I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4671
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to increase public awareness
regarding the benefits of lasting and stable marriages and community
involvement in the promotion of marriage and fatherhood issues, to
provide greater flexibility in the Welfare-to-Work grant program for
long-term welfare recipients and low income custodial and noncustodial
parents, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 15, 2000
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois 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 deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to increase
public awareness regarding the benefits of lasting and
stable marriages and community involvement in the pro-
motion of marriage and fatherhood issues, to provide
greater flexibility in the Welfare-to-Work grant program
for long-term welfare recipients and low income custodial
and noncustodial parents, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Responsible Father-
hood Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) nearly 25 million children in the United
States, or 36 percent of all such children, live apart
from their biological father;
(2) 60 percent of couples who divorce have at
least 1 child;
(3) the number of children living with only a
mother increased from just over 5,000,000 in 1960,
to 17,000,000 in 1999, and between 1981 and 1991
the percentage of children living with only 1 parent
increased from 19 percent to 25 percent;
(4) 40 percent of children who live in house-
holds without a father have not seen their father in
at least 1 year and 50 percent of such children have
never visited their father’s home;
(5) children who live without contact with their
biological father are, in comparison to children who
have such contact—
(A) 5 times more likely to live in poverty;
(B) more likely to bring weapons and
drugs into the classroom;
(C) twice as likely to commit crime;
(D) twice as likely to drop out of school;
(E) twice as likely to be abused;
(F) more likely to commit suicide;
(G) more than twice as likely to abuse al-
cohol or drugs; and
(H) more likely to become pregnant as
teenagers;
(6) violent criminals are overwhelmingly males
who grew up without fathers and the best predictor
of crime in a community is the percentage of absent
father households;
(7) compared with Great Britain, Canada, Aus-
tralia, Germany, and Italy, the United States has
the highest percentage of single parent households
with dependent children;
(8) 70 percent of United States citizens believe
that the most significant family or social problem
facing the United States is the physical absence of
the father from the home, resulting in a lack of in-
volvement of fathers in the rearing and development
of children;
(9) States should be encouraged, not restricted,
from implementing programs that provide support
for responsible fatherhood, promote marriage, and
increase the incidence of marriage;
(10) there is a social need to reconnect children
and fathers;
(11) the promotion of responsible fatherhood
and encouragement of two-parent families should
not—
(A) denigrate the standing or parenting ef-
forts of single mothers; or
(B) lessen the protection of children from
abusive parents;
but should increase the chance that children will
have two caring parents to help them grow up
healthy and secure;
(12) for the future of the United States and the
future of our children, Congress, States, and local
communities should assist parents to become more
actively involved in their children’s lives; and
(13) child support is an important means by
which a parent can take financial responsibility for
a child and emotional support is an important
means by which a parent can take social responsi-
bility for a child.
TITLE 
I—PUBLIC 
AWARENESS
AND COMMUNITY INVOLVE-
MENT 
IN 
FATHERHOOD
ISSUES
SEC. 101. GRANTS TO STATES TO ENCOURAGE MEDIA CAM-
PAIGNS.
Part D of title IV of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 670 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘SEC. 469C. GRANTS TO STATES TO ENCOURAGE MEDIA
CAMPAIGNS 
PROMOTING 
FATHERHOOD
SKILLS.
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
‘‘(1) CHILDREN AT RISK.—The term ‘child at
risk’ means a young child whose family income does
not exceed 200 percent of the poverty line.
‘‘(2) MEDIA CAMPAIGN.—The term ‘media cam-
paign’ includes any communication or series of com-
munications prepared for distribution through a
broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, outdoor
advertising facility, mailing, or any other type of
general public advertising.
‘‘(3) YOUNG CHILD.—The term ‘young child’
means an individual who has not attained 5 years of
age.
‘‘(b) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award
grants in accordance with this section to States for the
purpose of encouraging States—
‘‘(1) to develop and carry out media campaigns,
in conjunction with local and private organizations
within the State, that promote the formation and
maintenance of married 2-parent families, strength-
en fragile families, and promote responsible father-
hood; and
‘‘(2) to obtain donations of media access nec-
essary for such campaigns.
‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of the grant
to be made to a State under this section for a fiscal year
shall be an amount equal to the lesser of—
‘‘(1) 100 percent of State expenditures during
the fiscal year for activities described in subsection
(b); or
‘‘(2) the allotment of the State under sub-
section (d) for the fiscal year.
‘‘(d) ALLOTMENTS TO STATES.—From the funds ap-
propriated under subsection (i) for making grants under
this section for the fiscal year, the allotment of a State
for a fiscal year is equal to the sum of—
‘‘(1) an amount that bears the same ratio to 50
percent of such funds as the number of young chil-
dren in the State bears to the number of such chil-
dren in all States; and
‘‘(2) an amount that bears the same ratio to 50
percent of such funds as the number of children at
risk in the State bears to the number of such chil-
dren in all States.
‘‘(e) STATE EXPENDITURES.—
‘‘(1) CASH OR IN KIND.—The State expendi-
tures referred to in subsection (c)(1) may be in cash
or in kind, including equipment or services contrib-
uted directly or through donations from public enti-
ties or private nonprofit organizations, including
charitable and religious organizations. Amounts pro-
vided by the Federal Government, or services as-
sisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the
Federal Government, may not be included in deter-
mining the amount of such State expenditures.
‘‘(2) NO
CREDIT
FOR
PRE-AWARD
EXPENDI-
TURES.—Only State expenditures made after a
grant has been awarded under this section may be
counted for purposes of determining whether the
State has satisfied the expenditure requirement of
subsection (c)(1).
‘‘(f) NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE.—From the funds
appropriated under subsection (h)(2), the Secretary shall
contract with a nationally recognized, nonprofit, father-
hood promotion organization with at least 4 years of expe-
rience in designing and disseminating a national public
education campaign, including the production and success-
ful placement of television, radio, and print public service
announcements which promote the importance of respon-
sible fatherhood, and with at least 4 years experience pro-
viding consultation and training to community based orga-
nizations interested in implementing fatherhood outreach,
support, or skills programs with an emphasis on pro-
moting married fatherhood as the ideal, such as the Na-
tional Fatherhood Initiative, to—
‘‘(1) develop, promote, and distribute to inter-
ested States, local governments, public agencies, and
private nonprofit organizations, including charitable
and religious organizations, a media campaign that
encourages the appropriate involvement of both par-
ents in the life of any child of the parents, with a
priority for programs that specifically address the
issue of responsible fatherhood; and
‘‘(2) develop a national clearinghouse to assist
States and communities in efforts to promote and
support responsible fatherhood by collecting, evalu-
ating, and making available (through the Internet
and by other means) to other States, information re-
garding media campaigns and programs instituted
by States using funds provided under this section.
‘‘(g) STATE ADMINISTRATION.—Each State to which
a grant is made under this section—
‘‘(1) may administer State programs funded
with the grant directly or through grants to or con-
tracts with local governments and public agencies,
and private nonprofit organizations, including chari-
table and religious organizations; and
‘‘(2) shall monitor, evaluate, and annually re-
port on such programs to the Secretary in such
manner as the Secretary determines in consultation
with the States.
‘‘(h) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated—
‘‘(1) not more than $25,000,000 for each fiscal
year beginning on or after October 1, 2000, to carry
out the provisions of this section other than sub-
section (g); and
‘‘(2) not more than $2,000,000 for each such
fiscal year to carry out subsection (f).’’.
SEC. 102. RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD BLOCK GRANT.
Section 403(a)(5) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 603(a)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(L) RESPONSIBLE
FATHERHOOD
BLOCK
GRANT.—
‘‘(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara-
graph:
‘‘(I) CHILD AT RISK.—The term
‘child at risk’ means a young child
whose family income does not exceed
200 percent of the poverty line.
‘‘(II) YOUNG CHILD.—The term
‘young child’ means an individual who
has not attained 5 years of age.
‘‘(ii) 
AUTHORITY.—The 
Secretary
shall award grants to States in accordance
with this subparagraph to encourage
States to provide support for the efforts of
local governments and public agencies, and
private nonprofit organizations, including
charitable and religious organizations, to
promote the formation and maintenance of
married two-parent families, strengthen
fragile families, and promote responsible
fatherhood.
‘‘(iii) REQUIREMENT
OF
MATCHING
FUNDS.—
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible
to receive a grant under this subpara-
graph, the State shall agree to make
available (directly or through dona-
tions from public entities or profit or
nonprofit 
organizations, 
including
charitable and religious organizations)
non-Federal contributions toward the
costs of the activities to be carried out
by a State pursuant to clause (v) in
an amount that is not less than 25
percent of such costs.
‘‘(II) 
DETERMINATION
OF
AMOUNT
CONTRIBUTED.—Non-Fed-
eral contributions required in sub-
clause (I) may be in cash or in kind,
fairly evaluated, including equipment
or services. Amounts provided by the
Federal Government, or services as-
sisted or subsidized to any significant
extent by the Federal Government,
may not be included in determining
the amount of such non-Federal con-
tributions.
‘‘(iv) ALLOTMENTS
TO
STATES.—
From the funds appropriated under clause
(viii) for grants under this subparagraph
for the fiscal year, the allotment of a State
for such fiscal year is equal to the sum
of—
‘‘(I) an amount that bears the
same ratio to 50 percent of such
funds as the number of young chil-
dren in the State bears to the number
of such children in all States; and
‘‘(II) an amount that bears the
same ratio to 50 percent of such
funds as the number of children at
risk in the State bears to the number
of such children in all States.
‘‘(v) USE OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—A State that
receives a grant under this subpara-
graph shall use the funds received to
support programs of local govern-
ments and public agencies, and pri-
vate nonprofit organizations, including
charitable and religious organizations,
that encourage the appropriate in-
volvement of both parents in the life
of any child of the parents, with a pri-
ority for programs that specifically
address the issue of responsible fa-
therhood, promote the formation and
maintenance of married 2-parent fam-
ilies, and strengthen fragile families.
‘‘(II) SUPPLEMENT
NOT
SUP-
PLANT.—The amounts paid to a State
under this subparagraph shall be used
to supplement and not supplant other
Federal, State, or local funds provided
to the State under any provision of
law other than this part.
‘‘(vi) STATE ADMINISTRATION.—Each
State to which a grant is made under this
subparagraph shall monitor, evaluate, and
provide a report on programs funded with
this grant to the Secretary in such manner
as the Secretary determines in consultation
with the States.
‘‘(vii) COORDINATION
WITH
OTHER
PROVISIONS.—
‘‘(I) Subparagraph (C) shall not
apply to funds provided under this
subparagraph.
‘‘(II) For purposes of sections
404, 405, 407, and 408, a grant
under this subparagraph shall not be
considered to be a grant made under
section 403.
‘‘(viii) LIMITATIONS
ON
AUTHORIZA-
TION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry out
this subparagraph, there are authorized to
be 
appropriated 
not 
more 
than
$50,000,000 for each fiscal year beginning
on or after October 1, 2000.’’.
TITLE II—REMOVAL OF BURDEN-
SOME 
FEDERAL 
RESTRIC-
TIONS
SEC. 201. WELFARE-TO-WORK PROGRAM GRANT MODIFICA-
TIONS.
(a) 
MODIFICATION
OF
RECIPIENT
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Section 403(a)(5)(C)(ii) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(ii)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by in-
serting ‘‘, as applicable’’ after ‘‘subclauses’’; and
(2) in subclause (I)—
(A) in the matter preceding item (aa)—
(i) by striking ‘‘2’’ and inserting ‘‘1’’;
(ii) by striking ‘‘apply’’ and inserting
‘‘applies’’; and
(iii) by striking ‘‘or the noncustodial
parent’’;
(B) in item (aa), by striking ‘‘, and has
low skills in reading or mathematics’’;
(C) by redesignating items (bb) and (cc) as
items (cc) and (dd), respectively; and
(D) by inserting after item (aa) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(bb) The individual has low
skills 
in 
reading 
or 
mathe-
matics.’’.
(b) REQUIREMENTS
FOR CUSTODIAL
AND NON-
CUSTODIAL PARENTS.—Section 403(a)(5)(C)(ii) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(ii)) is
amended—
(1) by redesignating subclause (II) as subclause
(IV); and
(2) by inserting after subclause (I), the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(II) At least 1 of the following
applies to the recipient or the non-
custodial parent:
‘‘(aa) The individual is un-
employed.
‘‘(bb) The individual is un-
deremployed.
‘‘(cc) The individual is hav-
ing difficulty in paying child sup-
port obligations.
‘‘(dd) The income of the in-
dividual is not greater than 200
percent of the poverty line.
‘‘(III) At least 1 of the following
applies to a minor child of the non-
custodial parent or the recipient:
‘‘(aa) The minor child of the
recipient or the recipient meets
the requirements of subclause
(IV).
‘‘(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.
Notwithstanding this subclause, not
more than 10 percent of the funds
provided for projects under this clause
may be used for the benefit of recipi-
ents or noncustodial parents who do
not meet the requirements of this sub-
clause.’’.
(c) INCREASE
IN IN-KIND DONATIONS.—Section
403(a)(5)(A)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(A)(i))
is amended by adding at the end the following flush sen-
tence:
‘‘For purposes of determining expenditures by
the State under this clause, in kind donations
may be included in an amount not to exceed 75
percent of the total amount of expenditures.’’.
(d) 
ADDITIONAL
USE
OF
FUNDS.—Section
403(a)(5)(C)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(i))
is amended by inserting after subclause (VI) the following:
‘‘(VII) Programs to increase par-
enting skills of low income parents eli-
gible for assistance under the program
funded under this part, to encourage
the formation and maintenance of
married two-parent families, and to
promote responsible fatherhood.’’.
(e) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
404(k)(1)(C)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 604(k)(1)(C)(iii))
is amended by striking ‘‘(ii)(II)’’ and inserting ‘‘(ii)(III)’’.
SEC. 202. DISTRIBUTION AND TREATMENT OF CHILD SUP-
PORT COLLECTED BY THE STATE.
(a) STATE OPTION TO PASS PORTION OF CHILD
SUPPORT COLLECTED DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 457 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 657) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(e) and
(f)’’ and inserting ‘‘(e), (f), and (g)’’; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(g) STATE OPTION TO PASS THROUGH PORTION OF
SUPPORT COLLECTED TO THE FAMILY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—At State option, subject to
paragraph (2), and subsections (a)(4), (b), (d), (e),
and (f), this section shall not apply to up to the first
$75 of any monthly amount collected on behalf of a
family as support by the State and any amount so
collected shall be distributed to the family.
‘‘(2) INCOME PROTECTION REQUIREMENT.—A
State may not elect the option described in para-
graph (1) unless the State ensures that any amount
distributed to a family in accordance with that para-
graph is not included in the income of the family for
purposes of determining the eligibility of the family
for, or the amount of, assistance under the State
program funded under part A until the family has
actually received the amount.
‘‘(3) OPTION TO PASS THROUGH AMOUNTS COL-
LECTED
PURSUANT
TO
A
CONTINUED
ASSIGN-
MENT.—At State option, any amount collected pur-
suant to an assignment continued under subsection
(b) may be distributed to the family in accordance
with paragraph (1).
‘‘(4) RELEASE OF OBLIGATION TO PAY FED-
ERAL SHARE.—If a State that elects the option de-
scribed in paragraph (1) also elects to disregard
under section 408(a)(12)(B) the total amount annu-
ally collected and distributed to all families in ac-
cordance with paragraph (1) for purposes of deter-
mining the amount of assistance for such families
under the State program funded under part A, the
State is released from—
‘‘(A) calculating the Federal share of the
amounts so distributed and disregarded; and
‘‘(B) paying such share to the Federal
Government.’’.
(2) AUTHORITY TO CLAIM PASSED THROUGH
AMOUNT
FOR
PURPOSES
OF
TANF
MAINTENANCE
OF
EFFORT
REQUIREMENTS.—Section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)(I)(aa) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
609(a)(7)(B)(i)(I)(aa)) is amended by inserting ‘‘,
and, in the case of a State that elects under section
457(g) to distribute up to the first $75 of any
monthly amount so collected directly to the family,
a percentage of any amount so distributed (and dis-
regarded under section 408(a)(12) in determining
the eligibility of the family for, or the amount of,
such assistance) equal to 100 percent minus the
Federal medical assistance percentage (as defined in
section 1905(b)) for such State for the fiscal year’’
before the period.
(b) STATE OPTION TO DISREGARD CHILD SUPPORT
COLLECTED
FOR PURPOSES
OF DETERMINING ELIGI-
BILITY FOR, OR AMOUNT OF, TANF ASSISTANCE.—Sec-
tion 408(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(12) STATE
OPTION
TO
DISREGARD
CHILD
SUPPORT
IN
DETERMINING
ELIGIBILITY
FOR, OR
AMOUNT OF, ASSISTANCE.—
‘‘(A) OPTION TO DISREGARD CHILD SUP-
PORT FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING ELIGI-
BILITY.—A State to which a grant is made
under section 403 may disregard any part of
any amount received by a family as a result of
a child support obligation in determining the
family’s income for purposes of determining the
family’s eligibility for assistance under the
State program funded under this part.
‘‘(B) OPTION TO DISREGARD CHILD SUP-
PORT
IN
DETERMINING
AMOUNT
OF
ASSIST-
ANCE.—A State to which a grant is made under
section 403 may disregard any part of any
amount received by a family as a result of a
child support obligation in determining the
amount of assistance that the State will provide
to the family under the State program funded
under this part.’’.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 457(f) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 657(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘Not-
withstanding’’ and inserting ‘‘AMOUNTS COLLECTED ON
BEHALF
OF CHILDREN
IN FOSTER CARE.—Notwith-
standing’’.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section take effect on October 1, 2000.
SEC. 203. USE OF CERTAIN FEDERAL SHARE AMOUNTS TO
PROVIDE FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS.
(a) RELEASE
OF OBLIGATION TO PAY FEDERAL
SHARE
ON AMOUNTS USED
FOR FATHERHOOD PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 457 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 657), as amended by section 202(a) of this Act,
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(f) and (g)’’
and inserting ‘‘(f), (g), and (h)’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(h) OPTION TO USE AMOUNTS COLLECTED FOR
FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS.—