I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 315
To offer States a national welfare reform option and incentives to implement
the welfare reform option, to strengthen child support enforcement, to
provide all States with the flexibility and resources necessary to promote
work and self-sufficiency, to expand access to affordable child care,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mrs. LOWEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on Ways and Means and, in addition, to the Committee on Economic
and Educational Opportunities, 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 offer States a national welfare reform option and incen-
tives to implement the welfare reform option, to strength-
en child support enforcement, to provide all States with
the flexibility and resources necessary to promote work
and self-sufficiency, to expand access to affordable child
care, 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 ‘‘Work-First Welfare
Reform Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) in 1991, fewer than 8 percent of households
receiving assistance under the program of aid to
families with dependent children (AFDC) included a
wage earner;
(2) half of all AFDC recipients leave welfare as
a result of finding employment, but many return to
welfare because of an inability to retain employment
or child care arrangements;
(3) expanded access to affordable child care is
essential if parents receiving AFDC are to increase
their participation in work, job search, education
and training, and other activities aimed at attaining
self-sufficiency;
(4) lack of affordable health insurance in many
low-wage jobs is a major barrier for AFDC recipi-
ents who are trying to leave welfare for work;
(5) more vigorous efforts to establish paternity
and tougher child support enforcement will be essen-
tial to the success of welfare reform;
(6) AFDC recipients should have the same fi-
nancial incentives to work that other Americans
enjoy;
(7) AFDC rules which dramatically reduce ben-
efits for recipients who work are a major work dis-
incentive for AFDC recipients;
(8) welfare programs should be based on a re-
ciprocal obligation, under which recipients must take
steps toward independence and the Federal Govern-
ment and the States must provide services to assist
that transition;
(9) the Family Support Act of 1988 contained
landmark changes in Federal welfare policy designed
to make AFDC a transitional route to work, rather
than a long term alternative to work;
(10) despite a number of important exceptions,
implementation of welfare-to-work programs under
the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training
(JOBS) program, thus far, has not transformed the
basic message and administrative practice of welfare
from cash assistance to work promotion;
(11) barriers to effective implementation of the
JOBS program include—
(A) insufficient resources necessary for
States and localities to support effective pro-