IV

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 330

To establish a special ad hoc committee to review the current welfare system

and to report comprehensive welfare reform legislation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 25, 1994

Mr. CASTLE (for himself and Mr. EMERSON) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

RESOLUTION

To establish a special ad hoc committee to review the current

welfare system and to report comprehensive welfare reform legislation.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

3 The House of Representatives find that—

4 (1) three primary low-income assistance pro5 grams (aid to families with dependent children

6 (AFDC), food stamps, and medicaid) and other wel7 fare programs were created in a good-faith effort to

8 provide needed assistance to a specific population;

9 (2) amendments to authorizing legislation have

10 resulted in a patchwork approach to problems that
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1 have surfaced within each program, creating dif2 ferences in legislative and regulatory policy, thereby

3 causing additional conflicts;

4 (3) as a result of the unique histories and mis5 sions of these three programs, each program is with6 in the jurisdiction of a different committee;

7 (4) partly as a result of this, policies, laws, and

8 regulations restrict the ability of the program ad9 ministrators to provide coordinated, timely, and ap10 propriate benefits to those eligible for more than one

11 type of assistance;

12 (5) four committees and five subcommittees ex13 ercise primary authorization and oversight respon14 sibilities for the three programs; and

15 (6) this jurisdictional oversight has contributed

16 to complexity, duplication, and lack of coordination

17 among the three programs.

18 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE.

19 There is established a special ad hoc Committee on

20 Welfare Reform (referred to as the ‘‘Committee’’) to be

21 composed of—

22 (1) 4 members of the Committee on Agri23 culture—

24 (A) 2 to be appointed by the Speaker; and
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1 (B) 2 to be appointed by the minority lead2 er;

3 (2) 4 members of the Committee on Education

4 and Labor—

5 (A) 2 to be appointed by the Speaker; and

6 (B) 2 to be appointed by the minority lead7 er;

8 (3) 4 members of the Committee on Energy

9 and Commerce—

10 (A) 2 to be appointed by the Speaker; and

11 (B) 2 to be appointed by the minority lead12 er;

13 (4) 4 members of the Committee on Ways and

14 Means—

15 (A) 2 to be appointed by the Speaker; and

16 (B) 2 to be appointed by the minority lead17 er;

18 (5) 9 Members of the House—

19 (A) 7 to be appointed by the Speaker; one

20 of whom he shall designate to serve as chair21 man.

22 (B) 2 to be appointed by the minority lead23 er.
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1 Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the commit2 tee shall be filled in the manner in which the original ap3 pointment was made.

4 SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS.

5 The Committee is authorized and directed—

6 (1) to conduct a thorough review of the current

7 welfare system that provides assistance to individ8 uals with limited incomes; and

9 (2) to report to the House by bill with respect

10 to any matters covered by this resolution;

11 not later than September 30, 1994.

12 SEC. 4. AUTHORITY AND EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSA13 TION OF STAFF.

14 (a) AUTHORITY OF COMMITTEE.—The Committee

15 may—

16 (1) sit and act at such places and times as the

17 Committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee

18 thereof, determines are appropriate during the ses19 sions, recesses, and adjourned periods of Congress;

20 and

21 (2) require the attendance of witnesses and the

22 production of books, papers, and documents, admin23 ister oaths, take testimony, and procure printing and

24 binding.

25 (b) APPOINTMENT AND COMPENSATION OF STAFF.—
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1 (1) The Committee may appoint and fix the compensation

2 of such experts, consultants, technicians, and clerical and

3 stenographic assistants as it deems necessary and advis4 able, but shall utilize the services of the staffs of those

5 standing committees from which members have been se6 lected from membership on the Committee to the extent

7 possible.

8 (2) The Committee may utilize such voluntary and

9 uncompensated services as it deems necessary and may

10 utilize the services, information, facilities, and personnel

11 of the General Accounting Office, the Congressional Re12 search Service of the Library of Congress, and other agen13 cies of the legislative branch.

14 (3) The members and staff of the Committee shall

15 be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary

16 expenses incurred by them in the performance of the du17 ties vested in the Committee, other than expenses in con18 nection with meetings of the Committee held in the Dis19 trict of Columbia during such times as the Congress is

20 in session.

21 (c) WITNESSES.—Witnesses requested to appear be22 fore the Committee shall be reimbursed for travel, subsist23 ence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in

24 traveling to and from the places at which they are to ap25 pear.
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1 (d) EXPENSES.—Notwithstanding any law, rule, or

2 other authority, there shall be paid from the contingent

3 fund of the House $750,000 for the expenses of the com4 mittee. Such payments shall be made on vouchers signed

5 by the chairman of the committee and approved by the

6 Committee on House Administration. Amounts made

7 available under this subsection shall be expended in ac8 cordance with regulations prescribed by the Committee on

9 House Administration.

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