I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 161
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
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mr. SOLOMON 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Workfare Incentive
Act’’.
SEC. 2. 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)
or (l) 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 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 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-
SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF AMENDMENT.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the amend-
ment made by section 2 shall apply to calendar quarters
beginning on or after July 1, 1995.
(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 2, 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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