecticut, Nevada, and New York City changed their procedures for            reporting marital status. The required documentation and adjusted            birth data were provided to NCHS by June 19, 2000, as required by            the Final Rule.

The **State            Ranking table** shows two panels of data. The first panel shows for each      State,            the ratios (percent) of nonmarital births to total births for the            average of 1995 and 1996 and for the average of 1997 and 1998. The            adjacent column shows the percent change in the ratio (percent) of            nonmarital births from 1995-96 to 1997-98. The last panel lists the      States with respect to their change (in order of largest decline to            largest increase) (territories are listed separately) and the rank            of the States that have a decline. Data shown for all but three      States are identical to the data compiled and published by NCHS.            Data shown for Connecticut, Nevada, and New York (including New York            City) are based on the adjusted data provided by the registration            areas. In the first bonus period, five States and the District of            Columbia had a reduction in their ratio of nonmarital births. The            top five States in the percent reduction are the District of            Columbia, Arizona, Michigan, Alabama, and Illinois.

**Related Links****Administration            for Children and FamiliesState      Ranking Table**

       

       

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This page last reviewed August 22, 2000

**U.S.    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES****Centers    for Disease Control and Prevention**    National Center for Health Statistics    Division of Data Services     Hyattsville, MD    20782-2003    (301) 458-4636
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