Welfare Benefit Reform and Alignment Commission (BRAC) Act

Bill: 115-hr-1469
Sponsor: Rep. Davidson, Warren [R-OH-8]
Introduced: 2017-03-09 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Adoption and foster care
Adult day care
Advisory bodies
Aging
Child care and development
Child health
Congressional operations and organization
Economic development
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Energy assistance for the poor and aged
Family planning and birth control
Food assistance and relief
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health programs administration and funding
Higher education
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Housing for the elderly and disabled
Immigrant health and welfare
Income tax credits
Indian social and development programs
Lawyers and legal services
Legislative rules and procedure
Low- and moderate-income housing
Medicaid
Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
Minority health
National and community service
Nutrition and diet
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public housing
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Rural conditions and development
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Student aid and college costs
Telecommunication rates and fees
Wages and earnings
Women's health
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: 

Welfare Benefit Reform and Alignment Commission (BRAC) Act 

 
This bill establishes within the legislative branch the Benefit Reform and Alignment Commission to review certain means-tested welfare programs. 
 
A &quot;means-tested welfare program&quot; is any federal program that is designed to specifically provide assistance or benefits exclusively to low-income Americans. The bill specifies several programs that are either considered or not considered means-tested welfare programs for the purpose of this bill.
 
The commission must identify changes in law to structure the programs so that: 
 
 
 the receipt of aid by a beneficiary is temporary, that over time there is a reduction in the number of the programs in which an individual beneficiary or household is participating, and that over time the total number of recipients receiving such aid is reduced; and 
 
 the programs increase employment, encourage healthy marriages, and further educational attainment so that households maintain an income above the poverty level without services and benefits from the federal government. 
 
 
The commission must also: (1) review the programs to evaluate whether certain programs should be consolidated, eliminated, or made subject to the annual appropriations process; and (2) recommend ways to reduce the cost or increase the efficiency of the programs by contracting with private entities or delegating authority to states.
 
The commission may also review the offsetting receipts and discretionary appropriations of the federal government. 
 
The commission must submit to Congress a report including recommendations and proposed legislation. Congress must consider the proposal using specified expedited legislative procedures. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition.
action_date: 2017-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2017-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
action_date: 2017-03-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2017-03-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Rules, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-03-09
text: Introduced in House