I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3172
To amend the welfare-to-work program and modify the welfare-to-work
performance bonus.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 28, 1999
Mr. GOODLING (for himself, Mr. MCKEON, and Mr. ANDREWS) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 com-
mittee concerned
A BILL
To amend the welfare-to-work program and modify the
welfare-to-work performance bonus.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FLEXIBILITY IN ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPA-
TION IN WELFARE-TO-WORK PROGRAM.
(a) HARD-TO-EMPLOY LONG-TERM RECIPIENTS.—
Section 403(a)(5)(C)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(ii)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘REQUIRED BENEFICIARIES.—’’
and inserting ‘‘HARD-TO-EMPLOY RECIPIENTS.—’’;
(2) in the matter preceding subclause (I)—
(A) by striking ‘‘shall expend at least 70
percent of all’’ and inserting ‘‘may expend’’;
and
(B) by striking ‘‘, or for the benefit of non-
custodial parents,’’;
(3) in the matter preceding item (aa) of sub-
clause (I)—
(A) by striking ‘‘At least 2’’ and inserting
‘‘Any’’;
(B) by striking ‘‘apply’’ and inserting ‘‘ap-
plies’’; and
(C) by striking ‘‘or the noncustodial par-
ent’’;
(4) in item (aa) of subclause (I), by striking ‘‘,
and has low skills in reading or mathematics’’;
(5) by adding at the end of subclause (I) the
following:
‘‘(dd) The individual has
English reading, writing, or com-
puting skills at or below the 8th
grade level.
‘‘(ee) 
The 
individual 
is
homeless.
‘‘(ff) The individual has a
disability.
‘‘(gg) The individual has
been a victim of domestic vio-
lence.’’; and
(6) in the matter preceding item (aa) of sub-
clause (II), by striking ‘‘or the minor children of the
non-custodial parent’’.
(b) NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(a)(5)(C) of such
Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)) is amended—
(A) by redesignating clauses (iii) through
(viii) as clauses (iv) through (ix), respectively;
and
(B) by inserting after clause (ii) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(iii) NONCUSTODIAL
PARENTS.—An
entity that operates a project with funds
provided under this paragraph may use the
funds to provide services in a form de-
scribed in clause (i) to noncustodial par-
ents with respect to whom the require-
ments of the following subclauses are met:
‘‘(I) The noncustodial parent is
unemployed, underemployed, or hav-
ing difficulty in paying child support
obligations.
‘‘(II) At least 1 of the following
applies to a minor child of the non-
custodial parent (with preference in
the determination of the noncustodial
parents to be provided services under
this paragraph to be provided by the
entity to those noncustodial parents
with minor children who meet, or who
have custodial parents who meet, the
requirements of item (aa)):
‘‘(aa) The minor child or the
custodial parent of the minor
child meets the requirements of
clause (ii)(II).
‘‘(bb) The minor child is eli-
gible for, or is receiving, benefits
under the program funded under
this part.
‘‘(cc) The minor child re-
ceived benefits under the pro-
gram funded under this part in
the 12-month period preceding
the date of the determination but
no longer receives such benefits.
‘‘(dd) The minor child is eli-
gible for, or is receiving, assist-
ance under the Food Stamp Act
of 1977, benefits under the sup-
plemental security income pro-
gram under title XVI of this Act,
medical assistance under title
XIX of this Act, or child health
assistance under title XXI of this
Act.
‘‘(III) In the case of a noncusto-
dial parent who becomes enrolled in
the project on or after the date of the
enactment of this clause, the non-
custodial parent is in compliance with
the terms of an oral or written per-
sonal responsibility contract entered
into among the noncustodial parent,
the entity, and (unless the entity dem-
onstrates to the Secretary that the en-
tity is not capable of coordinating
with such agency) the agency respon-
sible for administering the State plan
under part D, which was developed
taking into account the employment
and child support status of the non-
custodial parent, which was entered
into not later than 30 (or, at the op-
tion of the entity, not later than 90)
days after the noncustodial parent
was enrolled in the project, and which,
at a minimum, includes the following:
‘‘(aa) A commitment by the
noncustodial parent to cooperate,
at the earliest opportunity, in the
establishment of the paternity of
the minor child, through vol-
untary acknowledgement or other
procedures, and in the establish-
ment of a child support order.
‘‘(bb) A commitment by the
noncustodial parent to cooperate
in the payment of child support
for the minor child, which may
include a modification of an ex-
isting support order to take into
account the ability of the non-
custodial parent to pay such sup-
port and the participation of such
parent in the project.
‘‘(cc) A commitment by the
noncustodial parent to participate
in employment or related activi-
ties that will enable the noncusto-
dial parent to make regular child
support payments, and if the
noncustodial parent has not at-
tained 20 years of age, such re-
lated activities may include com-
pletion of high school, a general
equivalency degree, or other edu-
cation directly related to employ-
ment.
‘‘(dd) A description of the
services to be provided under this
paragraph, and a commitment by
the noncustodial parent to par-
ticipate in such services, that are
designed to assist the noncusto-
dial parent obtain and retain em-
ployment, increase earnings, and
enhance the financial and emo-
tional contributions to the well-
being of the minor child.
In order to protect custodial parents
and children who may be at risk of
domestic violence, the preceding provi-
sions of this subclause shall not be
construed to affect any other provi-
sion of law requiring a custodial par-
ent to cooperate in establishing the
paternity of a child or establishing or
enforcing a support order with respect
to a child, or entitling a custodial par-
ent to refuse, for good cause, to pro-
vide such cooperation as a condition
of assistance or benefit under any
program, shall not be construed to re-
quire such cooperation by the custo-
dial parent as a condition of participa-
tion of either parent in the program
authorized under this paragraph, and
shall not be construed to require a
custodial parent to cooperate with or
participate in any activity under this
clause. The entity operating a project
under this clause with funds provided
under this paragraph shall consult
with domestic violence prevention and
intervention organizations in the de-
velopment of the project.’’.
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
412(a)(3)(C)(ii) 
of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C.
612(a)(3)(C)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘(vii)’’ and
inserting ‘‘(viii)’’.
(c) RECIPIENTS WITH CHARACTERISTICS OF LONG-
TERM DEPENDENCY; CHILDREN AGING OUT OF FOSTER
CARE.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subclause (II) of section
403(a)(5)(C)(iv) 
of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C.
603(a)(5)(C)(iv)(II)), as so redesignated by sub-
section (b)(1)(A) of this section, is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘(II) to children—
‘‘(aa) who have attained 18
years of age but not 25 years of
age; and
‘‘(bb) who, before attaining
18 years of age, were recipients
of foster care maintenance pay-
ments (as defined in section
475(4)) under part E or were in
foster care under the responsi-
bility of a State.’’.
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—Section
403(a)(5)(C)(iv) 
of 
such 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C.
603(a)(5)(C)(iv)), as so redesignated by subsection
(b)(1)(A) of this section, is amended—
(A) in the heading by inserting ‘‘HARD TO
EMPLOY’’ before ‘‘INDIVIDUALS’’; and
(B) in the last sentence by striking ‘‘clause
(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘clauses (ii) and (iii) and, as
appropriate, clause (v)’’.
SEC. 2. LIMITED VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND JOB
TRAINING INCLUDED AS ALLOWABLE ACTIVI-
TIES.
Section 403(a)(5)(C)(i) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(i)) is amended by inserting after sub-
clause (VI) the following:
‘‘(VII) Not more than 6 months
of vocational educational or job train-
ing.’’.
SEC. 3. CERTAIN GRANTEES AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE EM-
PLOYMENT SERVICES DIRECTLY.
Section 403(a)(5)(C)(i)(IV) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(i)(IV)) is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘, or if the entity is not a private industry council