I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 636 

To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow funds 

provided under the program of block grants to States for temporary 

assistance for needy families to be used for alternative-to-abortion services. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 22, 2009 

Mrs. BACHMANN (for herself, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PITTS, Mrs. 

BLACKBURN, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. JORDAN of Ohio, Mr. 

KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. FORBES, Mr. SMITH of New 

Jersey, and Mr. HERGER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act 

to allow funds provided under the program of block 

grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families to be used for alternative-to-abortion services. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Positive Alternatives 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO USE TANF FUNDS FOR ALTER2 NATIVE-TO-ABORTION SERVICES. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a)(6) of the Social 

4 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(6)) is amended by adding 

5 at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(C) EXCEPTION FOR ALTERNATIVE-TO7 ABORTION SERVICES.— 

8 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—As used in sub9 paragraph (A), the term ‘medical services’ 

10 does not include alternative-to-abortion 

11 services. 

12 ‘‘(ii) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara13 graph: 

14 ‘‘(I) ALTERNATIVE-TO-ABORTION

15 SERVICES.—The term ‘alternative-to16 abortion services’ means— 

17 ‘‘(aa) information or coun18 seling that promotes childbirth 

19 instead of abortion, and assists 

20 pregnant women in making an 

21 informed decision regarding the 

22 alternatives of adoption or par23 enting with respect to her born 

24 or unborn child; and 

25 ‘‘(bb) any other service de26 signed to assist a qualified indiVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:31 Jan 23, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H636.IH H636

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1 vidual who is a woman to carry 

2 her unborn child to term, or to 

3 support a qualified individual in 

4 a parenting or adoption decision, 

5 including the provision of self-ad6 ministered pregnancy testing, 

7 baby food, maternity or baby 

8 clothing, baby furniture, or infor9 mation or education (including 

10 classes), regarding prenatal care, 

11 childbirth, adoption, parenting, 

12 chastity, or abstinence. 

13 ‘‘(II) QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL.— 

14 The term ‘qualified individual’ 

15 means— 

16 ‘‘(aa) an individual who is, 

17 or has reasonable grounds to be18 lieve she may be, pregnant; 

19 ‘‘(bb) an individual who is a 

20 parent or legal guardian of a 

21 child who has not attained 12 

22 months of age; or 

23 ‘‘(cc) an individual who is 

24 the spouse or a former spouse of, 

25 is a parent of a child of, or coVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:31 Jan 23, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H636.IH H636

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1 habitates or has cohabitated with 

2 an individual described in item 

3 (aa) or (bb).’’. 

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

5 subsection (a) shall take effect 90 days after the date of 

6 the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to grants made 

7 under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act for 

8 fiscal years ending after such 90-day period. 

Æ 


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