I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 956

To amend titles IV and XX of the Social Security Act to restore funding

for the Social Services Block Grant, and restore for fiscal year 2002

the ability of States to transfer up to 10 percent of funds from the

program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy

families to carry out activities under the Social Services Block Grant.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 8, 2001

Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut (for herself, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr.

MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. HILLIARD,

Mr. SHAYS, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr.

CRAMER, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr.

FROST, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. HOUGHTON, Ms. ROYBALALLARD, Mr. FRANK, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. CAMP, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois,

Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. COYNE, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. WALSH, Mr. SAXTON, Mr.

MCDERMOTT, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms.

KILPATRICK, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mrs.

MORELLA, Mr. BARRETT, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LEE, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. DELAURO, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr.

ENGEL, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. KLECZKA, and Mr. SHAW) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways

and Means

A BILL

To amend titles IV and XX of the Social Security Act

to restore funding for the Social Services Block Grant,

and restore for fiscal year 2002 the ability of States

to transfer up to 10 percent of funds from the program

of block grants to States for temporary assistance for
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needy families to carry out activities under the Social

Services Block Grant.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 Congress makes the following findings:

5 (1) Since 1975, title XX of the Social Security

6 Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.), commonly referred to

7 as the Social Services Block Grant (in this section

8 referred to as ‘‘SSBG’’), has authorized funding for

9 social services to ensure that at-risk children and

10 families, the elderly, and physically and mentally dis11 abled individuals remain stable, independent, and

12 economically self sufficient. In 1981, Congress and

13 the Reagan Administration converted SSBG into a

14 block grant designed to give maximum flexibility to

15 States to serve these fundamental purposes.

16 (2) Funds provided under the SSBG focus cost17 effective support at the community level that pre18 vents the need for inappropriate institutional care

19 which is more costly for Federal and State programs

20 such as the medicaid, medicare, and the social serv21 ices disability benefits programs.

22 (3) The SSBG helps to further the goals set

23 forth in the Personal Responsibility and Work Op24 portunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law
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1 104–193; 110 Stat. 2105) by supporting Temporary

2 Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and support3 related programs such as on-the-job training, child

4 care, transportation, counseling, and other services

5 that facilitate long-term family stability and eco6 nomic self sufficiency.

7 (4) The SSBG provides essential funding to

8 many States for child welfare services that support

9 the goals of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of

10 1997 (Public Law 105–89; 111 Stat. 2115) to pro11 mote a safe family environment and encourage adop12 tion to move children into stable and permanent

13 families.

14 (5) The SSBG helps promote independent living

15 for vulnerable and low-income elderly individuals by

16 supporting home care services, including home-deliv17 ered meals, adult protective services, adult day care,

18 and other essential case management services pro19 vided in every State.

20 (6) It is reported that 820,000 older Americans

21 are abused and neglected in this country each year.

22 There are additional concerns about the under re23 porting of elderly abuse and neglect. The SSBG sup24 ports adult protective services that prevent wide25 spread abuse and neglect of older Americans and
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1 help more than 651,000 elderly individuals in 31

2 States.

3 (7) More than 570,000 disabled individuals re4 ceive a range of community-based services and sup5 ports nationwide. The SSBG provides significant re6 sources to fill the funding gaps in the developmental

7 disabilities system by supporting such services as

8 early intervention and crisis intervention, adult day

9 care, respite care, transportation, employment train10 ing, and independent living services in 38 States.

11 (8) The SSBG supports essential mental health

12 and related services to ensure that vulnerable adults

13 and children receive early intervention to prevent

14 more serious and costly mental health crises in the

15 future. Such services include the provision of coun16 seling to almost 400,000 adults and children, case

17 management services for nearly 900,000 families,

18 and the provision of information and referral assist19 ance to more than 1,300,000 individuals.

20 (9) There are nearly 3,000,000 reports of child

21 abuse and neglect each year. There are currently

22 over 300,000 children in the American foster care

23 system. The SSBG enables the provision of child

24 protective services to 1,300,000 children, adoption

25 services to over 150,000 children and families, and
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1 prevention and intervention services to more than

2 700,000 families.

3 (10) The SSBG has been eroded by more than

4 $1,000,000,000 over the last 6 years resulting in

5 cuts in services in many States and local commu6 nities.

7 (11) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

8 (TANF) block grants cannot be used to make up

9 cuts to the SSBG because a large percentage of

10 SSBG funds are used for the elderly, disabled, and

11 other populations that are ineligible for TANF

12 funds.

13 (12) The 104th Congress made a commitment

14 to the SSBG in the Personal Responsibility and

15 Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 by au16 thorizing the program at $2,380,000,000 through

17 fiscal year 2002 and returning the authorization for

18 the program to $2,800,000,000 in fiscal year 2003

19 and each succeeding fiscal year.
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1 SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER UP TO

2 10 PERCENT OF TANF FUNDS TO THE SOCIAL

3 SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR

4 2002.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 404(d)(2)(B) of the So6 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 604(d)(2)(B)) is amended to

7 read as follows:

8 ‘‘(B) APPLICABLE PERCENT.—For pur9 poses of subparagraph (A), the applicable per10 cent is—

11 ‘‘(i) 10 percent in the case of fiscal

12 year 2001; and

13 ‘‘(ii) 10 percent in the case of fiscal

14 year 2002.’’.

15 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

16 subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2001.

17 SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF FUNDS FOR THE SOCIAL SERV18 ICES BLOCK GRANT.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2003(c) of the Social Se20 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397b(c)) is amended by striking

21 paragraphs (10) and (11) and inserting the following:

22 ‘‘(10) $1,775,000,000 for the fiscal year 2000;

23 ‘‘(11) $1,725,000,000 for the fiscal year 2001;

24 and

25 ‘‘(12) $2,380,000,000 for the fiscal year

26 2002.’’.
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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

2 subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2001.

3 SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT ANNUAL REPORT ON

4 STATE ACTIVITIES.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2006(c) of the Social Se6 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397e(c)) is amended by adding at

7 the end the following: ‘‘The Secretary shall compile the

8 information submitted by the States and submit that in9 formation to Congress on an annual basis.’’.

10 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

11 subsection (a) applies to information submitted by States

12 under section 2006 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

13 1397e) with respect to fiscal year 2000 and each fiscal

14 year thereafter.

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