I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1470

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

APRIL 4, 2001

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

CARDIN, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. WATKINS, Mr. KLECZKA,

Mr. CAMP, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. COYNE, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr.

JEFFERSON, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WALSH, Mr.

MCNULTY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. STARK,

Mr. KIRK, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. SHAYS, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mrs.

MORELLA, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ABERCROMBIE,

Mr. SANDLIN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr.

ALLEN, Mr. HINCHEY, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN,

Ms. SANCHEZ, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. STRICKLAND, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr.

BALDACCI, Mr. BARRETT, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. DELAURO,

Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FROST, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr.

HOLDEN, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. LAFALCE,

Ms. LEE, and Ms. PELOSI) 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
2

•HR 1470 IH

of block grants to States for temporary assistance for

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 Op-
3

•HR 1470 IH

1 portunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law

2 104–193; 110 Stat. 2105) by supporting Temporary

3 Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and support4 related programs such as on-the-job training, child

5 care, transportation, counseling, and other services

6 that facilitate long-term family stability and eco7 nomic self sufficiency.

8 (4) The SSBG provides essential funding to

9 many States for child welfare services that support

10 the goals of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of

11 1997 (Public Law 105–89; 111 Stat. 2115) to pro12 mote a safe family environment and encourage adop13 tion to move children into stable and permanent

14 families.

15 (5) The SSBG helps promote independent living

16 for vulnerable and low-income elderly individuals by

17 supporting home care services, including home-deliv18 ered meals, adult protective services, adult day care,

19 and other essential case management services pro20 vided in every State.

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

22 are abused and neglected in this country each year.

23 There are additional concerns about the under re24 porting of elderly abuse and neglect. The SSBG sup25 ports adult protective services that prevent wide-
4

•HR 1470 IH

1 spread abuse and neglect of older Americans and

2 help more than 651,000 elderly individuals in 31

3 States.

4 (7) More than 570,000 disabled individuals re5 ceive a range of community-based services and sup6 ports nationwide. The SSBG provides significant re7 sources to fill the funding gaps in the developmental

8 disabilities system by supporting such services as

9 early intervention and crisis intervention, adult day

10 care, respite care, transportation, employment train11 ing, and independent living services in 38 States.

12 (8) The SSBG supports essential mental health

13 and related services to ensure that vulnerable adults

14 and children receive early intervention to prevent

15 more serious and costly mental health crises in the

16 future. Such services include the provision of coun17 seling to almost 400,000 adults and children, case

18 management services for nearly 900,000 families,

19 and the provision of information and referral assist20 ance to more than 1,300,000 individuals.

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

22 abuse and neglect each year There are currently

23 over 300,000 children in the American foster care

24 system. The SSBG enables the provision of child

25 protective services to 1,300,000 children, adoption
5

•HR 1470 IH

1 services to over 150,000 children and families, and

2 prevention and intervention services to more than

3 700,000 families.

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

5 $1,000,000,000 over the last 6 years resulting in

6 cuts in services in many States and local commu7 nities.

8 (11) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

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

10 cuts to the SSBG because a large percentage of

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

12 other populations that are ineligible for TANF

13 funds.

14 (12) The 104th Congress made a commitment

15 to the SSBG in the Personal Responsibility and

16 Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 by au17 thorizing the program at $2,380,000,000 through

18 fiscal year 2002 and returning the authorization for

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

20 and each succeeding fiscal year.
6

•HR 1470 IH

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 by

7 striking ‘‘4.25’’ and inserting ‘‘10’’.

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

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

10 SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF FUNDS FOR THE SOCIAL SERV11 ICES BLOCK GRANT.

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2003(c) of the Social Se13 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397b(c)) is amended by striking

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

15 ‘‘(10) $1,775,000,000 for the fiscal year 2000;

16 ‘‘(11) $1,725,000,000 for the fiscal year 2001;

17 and

18 ‘‘(12) $2,380,000,000 for the fiscal year 2002

19 and each succeeding fiscal year.’’.

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

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

22 SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT ANNUAL REPORT ON

23 STATE ACTIVITIES.

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2006(c) of the Social Se25 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397e(c)) is amended by adding at

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

•HR 1470 IH

1 information submitted by the States and submit that in2 formation to Congress on an annual basis.’’.

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

4 subsection (a) applies to information submitted by States

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

6 1397e) with respect to fiscal year 2000 and each fiscal

7 year thereafter.

Æ