I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2557
To discourage States and local governments from providing general welfare
assistance to able-bodied individuals unless such individuals are partici-
pating in workfare programs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 29, 1993
Mr. SOLOMON (for himself, Mr. KING, and Mr. LEVY) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To discourage States and local governments from providing
general welfare assistance to able-bodied individuals un-
less such individuals are participating in workfare pro-
grams.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT.
Section 403 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
603) is amended by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing new subsection:
‘‘(c)(1)(A) If the Secretary determines—
‘‘(i) that a State is operating a general welfare
assistance program described in paragraph (3) dur-
ing a calendar quarter, or
‘‘(ii) that more than 20 percent of the local gov-
ernments within a State that provide general welfare
assistance are operating programs described in para-
graph (3) during a calendar quarter,
the Secretary shall reduce by 50 percent the amount that
such State would otherwise receive under subsection (a)
with respect to expenditures made by such State during
such quarter for the administration of the aid to families
with dependent children program under this part.
‘‘(B) If a State receives a reduced payment in a cal-
endar quarter as a result of a determination by the Sec-
retary under subparagraph (A)(ii)—
‘‘(i) such State shall reduce for such quarter
the payments made to each State office administer-
ing the aid to families with dependent children pro-
gram which is located within the jurisdiction of the
local governments described in subparagraph (A)(ii)
by an amount equal to 50 percent of the of Federal
share of the administrative expenses of such office;
and
‘‘(ii) such State shall not, as a result of such
reduced payment, reduce for such quarter the pay-
ments made to any State office administering the
aid to families with dependent children program
which is not located within the jurisdiction of the
local governments described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
‘‘(2) If the Secretary determines that any local gov-
ernment within a State that is not described in paragraph
(1)(A) is operating a general welfare assistance program
described in paragraph (3) during a calendar quarter, the
State shall reduce for such quarter the payments made
to any State office administering the aid to families with
dependent children program which is located within the
jurisdiction of such local government by an amount equal
to 50 percent of the of Federal share of the administrative
expenses of such office and such amount shall be paid by
the State to the Secretary.
‘‘(3) A general welfare assistance program described
in this paragraph is a general welfare assistance program
that—
‘‘(A) provides benefits to able-bodied individuals
(as determined by the Secretary) who have attained
age 18 and who have no dependents (hereafter re-
ferred to in this subsection as ‘able-bodied individ-
uals’);
‘‘(B) does not have a workfare program that
meets the participation rate requirements under
paragraph (4); and
‘‘(C) does not meet any other requirements set
forth in regulations issued by the Secretary.
‘‘(4)(A) The participation rate requirements under
this paragraph are as follows:
‘‘(i) In the case of a workfare program which
is implemented after the date of the enactment of
this subsection, the participation rate for such pro-
gram shall be—
‘‘(I) for the second year that the program
is operated, 10 percent; and
‘‘(II) for any succeeding year, the percent-
age for the preceding year plus 2 percent.
‘‘(ii) In the case of a workfare program which
is operating on the date of the enactment of this
subsection, the participation rate for such program
shall be—
‘‘(I) for 1994—
‘‘(aa) in the case of a program with a
participation rate below 10 percent for
1993, 10 percent; and
‘‘(bb) in the case of a program with a
participation rate between 10 percent and
50 percent for 1993, the program’s partici-
pation rate for 1993 plus 2 percent; and
‘‘(II) for any succeeding year, the percent-
age for the preceding year plus 2 percent.
‘‘(B) The participation rates required under clauses
(i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A) shall not exceed 50 per-
cent.
‘‘(C) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘par-
ticipation rate’ means the percentage of the able-bodied
individuals who receive general welfare assistance partici-
pating in a workfare program.
‘‘(5) On or before the date which is 5 years after the
date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary
shall conduct a review of State and local participation
rates and submit to Congress a report containing any of
the Secretary’s recommendations with respect to the par-
ticipation rate requirements established under paragraph
(4).’’.
SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF AMENDMENT.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the amend-
ment made by section 1 shall apply to calendar quarters
beginning on or after July 1, 1994.
(b) In the case of a State which the Secretary deter-
mines requires State legislation (other than legislation au-
thorizing or appropriating funds) in order to comply with
the amendments made by section 1, the State shall not
be regarded as failing to comply with such amendments
solely on the basis of its failure to meet the requirements
of such amendments before the first day of the first cal-
endar quarter beginning after the close of the first regular
session of the State legislature that begins after the date
of the enactment of this Act. For purposes of the preced-
ing sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year legis-
lative session, each year of such session shall be deemed
to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.
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