I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3659 
To reauthorize the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance 
for needy families through fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 14, 2011 
Mr. PAULSEN (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. 
SCHOCK, and Mrs. BLACK) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the program of block grants to States for 
temporary assistance for needy families through fiscal 
year 2012, 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 ‘‘Welfare Integrity and 
Data Improvement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Extension of program. 
Sec. 4. Data standardization. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6211
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(h) GRANTS TO TERRITORIES.—Section 1108(b)(2) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(b)(2)) is amended by striking 
‘‘for fiscal years 1997 through 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal 
year 2012’’. 
(i) PREVENTION
OF DUPLICATE APPROPRIATIONS 
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012.—Expenditures made pursuant 
to the Short-Term TANF Extension Act (Public Law 
112–35) or section 403(b) of the Social Security Act for 
fiscal year 2012 shall be charged to the applicable appro-
priation or authorization provided by the amendments 
made by this section for such fiscal year. 
(j) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall take effect on the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. DATA STANDARDIZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 411 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 611) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(d) DATA STANDARDIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) STANDARD DATA ELEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary, in 
consultation with an interagency work group 
which shall be established by the Office of Man-
agement and Budget, and considering State 
and tribal perspectives, shall, by rule, designate 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
standard data elements for any category of in-
formation required to be reported under this 
part. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In designating the 
standard data elements, the Secretary shall, to 
the extent practicable— 
‘‘(i) ensure that the data elements are 
nonproprietary and interoperable; 
‘‘(ii) incorporate interoperable stand-
ards developed and maintained by an inter-
national voluntary consensus standards 
body, as defined by the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget, such as the Inter-
national Organization for Standardization; 
‘‘(iii) incorporate interoperable stand-
ards developed and maintained by inter-
governmental partnerships, such as the 
National Information Exchange Model; 
and 
‘‘(iv) incorporate interoperable stand-
ards developed and maintained by Federal 
entities with authority over contracting 
and financial assistance, such as the Fed-
eral Acquisition Regulatory Council. 
‘‘(2) DATA REPORTING STANDARDS.— 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary, in 
consultation with an interagency work group es-
tablished by the Office of Management and 
Budget, and considering State and tribal per-
spectives, shall, by rule, designate standards to 
govern the data reporting required under this 
part. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In designating the 
data reporting standards, the Secretary shall, to 
the extent practicable, incorporate existing non-
proprietary standards, such as the eXtensible 
Business Reporting Language. Such standards 
shall, to the extent practicable— 
‘‘(i) incorporate a widely-accepted, 
nonproprietary, searchable, computer-read-
able format; 
‘‘(ii) be consistent with and implement 
applicable accounting principles; and 
‘‘(iii) be capable of being continually 
upgraded as necessary.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
subsection shall apply with respect to information required 
to be reported on or after October 1, 2012. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 5. SPENDING POLICIES FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER 
STATE TANF PROGRAMS. 
(a) STATE REQUIREMENT.—Section 408(a) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) STATE REQUIREMENT TO PREVENT UN-
AUTHORIZED SPENDING OF BENEFITS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State to which a 
grant is made under section 403 shall maintain 
policies and practices as necessary to prevent 
assistance provided under the State program 
funded under this part from being used in any 
electronic benefit transfer transaction in— 
‘‘(i) any liquor store; 
‘‘(ii) any casino, gambling casino, or 
gaming establishment; or 
‘‘(iii) any retail establishment which 
provides adult-oriented entertainment in 
which performers disrobe or perform in an 
unclothed state for entertainment. 
‘‘(B) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of sub-
paragraph (A)— 
‘‘(i) LIQUOR STORE.—The term ‘liq-
uor store’ means any retail establishment 
which sells exclusively or primarily intoxi-
cating liquor. Such term does not include 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
a grocery store which sells both intoxi-
cating liquor and groceries including staple 
foods (within the meaning of section 3(r) 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2012(r))). 
‘‘(ii) CASINO, GAMBLING CASINO, OR 
GAMING ESTABLISHMENT.—The terms ‘ca-
sino’, ‘gambling casino’, and ‘gaming es-
tablishment’ do not include a grocery store 
which sells groceries including such staple 
foods and which also offers, or is located 
within the same building or complex as, ca-
sino, gambling, or gaming activities. 
‘‘(iii) ELECTRONIC
BENEFIT
TRANS-
FER TRANSACTION.—The term ‘electronic 
benefit transfer transaction’ means the use 
of a credit or debit card service, automated 
teller machine, point-of-sale terminal, or 
access to an online system for the with-
drawal of funds or the processing of a pay-
ment for merchandise or a service.’’. 
(b) PENALTY.—Section 409(a) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(16) PENALTY
FOR
FAILURE
TO
ENFORCE 
SPENDING POLICIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—If, within 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this para-
graph, any State has not reported to the Sec-
retary on such State’s implementation of the 
policies and practices required by section 
408(a)(12), or the Secretary determines, based 
on the information provided in State reports, 
that any State has not implemented and main-
tained such policies and practices, the Secretary 
shall reduce, by an amount equal to 5 percent 
of the State family assistance grant, the grant 
payable to such State under section 403(a)(1) 
for— 
‘‘(i) the fiscal year immediately suc-
ceeding the year in which such 2-year pe-
riod ends; and 
‘‘(ii) each succeeding fiscal year in 
which the State does not demonstrate that 
such State has implemented and main-
tained such policies and practices. 
‘‘(B) REDUCTION
OF
APPLICABLE
PEN-
ALTY.—The Secretary may reduce the amount 
of the reduction required under subparagraph 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(A) based on the degree of noncompliance of 
the State. 
‘‘(C) STATE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INDI-
VIDUAL
VIOLATIONS.—Fraudulent activity by 
any individual in an attempt to circumvent the 
policies and practices required by section 
408(a)(12) shall not trigger a State penalty 
under subparagraph (A).’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 409(c)(4) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(c)(4)) is amended by striking 
‘‘or (13)’’ and inserting ‘‘(13), or (16)’’. 
SEC. 6. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 
(a) Section 404(d)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 604(d)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘subtitle 
1 of Title’’ and inserting ‘‘Subtitle 1 of title’’. 
(b) Sections 407(c)(2)(A)(i) and 409(a)(3)(C) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)(A)(i) and 609(a)(3)(C)) 
are each amended by striking ‘‘403(b)(6)’’ and inserting 
‘‘403(b)(5)’’. 
(c) Section 409(a)(2)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
609(a)(2)(A)) is amended by moving clauses (i) and (ii) 
2 ems to the right. 
(d) Section 409(c)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
609(c)(2)) is amended by inserting a comma after ‘‘appro-
priate’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(e) Section 411(a)(1)(A)(ii)(III) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 611(a)(1)(A)(ii)(III)) is amended by striking the 
last close parenthesis. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:22 Dec 15, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3659.IH
H3659
smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS