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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3055 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3055

To reform the Federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) 
so that States have the option of conducting pilot projects to require 
   that able-bodied individuals participate in work activities as a 
          condition of receiving benefits under such program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 2013

 Mr. Southerland (for himself, Mr. Reed, Ms. Jenkins, Mr. Austin Scott 
  of Georgia, Mr. Bentivolio, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Westmoreland, 
Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Kingston) introduced the following bill; which 
              was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To reform the Federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) 
so that States have the option of conducting pilot projects to require 
   that able-bodied individuals participate in work activities as a 
          condition of receiving benefits under such program.

    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 ``Providing Relief to Individuals 
Desiring Employment (PRIDE) Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECTS TO PROMOTE WORK AND INCREASE STATE 
              ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM.

    Effective October 1, 2013, section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Pilot Projects To Promote Work and Increase State 
Accountability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out pilot 
        projects to develop and test methods allowing States to run a 
        work program with certain features comparable to the State 
        program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), with the intent of increasing 
        employment and self-sufficiency through increased State 
        accountability and thereby reducing the need for supplemental 
        nutrition assistance benefits.
            ``(2) Agreements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out this subsection, 
                the Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements 
                with States in accordance with pilot projects that meet 
                the criteria required under this subsection.
                    ``(B) Application.--To be eligible for a 
                cooperative agreement under this paragraph, a State 
                shall submit to the Secretary a plan that complies with 
                requirements of this subsection beginning in fiscal 
                year 2014. The Secretary may not disapprove 
                applications which meet the requirements of this 
                subsection as described through its amended 
                supplemental nutrition assistance State Plan.
                    ``(C) Assurances.--A State shall include in its 
                plan assurances that its pilot project will--
                            ``(i) operate for at least three 12-month 
                        periods but not more than five 12-month 
                        periods;
                            ``(ii) have a robust data collection system 
                        for program administration that is designed and 
                        shared with project evaluators to ensure proper 
                        and timely evaluation; and
                            ``(iii) intend to offer a work activity 
                        described in paragraph (4) to adults assigned 
                        and required to participate under paragraph 
                        (3)(A) and who are not exempt under paragraph 
                        (3)(F).
                    ``(D) Number of pilot projects.--Any State may 
                carry out a pilot project that meets the requirements 
                of this subsection.
                    ``(E) Extent of pilot projects.--Pilot projects 
                shall cover no less than the entire State.
                    ``(F) Other program waivers.--Waivers for able-
                bodied adults without dependents provided under section 
                6(o) are void for States covered by a pilot project 
                carried out under paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Work activity.--(A) For purposes of this subsection, 
        the term `work activity' means any of the following:
                    ``(i) Employment in the public or private sector 
                that is not subsidized by any public program.
                    ``(ii) Employment in the private sector for which 
                the employer receives a subsidy from public funds to 
                offset some or all of the wages and costs of employing 
                an adult.
                    ``(iii) Employment in the public sector for which 
                the employer receives a subsidy from public funds to 
                offset some or all of the wages and costs of employing 
                an adult.
                    ``(iv) A work activity that--
                            ``(I) is performed in return for public 
                        benefits;
                            ``(II) provides an adult with an 
                        opportunity to acquire the general skills, 
                        knowledge, and work habits necessary to obtain 
                        employment;
                            ``(III) is designed to improve the 
                        employability of those who cannot find 
                        unsubsidized employment; and
                            ``(IV) is supervised by an employer, work 
                        site sponsor, or other responsible party on an 
                        ongoing basis.
                    ``(v) Training in the public or private sector that 
                is given to a paid employee while he or she is engaged 
                in productive work and that provides knowledge and 
                skills essential to the full and adequate performance 
                of the job.
                    ``(vi) Job search, obtaining employment, or 
                preparation to seek or obtain employment, including--
                            ``(I) life skills training;
                            ``(II) substance abuse treatment or mental 
                        health treatment, determined to be necessary 
                        and documented by a qualified medical, 
                        substance abuse, or mental health professional; 
                        or
                            ``(III) rehabilitation activities;
                supervised by a public agency or other responsible 
                party on an ongoing basis.
                    ``(vii) Structured programs and embedded 
                activities--
                            ``(I) in which adults perform work for the 
                        direct benefit of the community under the 
                        auspices of public or nonprofit organizations;
                            ``(II) that are limited to projects that 
                        serve useful community purposes in fields such 
                        as health, social service, environmental 
                        protection, education, urban and rural 
                        redevelopment, welfare, recreation, public 
                        facilities, public safety, and child care;
                            ``(III) that are designed to improve the 
                        employability of adults not otherwise able to 
                        obtain unsubsidized employment;
                            ``(IV) that are supervised on an ongoing 
                        basis; and
                            ``(V) with respect to which a State agency 
                        takes into account, to the extent possible, the 
                        prior training, experience, and skills of a 
                        recipient in making appropriate community 
                        service assignments.
                    ``(viii) Career and technical training programs 
                (not to exceed 12 months with respect to any adult) 
                that are directly related to the preparation of adults 
                for employment in current or emerging occupations and 
                that are supervised on an ongoing basis.
                    ``(ix) Training or education for job skills that 
                are required by an employer to provide an adult with 
                the ability to obtain employment or to advance or adapt 
                to the changing demands of the workplace and that are 
                supervised on an ongoing basis.
                    ``(x) Education that is related to a specific 
                occupation, job, or job offer and that is supervised on 
                an ongoing basis.
                    ``(xi) In the case of an adult who has not 
                completed secondary school or received such a 
                certificate of general equivalence, regular 
                attendance--
                            ``(I) in accordance with the requirements 
                        of the secondary school or course of study, at 
                        a secondary school or in a course of study 
                        leading to such certificate; and
                            ``(II) supervised on an ongoing basis.
                    ``(xii) Providing child care to enable another 
                recipient of public benefits to participate in a 
                community service program that--
                            ``(I) does not provide compensation for 
                        such community service;
                            ``(II) is a structured program designed to 
                        improve the employability of adults who 
                        participate in such program; and
                            ``(III) is supervised on an ongoing basis.
            ``(B) Protections.--Work activities under this subsection 
        shall be subject to all applicable health and safety standards. 
        Except as described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of 
        subparagraph (A), the term `work activity' shall be considered 
        work preparation and not defined as employment for purposes of 
        other law.
            ``(4) Pilot projects.--Pilot projects carried out under 
        paragraph (1) shall include interventions to which adults are 
        assigned that are designed to reduce unnecessary dependence, 
        promote self sufficiency, increase work levels, increase earned 
        income, and reduce supplemental nutrition assistance benefit 
        expenditures among households eligible for, applying for, or 
        participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
                    ``(A) Adults assigned to interventions by the State 
                shall--
                            ``(i) be subject to mandatory participation 
                        in work activities specified in paragraph (4), 
                        except those with 1 or more dependent children 
                        under 1 year of age;
                            ``(ii) participate in work activities 
                        specified in paragraph (4) for a minimum of 20 
                        hours per week per household;
                            ``(iii) be a maximum age of not less than 
                        50 and not more than 60, as defined by the 
                        State;
                            ``(iv) be subject to penalties during a 
                        period of nonparticipation without good cause 
                        ranging from, at State option, a minimum of the 
                        removal of the adults from the household 
                        benefit amount, up to a maximum of the 
                        discontinuance of the entire household benefit 
                        amount; and
                            ``(v) not be penalized for nonparticipation 
                        if child care is not available for 1 or more 
                        children under 6 years of age.
                    ``(B) The State shall allow certain individuals to 
                be exempt from work requirements--
                            ``(i) those participating in work programs 
                        under a State program funded under part A of 
                        title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        601 et seq.) for an equal or greater number of 
                        hours;
                            ``(ii) 1 adult family member per household 
                        who is needed in the home to care for a 
                        disabled family member;
                            ``(iii) an adult who is receiving temporary 
                        or permanent disability benefits issued by 
                        governmental sources; and
                            ``(iv) those with a good cause reason for 
                        nonparticipation, such as victims of domestic 
                        violence, as defined by the State.
            ``(5) Evaluation and reporting.--
                    ``(A) Evaluation.--
                            ``(i) Independent evaluation.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--The Secretary 
                                shall provide for each State that 
                                enters into an agreement under 
                                paragraph (2) an independent, 
                                longitudinal evaluation of its pilot 
                                project under this subsection to 
                                determine total program savings over 
                                the entire course of the pilot project 
                                with results reported in consecutive 
                                12-month increments.
                                    ``(II) Purpose.--The purpose of the 
                                evaluation is to measure the impact of 
                                interventions provided by the State 
                                under the pilot project on the ability 
                                of adults in households eligible for, 
                                applying for, or participating in the 
                                supplemental nutrition assistance 
                                program to find and retain employment 
                                that leads to increased household 
                                income and reduced dependency.
                                    ``(III) Requirement.--The 
                                independent evaluation under subclause 
                                (I) shall use valid statistical methods 
                                which can determine the difference 
                                between supplemental nutrition 
                                assistance benefit expenditures, if 
                                any, as a result of the interventions 
                                as compared to a control group that--
                                            ``(aa) is not subject to 
                                        the interventions provided by 
                                        the State under the pilot 
                                        project under this subsection; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) maintains services 
                                        provided under 16(h) in the 
                                        year prior to the start of the 
                                        pilot project under this 
                                        subsection.
                                    ``(IV) Option.--States shall have 
                                the option to evaluate pilot projects 
                                by matched counties or matched 
                                geographical areas using a constructed 
                                control group design to isolate the 
                                effects of the intervention of the 
                                pilot project.
                                    ``(V) Definition.--Constructed 
                                control group means there is no random 
                                assignment, and instead program 
                                participants (those subject to 
                                interventions) and non-participants 
                                (control) are equated using matching or 
                                statistical procedures on 
                                characteristics that may be associated 
                                with program outcomes.
                    ``(B) Reporting.--Not later than 90 days after the 
                end of fiscal year 2014 and of each fiscal year 
                thereafter, until the completion of the last evaluation 
                under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to 
                the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
                Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report that 
                includes a description of--
                            ``(i) the status of each pilot project 
                        carried out under paragraph (1);
                            ``(ii) the results of the evaluation 
                        completed during the previous fiscal year; and
                            ``(iii) to the maximum extent practicable--
                                    ``(I) baseline information relevant 
                                to the stated goals and desired 
                                outcomes of the pilot project;
                                    ``(II) the impact of the 
                                interventions on appropriate 
                                employment, income, and public benefit 
                                receipt outcomes among households 
                                participating in the pilot project;
                                    ``(III) equivalent information 
                                about similar or identical measures 
                                among control or comparison groups;
                                    ``(IV) the planned dissemination of 
                                the report findings to State agencies; 
                                and
                                    ``(V) the steps and funding 
                                necessary to incorporate into State 
                                employment and training programs the 
                                components of pilot projects that 
                                demonstrate increased employment and 
                                earnings.
                    ``(C) Public dissemination.--In addition to the 
                reporting requirements under subparagraph (B), 
                evaluation results shall be shared broadly to inform 
                policy makers, service providers, other partners, and 
                the public in order to promote wide use of successful 
                strategies, including by posting evaluation results on 
                the Internet website of the Department of Agriculture.
            ``(6) Funding.--
                    ``(A) Available funds.--From amounts made available 
                under section 18(a)(1), the Secretary shall make 
                available--
                            ``(i) up to $1,000,000 for each of the 
                        fiscal years 2014 through 2017 for evaluations 
                        described in paragraph (5) to carry out this 
                        subsection, with such amounts to remain 
                        available until expended; and
                            ``(ii) amounts equal to one-half of the 
                        accumulated supplemental nutrition assistance 
                        benefit dollars saved over each consecutive 12-
                        month period according to the evaluation under 
                        paragraph (5) for bonus grants to States under 
                        paragraph (7)(B).
                    ``(B) Limitation.--A State operating a pilot 
                project under this subsection shall not receive more 
                funding under section 16(h) than the State received the 
                year prior to commencing a project under this 
                subsection and shall not claim funds under 16(a) for 
                expenses that are unique to the pilot project under 
                this subsection.
                    ``(C) Other funds.--Any additional funds required 
                by a State to carry out a pilot project under this 
                subsection may be provided by the State from funds made 
                available to the State for such purpose and in 
                accordance with State and other Federal laws, including 
                the following:
                            ``(i) Section 403 of the Social Security 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 603).
                            ``(ii) The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
                        (29 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.).
                            ``(iii) The Child Care and Development 
                        Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C 9858 et seq.) 
                        and section 418 of the Social Security Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 618).
                            ``(iv) The social services block grant 
                        under subtitle A of title XX of the Social 
                        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.).
            ``(7) Use of funds.--
                    ``(A) Specific uses.--Funds provided under this 
                subsection for evaluation of pilot projects shall be 
                used only for--
                            ``(i) pilot projects that comply with this 
                        subsection;
                            ``(ii) the costs incurred in gathering and 
                        providing information and data used to conduct 
                        the independent evaluation under paragraph (5); 
                        and
                            ``(iii) the costs of the evaluation under 
                        paragraph (5).
                    ``(B) Limitation.--Funds provided for bonus grants 
                to States for pilot projects under this subsection 
                shall be used only for--
                            ``(i) pilot projects that comply with this 
                        subsection;
                            ``(ii) amounts equal to one-half of the 
                        accumulated supplemental nutrition assistance 
                        benefit dollars saved over each consecutive 12-
                        month period according to the evaluation under 
                        paragraph (5); and
                            ``(iii) any State purpose, not to be 
                        restricted to the supplemental nutrition 
                        assistance program or its beneficiary 
                        population.''.

SEC. 3. IMPROVED WAGE VERIFICATION USING THE NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF NEW 
              HIRES.

    Effective October 1, 2013, section 11(e) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3) by inserting ``and after compliance 
        with the requirement specified in paragraph (24)'' after 
        ``section 16(e) of this Act'',
            (2) in paragraph (22) by striking ``and'' at the end,
            (3) in paragraph (23 by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and'', and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(24) that the State agency shall request wage data 
        directly from the National Directory of New Hires established 
        under section 453(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        653(i)) relevant to determining eligibility to receive 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits and 
        determining the correct amount of such benefits.''.
                                 <all>
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