I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 270
To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide for
a set-aside of funds for States that have enacted certain divorce laws,
to amend the Legal Services Corporation Act to prohibit the use of
funds made available under the Act to provide legal assistance in certain
proceedings relating to divorces and legal separations, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mrs. ROUKEMA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act
to provide for a set-aside of funds for States that have
enacted certain divorce laws, to amend the Legal Services
Corporation Act to prohibit the use of funds made avail-
able under the Act to provide legal assistance in certain
proceedings relating to divorces and legal separations,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
HR 270 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Family Reconciliation
Act’’.
SEC. 2. SET-ASIDE FOR STATES WITH APPROVED FAMILY
RECONCILIATION PLANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) SET-ASIDE.—Section 430(d) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629(d)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(4) FAMILY RECONCILIATION.—The Secretary
shall reserve 10 percent of the amounts described in
subsection (b) for each fiscal year, for allotment to
States with family reconciliation plans approved
under section 432(c)(3) to develop and conduct
counseling 
programs 
described 
in 
section
432(c)(2)(B).’’.
(2) ASSISTANCE IN DEVELOPING FAMILY REC-
ONCILIATION
COUNSELING
PROGRAMS.—Section
430(d)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629(d)(1)) is
amended—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking
‘‘and’’ at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
HR 270 IH
‘‘(C) in assisting States in developing and
operating counseling programs described in sec-
tion 432(c)(2)(B).’’.
(3) FAMILY RECONCILIATION PLANS.—Section
432 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629(b)) is amended by
adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(c) FAMILY RECONCILIATION PLANS.—
‘‘(1) PLAN
REQUIREMENTS.—A State family
reconciliation plan meets the requirements of this
paragraph if the plan demonstrates that the State
has in effect the laws referred to in paragraph (2).
‘‘(2) 
SATISFACTION
OF
PLAN
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—In order to satisfy paragraph (1), a State
must have in effect laws requiring that, prior to a
final dissolution of marriage of a couple who have
one or more children under 12 years of age, the cou-
ple shall be required to—
‘‘(A) undergo a minimum 60-day waiting
period beginning on the date dissolution docu-
ments are filed; and
‘‘(B) participate in counseling programs
offered by a public or private counseling service
that includes discussion of the psychological
and economic impact of the divorce on the cou-
ple, the children of the couple, and society.’’.
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‘‘(3) APPROVAL
OF
PLANS.—The Secretary
shall approve a plan that meets the requirements of
paragraph (1).’’.
(4) ALLOTMENT.—Section 433 of such Act (42
U.S.C. 633) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
‘‘(d) ALLOTMENTS
TO STATES WITH APPROVED
FAMILY RECONCILIATION PLANS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount reserved
pursuant to section 430(d)(4) for any fiscal year,
the Secretary shall allot to each State (other than an
Indian tribe) with a family reconciliation plan ap-
proved under section 432(c)(3), an amount that
bears the same ratio to the amount reserved under
such section as the average annual number of final
dissolutions of marriage described in paragraph (2)
in the State for the 3 fiscal years referred to in sub-
section (c)(2)(B) bears to the average annual num-
ber of such final dissolutions of marriage in such 3-
year period in all States with family reconciliation
plans approved under section 432(c)(3).
‘‘(2) FINAL DISSOLUTIONS OF MARRIAGE DE-
SCRIBED.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a final
dissolution of marriage described in this paragraph