I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 865
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to offer States
the option of replacing the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training
(JOBS) program with a program that would assist all recipients of
aid to families with dependent children in achieving self-sufficiency, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 8, 1995
Mr. ORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Ways and Means and, in addition, to the Committees on Agriculture,
Commerce, and Economic and Educational Opportunities, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act
to offer States the option of replacing the Job Opportuni-
ties and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program with
a program that would assist all recipients of aid to
families with dependent children in achieving self-suffi-
ciency, 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 ‘‘Self-Sufficiency Act
of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I—SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM
Sec. 101. Establishment and operation of program.
Sec. 102. Child care guaranteed to participants in State self-sufficiency
programs.
Sec. 103. Increased Federal matching rates for child care provided by States
with self-sufficiency programs.
Sec. 104. Elimination of requirement that families in States with self-suffi-
ciency programs have received AFDC for a minimum period
before becoming eligible for transitional medicaid benefits or
transitional child care benefits.
Sec. 105. Eligibility for transitional medicaid benefits and transitional child
care benefits in States with self-sufficiency programs without
regard to type of income that would otherwise result in ineli-
gibility for benefits.
Sec. 106. Elimination of certain exceptions from requirement that minor par-
ents and pregnant minors without children live with responsible
adult in States with self-sufficiency programs.
TITLE II—OTHER PROVISIONS
Sec. 201. Disregard of persons who become family members after initial receipt
of AFDC.
Sec. 202. Enhanced payments for participants in the self-sufficiency program.
Sec. 203. Diversion payments.
Sec. 204. Aid to families without regard to the number of parents in the home.
Sec. 205. 2-parent families ineligible for AFDC until 30 days after loss of em-
ployment.
Sec. 206. Increase in earned income disregard and elimination of time limita-
tion on earned income disregard.
Sec. 207. Increase in asset limitations.
Sec. 208. Amendments to the Food Stamp Act of 1977.
Sec. 209. Option to impose penalty for failure to attend school.
TITLE III—RELATED AMENDMENTS
Sec. 301. Denial of welfare benefits to aliens.
Sec. 302. Inclusion in consumer credit reports of information on overdue child
support obligations of the consumer.
Sec. 303. Quarterly payments of earned income credit.
TITLE IV—EFFECTIVE DATE
Sec. 401. Effective date.
TITLE I—SELF-SUFFICIENCY
PROGRAM
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF PROGRAM.
(a) 
STATE
PLAN
REQUIREMENT.—Section
402(a)(29) of the Social Security Act is amended to read
as follows:
‘‘(29) at the option of the State, in lieu of the
requirements of paragraph (19) and part F, provide
that—
‘‘(A) the State has in effect and operation
a self-sufficiency program which meets the re-
quirements of part G;
‘‘(B)(i) not later than the end of the 3-
year period that begins on the date the Sec-
retary first approves the State plan under part
G, the State shall require not less than 30 per-
cent of the recipients of aid under the State
plan (selected by the State in accordance with
such criteria as the State establishes in regula-
tions) to participate in the program;
‘‘(ii) not later than the end of the 5-year
period that begins on the date the Secretary
first approves the State plan under part G, the
State shall require not less than 50 percent of
the recipients of aid under the State plan (se-
lected by the State in accordance with such cri-
teria as the State establishes in regulations) to
participate in the program;
‘‘(iii) not later than the end of the 8-year
period that begins on the date the Secretary
first approves the State plan under part G, the
State shall require not less than 75 percent of
the recipients of aid under the State plan (se-
lected by the State in accordance with such cri-
teria as the State establishes in regulations) to
participate in the program; and
‘‘(iv) not later than the end of the 10-year
period that begins on the date the Secretary
first approves the State plan under part G, the
State shall, except as provided in subparagraph
(C), require each recipient of aid under the
State plan to participate in the program;
‘‘(C) the State may not require an individ-
ual to participate in the program—
‘‘(i) during a period described in
clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of subparagraph (B),
if the individual resides in an area of the
State where the program is not available;
or
‘‘(ii) if the individual is unable to
meaningfully participate in the program
due to a physical or psychological condi-
tion; and
‘‘(D) the amount of aid otherwise payable
under the State plan to a family that includes
an individual who fails without good cause to
participate in the program, comply with any
term or condition of the self-sufficiency plan de-
veloped for the individual, or accept a bona fide
offer of employment shall be reduced by—
‘‘(i) 25 percent for the 1st month of
such failure; and
‘‘(ii) such equal increments for each of
the next 24 months of such failure as will
result in no benefit at the end of such 24-
month period;’’.
(b) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
OPERATION
OF
PRO-
GRAM.—Title IV of such Act (42 U.S.C. 601–687) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘PART G—SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM
‘‘SEC. 491. PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS.
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this part is to assist
needy families with children in becoming self-sufficient.