I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 535

To provide access to welfare tools to help Americans get back to work. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2003

Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA ́ (for himself, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 

TOWNS, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. BACA, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. 

BORDALLO, Ms. SOLIS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. BECERRA, and Mr. PASTOR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL

To provide access to welfare tools to help Americans get 

back to work.

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

3 SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY OF PUERTO RICO, THE UNITED 

4 STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND GUAM FOR 

5 THE TANF SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT FOR POP6 ULATION INCREASES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(a)(3)(D)(iii) of the 

8 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(3)(D)(iii)) is 
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1 amended by striking ‘‘and the District of Columbia.’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the 

3 United States Virgin Islands, and Guam. For fiscal years 

4 beginning after the effective date of this sentence, this 

5 paragraph shall be applied and administered as if the term 

6 ‘State’ included the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 

7 United States Virgin Islands, and Guam for fiscal year 

8 1998 and thereafter.’’. 

9 (b) GRANT PAYMENT DISREGARDED FOR PURPOSES

10 OF SECTION 1108 LIMITATION.—Section 1108(a)(2) of 

11 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2)) is amended by inserting 

12 ‘‘, or any payment made to the Commonwealth of Puerto 

13 Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or Guam under 

14 section 403(a)(3)’’ before the period. 

15 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

16 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2003, and shall 

17 apply to expenditures for fiscal years beginning with fiscal 

18 year 2004. 

19 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF PUERTO RICO, THE UNITED STATES 

20 VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND GUAM FOR THE TANF 

21 CONTINGENCY FUND. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(b)(7) of the Social 

23 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(7)) is amended by striking 

24 ‘‘and the District of Columbia’’ and inserting ‘‘, the Dis-
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1 trict of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 

2 United States Virgin Islands, and Guam.’’. 

3 (b) GRANT PAYMENT DISREGARDED FOR PURPOSES

4 OF SECTION 1108 LIMITATION.—Section 1108(a)(2) of 

5 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2)), as amended by section 

6 1(b) of this Act, is amended by inserting ‘‘or 403(b)’’ after 

7 ‘‘403(a)(3)’’ before the period. 

8 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

9 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2003, and shall 

10 apply to expenditures for fiscal years beginning with fiscal 

11 year 2004. 

12 SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY OF PUERTO RICO, THE UNITED STATES 

13 VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND GUAM FOR CHILD 

14 CARE ENTITLEMENT FUNDS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 418(d) of the Social Secu16 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 618(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘and 

17 the District of Columbia’’ and inserting ‘‘, the District of 

18 Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United 

19 States Virgin Islands, and Guam’’. 

20 (b) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—

21 (1) GENERAL ENTITLEMENT.—Section 

22 418(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)(1)) is 

23 amended by striking ‘‘the greater of—’’ and all that 

24 follows and inserting the following: 
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1 ‘‘(A) in the case of the Commonwealth of 

2 Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, 

3 and Guam, 60 percent of the amount required 

4 to be paid to the State for fiscal year 2001 

5 under the Child Care and Development Block 

6 Grant Act of 1990; or 

7 ‘‘(B) in the case of any other State, the 

8 greater of—

9 ‘‘(i) the total amount required to be 

10 paid to the State under section 403 for fis11 cal year 1994 or 1995 (whichever is great12 er) with respect to expenditures for child 

13 care under subsections (g) and (i) of sec14 tion 402 (as in effect before October 1, 

15 1995); or 

16 ‘‘(ii) the average of the total amounts 

17 required to be paid to the State for fiscal 

18 years 1992 through 1994 under the sub19 sections referred to in clause (i).’’; 

20 (2) ALLOTMENT OF REMAINDER.—Section 

21 418(a)(2)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)(2)(B)) 

22 is amended to read as follows: 

23 ‘‘(B) ALLOTMENTS TO STATES.—Of the 

24 total amount available for payments to States 
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1 under this paragraph, as determined under sub2 paragraph (A) of this paragraph—

3 ‘‘(i) an amount equal to 65 percent of 

4 the amount required to be paid to each of 

5 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 

6 United States Virgin Islands, and Guam 

7 for fiscal year 2001 under the Child Care 

8 and Development Block Grant Act of 

9 1990, shall be allotted to the Common10 wealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 

11 Virgin Islands, and Guam, respectively; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(ii) the remainder shall be allotted 

14 among the other States based on the for15 mula used for determining the amount of 

16 Federal payments to each State under sec17 tion 403(n) of this Act (as in effect before 

18 October 1, 1995).’’. 

19 (c) GRANT PAYMENT DISREGARDED FOR PURPOSES

20 OF SECTION 1108 LIMITATION.—Section 1108(a)(2) of 

21 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2)), as amended by sections 

22 1(b) and 2(b) of this Act, is amended by striking ‘‘or 

23 403(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘, 403(b), or 418’’. 

24 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

25 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2003, and shall 
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1 apply to expenditures for fiscal years beginning with fiscal 

2 year 2004. 

3 SEC. 4. FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS TO PUERTO RICO, THE 

4 UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND GUAM 

5 DISREGARDED FOR PURPOSES OF THE LIMI6 TATION OF PAYMENTS TO TERRITORIES. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1108(a)(2) of the Social 

8 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2)), as amended by sec9 tions 1(b), 2(b), and 3(c) of this Act, is amended by insert10 ing ‘‘, or any payment made to the Commonwealth of 

11 Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or Guam 

12 under part E of title IV with respect to foster care’’ before 

13 the period. 

14 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

15 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2003, and shall 

16 apply to expenditures for fiscal years beginning with fiscal 

17 year 2004. 

18 SEC. 5. EXEMPT MEDICAID TRANSITIONAL MEDICAL AS19 SISTANCE IN PUERTO RICO, THE VIRGIN IS20 LANDS, AND GUAM FROM THE CURRENT 

21 MEDICAID CAP ON SPENDING. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1108 of the Social Secu23 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended—

24 (1) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘subsection 

25 (g)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (g) and (h)’’; and 
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1 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub2 section: 

3 ‘‘(h) SPECIAL RULE FOR TRANSITIONAL MEDICAL

4 ASSISTANCE IN PUERTO RICO, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND

5 GUAM.—Expenditures for transitional medical assistance 

6 under section 1925 in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and 

7 Guam shall not be subject to the payment limitations of 

8 subsection (f).’’. 

9 (b) PERMITTING APPLICATION OF SECTION 1925 IN

10 PUERTO RICO, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND GUAM.—Sec11 tion 1925(c)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r–6(c)(2)) is 

12 amended by inserting before the period at the end the fol13 lowing: ‘‘, except that such provisions may apply in Puerto 

14 Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam if elected by the Gov15 ernment of the respective commonwealth or territory’’. 

16 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

17 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2003, and shall 

18 apply to expenditures for fiscal years beginning with fiscal 

19 year 2004.

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