In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
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Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Torture Victims Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The American people abhor torture by any government or 
        person. The existence of torture creates a climate of fear and 
        international insecurity that affects all people.
            (2) Torture is the deliberate mental and physical damage 
        caused by governments to individuals to destroy individual 
        personality and terrorize society. The effects of torture are 
        long term. Those effects can last a lifetime for the survivors 
        and affect future generations.
            (3) By eliminating leadership of their opposition and 
        frightening the general public, repressive governments often 
        use torture as a weapon against democracy.
            (4) Torture survivors remain under physical and 
        psychological threats, especially in communities where the 
        perpetrators are not brought to justice. In many nations, even 
        those who treat torture survivors are threatened with 
        reprisals, including torture, for carrying out their ethical 
        duties to provide care. Both the survivors of torture and their 
        treatment providers should be accorded protection from further 
        repression.
            (5) A significant number of refugees and asylees entering 
        the United States have been victims of torture. Those claiming 
        asylum deserve prompt consideration of their applications for 
        political asylum to minimize their insecurity and sense of 
        danger. Many torture survivors now live in the United States. 
        They should be provided with the rehabilitation services which 
        would enable them to become productive members of our 
        communities.
            (6) The development of a treatment movement for torture 
        survivors has created new opportunities for action by the 
        United States and other nations to oppose state-sponsored and 
        other acts of torture.
            (7) There is a need for a comprehensive strategy to protect 
        and support torture victims and their treatment providers, 
        together with overall efforts to eliminate torture.
            (8) By acting to heal the survivors of torture and protect 
        their families, the United States can help to heal the effects 
        of torture and prevent its use around the world.
            (9) The United States became a party to the Convention 
        Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading 
        Treatment or Punishment on November 20, 1994, but has not 
        implemented Article 3 of the Convention.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, the terms 
        used in this Act have the meanings given those terms in section 
        101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1101(a)).
            (2) Torture.--The term ``torture'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 2340(1) of title 18, United States Code, 
        and includes the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence 
        by a person acting under the color of law upon another person 
        under his custody or physical control.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON INVOLUNTARY RETURN OF PERSONS FEARING SUBJECTION 
              TO TORTURE.

    (a) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
United States shall not expel, remove, extradite, or otherwise return 
involuntarily an individual to a country if there is substantial 
evidence that a reasonable person in the circumstances of that 
individual would fear subjection to torture in that country.
    (b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``to return 
involuntarily'', in the case of an individual, means--
            (1) to return the individual without the individual's 
        consent, whether or not the return is induced by physical force 
        and whether or not the person is physically present in the 
        United States; or
            (2) to take an action by which it is reasonably foreseeable 
        that the individual will be returned, whether or not the return 
        is induced by physical force and whether or not the person is 
        physically present in the United States.

SEC. 5. IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR TORTURE VICTIMS.

    (a) Covered Aliens.--An alien described in this section is any 
alien who presents a claim of having been subjected to torture, or whom 
there is reason to believe has been subjected to torture.
    (b) Consideration of the Effects of Torture.--In considering an 
application by an alien described in subsection (a) for refugee status 
under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, asylum under 
section 208 of that Act, or withholding of removal under section 
241(b)(3) of that Act, the appropriate officials shall take into 
account--
            (1) the manner in which the effects of torture might affect 
        the applicant's responses in the application and in the 
        interview process or other immigration proceedings, as the case 
        may be;
            (2) the difficulties torture victims often have in 
        recounting their suffering under torture; and
            (3) the fear victims have of returning to their country of 
        nationality where, even if torture is no longer practiced or 
        the incidence of torture is reduced, their torturers may have 
        gone unpunished and may remain in positions of authority.
    (c) Expedited Processing of Refugee Admissions.--For purposes of 
section 207(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1157(c)), refugees who have been subjected to torture shall be 
considered to be refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United 
States and shall be accorded priority for resettlement at least as high 
as that accorded any other group of refugees.
    (d) Processing for Asylum and Withholding of Removal.--Section 
235(b)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1225(b)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
clause:
                            ``(iv) Special procedures for aliens who 
                        are the victims of torture.--
                                    ``(I) Expedited procedures.--With 
                                the consent of the alien, an asylum 
                                officer or immigration judge shall 
                                expedite the scheduling of an asylum 
                                interview or a removal proceeding for 
                                any alien who presents a claim of 
                                having been subjected to torture, 
                                unless the evidence indicates that a 
                                delay in making a determination 
                                regarding the granting of asylum under 
                                section 208 of the Immigration and 
                                Nationality Act or the withholding of 
                                removal under section 241(b)(3) of that 
                                Act with respect to the alien would not 
                                aggravate the physical or psychological 
                                effects of torture upon the alien.
                                    ``(II) Delay of proceedings.--With 
                                the consent of the alien, an asylum 
                                officer or immigration judge shall 
                                postpone an asylum interview or a 
                                removal proceeding for any alien who 
                                presents a claim of having been 
                                subjected to torture, if the evidence 
                                indicates that, as a result of the 
                                alien's mental or physical symptoms 
                                resulting from torture, including the 
                                alien's inability to recall or relate 
                                the events of the torture, the alien 
                                will require more time to recover or be 
                                treated before being required to 
                                testify.
    (e) Parole in Lieu of Detention.--The finding that an alien is a 
person described in subsection (a) shall be a strong presumptive basis 
for a grant of parole, under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)), in lieu of detention.
    (f) Exemption From Expedited Removal.--Section 235(b)(1)(F) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(1)(F)) is amended by 
inserting before the period at the end the following: ``, or to an 
alien described in section 5(a) of the Torture Victims Relief Act''.
    (g) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Attorney General should allocate resources sufficient to maintain in 
the Resource Information Center of the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service current information relating to the use of torture in foreign 
countries.

SEC. 6. SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR CONSULAR, IMMIGRATION, AND ASYLUM 
              PERSONNEL.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall provide training for 
immigration inspectors and examiners, immigration officers, asylum 
officers, immigration judges, and all other relevant officials of the 
Department of Justice, and the Secretary of State shall provide 
training for consular officers, with respect to--
            (1) the identification of torture;
            (2) the identification of the surrounding circumstances in 
        which torture is most often practiced;
            (3) the long-term effects of torture upon a victim;
            (4) the identification of the physical, cognitive, and 
        emotional effects of torture, and the manner in which these 
        effects can affect the interview or hearing process; and
            (5) the manner of interviewing victims of torture so as not 
        to retraumatize them, eliciting the necessary information to 
        document the torture experience, and understanding the 
        difficulties victims often have in recounting their torture 
        experience.
    (b) Gender-Related Considerations.--In conducting training under 
subsection (a) (4) or (5), gender-specific training shall be provided 
on the subject of interacting with women and men who are victims of 
torture by rape or any other form of sexual violence.

SEC. 7. DOMESTIC TREATMENT CENTERS.

    (a) Amendment of the Immigration and Nationality Act.--Section 412 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Assistance for Treatment of Torture Victims.--The Secretary 
may provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the cost 
of the following services:
            ``(1) Services for the rehabilitation of victims of 
        torture, including treatment of the physical and psychological 
        effects of torture.
            ``(2) Social and legal services for victims of torture.
            ``(3) Research and training for health care providers 
        outside of treatment centers, or programs for the purpose of 
        enabling such providers to provide the services described in 
        paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--Of the amounts 
        authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Health and 
        Human Services for fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2001, but not 
        from funds made available to the Office of Refugee 
        Resettlement, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
        out section 412(g) of that Act (relating to assistance for 
        domestic centers and programs for the treatment of victims of 
        torture), as added by subsection (a), the following amounts for 
        the following fiscal years:
                    (A) For fiscal year 1999, $5,000,000.
                    (B) For fiscal year 2000, $7,500,000.
                    (C) For fiscal year 2001, $9,000,000.
            (2) Availability of funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant 
        to this subsection shall remain available until expended.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on October 1, 1998.

SEC. 8. FOREIGN TREATMENT CENTERS.

    (a) Amendments of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.--Part I of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end of chapter 1 the following new section:

``SEC. 129. ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE.

    ``(a) In General.--The President is authorized to provide 
assistance for the rehabilitation of victims of torture.
    ``(b) Eligibility for Grants.--Such assistance shall be provided in 
the form of grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign 
countries that are carrying out projects or activities specifically 
designed to treat victims of torture for the physical and psychological 
effects of the torture.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--Such assistance shall be available--
            ``(1) for direct services to victims of torture; and
            ``(2) to provide research and training to health care 
        providers outside of treatment centers or programs described in 
        subsection (b), for the purpose of enabling such providers to 
        provide the services described in paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--Of the amounts 
        authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 
        2001 pursuant to chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance 
        Act of 1961, there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
        President $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, $7,500,000 for 
        fiscal year 2000, and $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 to carry 
        out section 129 of the Foreign Assistance Act, as added by 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Availability of funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant 
        to this subsection shall remain available until expended.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on October 1, 1998.

SEC. 9. MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Funding.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for 
fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2001 pursuant to chapter 1 of part I of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, there are authorized to be 
appropriated to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of 
Torture (in this section referred to as the ``Fund'') the following 
amounts for the following fiscal years:
            (1) Fiscal year 1999.--For fiscal year 1999, $3,000,000.
            (2) Fiscal year 2000.--For fiscal year 2000, $3,000,000.
            (3) Fiscal year 2001.--For fiscal year 2001, $3,000,000.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
President, acting through the United States Permanent Representative to 
the United Nations, should--
            (1) request the Fund--
                    (A) to find new ways to support and protect 
                treatment centers and programs that are carrying out 
                rehabilitative services for victims of torture; and
                    (B) to encourage the development of new such 
                centers and programs;
            (2) use the voice and vote of the United States to support 
        the work of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Committee 
        Against Torture established under the Convention Against 
        Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 
        Punishment; and
            (3) use the voice and vote of the United States to 
        establish a country rapporteur or similar procedural mechanism 
        to investigate human rights violations in a country if either 
        the Special Rapporteur or the Committee Against Torture 
        indicates that a systematic practice of torture is prevalent in 
        that country.

Answer: Torture Victims Relief Act - Prohibits the United States from expelling, removing, extraditing, or otherwise involuntarily returning an individual to a country if there is substantial evidence that a reasonable person in the circumstances of that individual would fear subjection to torture in that country. 
(Sec. 5) Covers within this Act any alien presenting a claim of having been tortured, or whom there is reason to believe has been tortured. 
Sets forth provisions regarding:  (1) consideration by appropriate officials of the effects of torture; (2) expedited processing of refugee admissions and for asylum and withholding of removal; (3) granting parole in lieu of detention for such an individual under the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) exemption of such an individual from expedited removal pursuant to such Act. 
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Attorney General should allocate sufficient resources to maintain in the Immigration and Naturalization Service's Resource Information Center current information relating to the use of torture in foreign countries. 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Attorney General to provide training for immigration inspectors and examiners, immigration officers, asylum officers, immigration judges, and other relevant Department of Justice officials, and directs the Secretary of State to provide training for consular officers, regarding the identification of torture, the surrounding circumstances most often practiced, the long-term effects upon a victim, the identification of the physical, cognitive, and emotional effects of torture, and the appropriate manner of interviewing torture victims. 
(Sec. 7) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the cost of specified services for torture victims.  Authorizes the appropriation of funds for assistance for domestic centers and programs for the treatment of torture victims. 
(Sec. 8) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign countries which are specifically carrying out projects or activities to treat victims of torture.  Authorizes appropriations. 
(Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for FY 1999 through 2001.


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge 
Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
        (1) as the southernmost unleveed portion of the Mississippi 
    River, Cat Island, Louisiana, is one of the last remaining tracts 
    in the lower Mississippi Valley that is still influenced by the 
    natural dynamics of the river;
        (2) Cat Island supports one of the highest densities of virgin 
    bald cypress trees in the entire Mississippi River Valley, 
    including the Nation's champion cypress tree which is 17 feet wide 
    and has a circumference of 53 feet;
        (3) Cat Island is important habitat for several declining 
    species of forest songbirds and supports thousands of wintering 
    waterfowl;
        (4) Cat Island supports high populations of deer, turkey, and 
    furbearers, such as mink and bobcats;
        (5) conservation and enhancement of this area through inclusion 
    in the National Wildlife Refuge System would help meet the habitat 
    conservation goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan;
        (6) these forested wetlands represent one of the most valuable 
    and productive wildlife habitat types in the United States, and 
    have extremely high recreational value for hunters, anglers, 
    birdwatchers, nature photographers, and others; and
        (7) the Cat Island area is deserving of inclusion in the 
    National Wildlife Refuge System.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
        (1) the term ``Refuge'' means the Cat Island National Wildlife 
    Refuge; and
        (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.

SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

    The purposes for which the Refuge is established and shall be 
managed are--
        (1) to conserve, restore, and manage habitats as necessary to 
    contribute to the migratory bird population goals and habitat 
    objective as established through the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint 
    Venture;
        (2) to conserve, restore, and manage the significant aquatic 
    resource values associated with the area's forested wetlands and to 
    achieve the habitat objectives of the ``Mississippi River Aquatic 
    Resources Management Plan'';
        (3) to conserve, enhance, and restore the historic native 
    bottomland community characteristics of the lower Mississippi 
    alluvial valley and its associated fish, wildlife, and plant 
    species;
        (4) to conserve, enhance, and restore habitat to maintain and 
    assist in the recovery of endangered, and threatened plants and 
    animals; and
        (5) to encourage the use of volunteers and facilitate 
    partnerships among the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
    local communities, conservation organizations, and other non-
    Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources of 
    the Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System and public 
    participation in the conservation of those resources.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF REFUGE.

    (a) Acquisition Boundary.--The Secretary is authorized to establish 
the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of approximately 
36,500 acres of land and water, as depicted upon a map entitled ``Cat 
Island National Wildlife Refuge-Proposed'', dated February 8, 2000, and 
available for inspection in appropriate offices of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
    (b) Boundary Revisions.--The Secretary may make such minor 
revisions of the boundary designated under this section as may be 
appropriate to carry out the purposes of the Refuge or to facilitate 
the acquisition of property within the Refuge.
    (c) Acquisition.--The Secretary is authorized to acquire the lands 
and waters, or interests therein, within the acquisition boundary 
described in subsection (a) of this section.
    (d) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish the Refuge by 
publication of a notice to that effect in the Federal Register and 
publications of local circulation whenever sufficient property has been 
acquired to constitute an area that can be efficiently managed as a 
National Wildlife Refuge.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer all lands, waters, 
and interests therein acquired under this Act in accordance with the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
seq.). The Secretary may use such additional statutory authority as may 
be available for the conservation of fish and wildlife, and the 
provision of fish- and wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities as 
the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of this 
Act.
    (b) Priority Uses.--In providing opportunities for compatible fish- 
and wildlife-oriented recreation, the Secretary, in accordance with 
paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)), shall ensure 
that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and 
environmental education and interpretation are the priority public uses 
of the Refuge.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the 
Interior--
        (1) such funds as may be necessary for the acquisition of lands 
    and waters designated in section 5(c); and
        (2) such funds as may be necessary for the development, 
    operation, and maintenance of the Refuge.

SEC. 8. DESIGNATION OF HERBERT H. BATEMAN EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE 
              CENTER.

    (a) In General.--A building proposed to be located within the 
boundaries of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, on Assateague 
Island, Virginia, shall be known and designated as the ``Herbert H. 
Bateman Education and Administrative Center''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the building referred to 
in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the Herbert H. 
Bateman Education and Administrative Center.

SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

    (a) Effective on the day after the date of the enactment of the Act 
entitled, ``An Act to reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation 
and Design Program Act of 1994'' (106th Congress), section 6 of the 
Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd note; Public Law 103-340), relating to an environmental 
education center and refuge, is redesignated as section 7.
    (b) Effective on the day after the date of the enactment of the 
Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Establishment Act (106th 
Congress), section 6 of that Act is amended--
        (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the Endangered Species Act 
    of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.)'' and inserting ``the Endangered 
    Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)''; and
        (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``section 4(a)(3) and (4) of 
    the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
    U.S.C. 668ee(a)(3), (4))'' and inserting ``paragraphs (3) and (4) 
    of section 4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
    Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd(a))''.
    (c) Effective on the day after the date of the enactment of the Red 
River National Wildlife Refuge Act (106th Congress), section 4(b)(2)(D) 
of that Act is amended by striking ``section 4(a)(3) and (4) of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 
668ee(a)(3), (4))'' and inserting ``paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 
4(a) of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 
(16 U.S.C. 668dd(a))''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.

Answer: Directs the Secretary, in providing opportunities for compatible fish- and wildlife-oriented recreation on the Refuge, to ensure that hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation are the priority public uses of the Refuge.
Authorizes appropriations.
Designates a building proposed to be located within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, Virginia, as the Herbert H. Bateman Education And Administrative Center.


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Preserving Work Requirements for 
Welfare Programs Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The bipartisan 1996 welfare reforms succeeded as a 
        result of their pro-work focus, as demonstrated by the 
        following:
                    (A) Research has shown that 65 percent of families 
                receiving welfare through the former Aid to Families 
                with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, which lacked 
                effective work requirements and was replaced by the 
                1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193), remained on 
                welfare for 8 or more years, and the average lifetime 
                receipt of welfare for families then receiving benefits 
                was 13 years.
                    (B) The 1996 welfare reform law replaced the failed 
                AFDC program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy 
                Families (TANF) block grant program, which made 
                promoting work a central focus of each State's efforts 
                to assist low-income parents in achieving self-
                sufficiency.
                    (C) The 1996 welfare reforms resulted in--
                            (i) significant increases in the employment 
                        and earnings of single mothers;
                            (ii) record declines in welfare dependency 
                        as TANF rolls fell by more than 57 percent; and
                            (iii) significant reductions in child 
                        poverty in female-headed households, which even 
                        after the impact of a deep recession are still 
                        below pre-reform levels.
            (2) The authors of the 1996 welfare reforms did not intend 
        for States to be able to ``waive'' this pro-work focus, as 
        indicated by the following:
                    (A) In the 1996 welfare reform law, Congress 
                created specific new work requirements for welfare 
                recipients.
                    (B) In the 1996 welfare reform law, Congress 
                allowed States some limited waiver authority over only 
                TANF State plan requirements which require the State to 
                describe how they intend to carry out various TANF 
                program requirements.
                    (C) In section 1115 of the Social Security Act, 
                Congress specifically did not authorize States to seek, 
                or the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award, 
                waivers involving TANF work requirements. In section 
                415 of the Social Security Act, Congress specified that 
                any waivers subsequently approved could not waive 
                features of those work requirements.
                    (D) In a Congressional summary published 
                immediately after enactment of the 1996 reforms, the 
                authors of the 1996 welfare reform law summarized its 
                intended treatment of waivers as follows: ``Waivers 
                granted after the date of enactment may not override 
                provisions of the TANF law that concern mandatory work 
                requirements.''.
            (3) The recent Department of Health and Human Services 
        Information Memorandum dated July 12, 2012, suggesting States 
        may waive this pro-work focus should be immediately withdrawn 
        by the Obama Administration, or repealed through this 
        legislation, for the following reasons:
                    (A) In the 16 years since enactment of the 1996 
                welfare reforms, no previous Secretary of Health and 
                Human Services has ever asserted that he or she has 
                authority to grant waivers involving TANF work 
                requirements.
                    (B) Despite this fact, and without any prior Obama 
                Administration legislative proposal or consultation 
                with Congress, on July 12, 2012, the Department of 
                Health and Human Services unilaterally determined that 
                the Secretary could permit States to waive statutory 
                work requirements for welfare recipients.
                    (C) The Secretary should repeal the July 12, 2012 
                Information Memorandum and make it clear once again 
                that States do not have authority to seek, and the 
                Secretary does not have the authority to grant, waivers 
                of work requirements under the TANF program, consistent 
                with longstanding interpretation of TANF law.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON TANF WAIVERS RELATING TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE 
              TANF WORK REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services may not do the following:
            (1) Finalize, implement, enforce, or otherwise take any 
        action to give effect to the Information Memorandum dated July 
        12, 2012 (Transmittal No. TANF-ACF-IM-2012-03), or to any 
        administrative action relating to the same subject matter set 
        forth in the Information Memorandum or that reflects the same 
        or similar policies as those set forth in the Information 
        Memorandum.
            (2) Authorize, approve, renew, modify, or extend any 
        experimental, pilot, or demonstration project under section 
        1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315) that waives 
        compliance with a requirement of section 407 of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 607) through a waiver of section 402 of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 602) or that provides authority for an expenditure which 
        would not otherwise be an allowable use of funds under a State 
        program funded under part A of title IV of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        601 et seq.) with respect to compliance with the work 
        requirements in section 407 of such Act to be regarded as an 
        allowable use of funds under that program for any period.
    (b) Rescission of Waivers.--Any waiver relating to the subject 
matter set forth in the Information Memorandum or described in 
subsection (a)(2) that is granted before the date of the enactment of 
this Act is hereby rescinded and shall be null and void.

Answer:
Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from finalizing, implementing, enforcing, or otherwise taking any action to give effect to the Information Memorandum dated July 12, 2012 (Transmittal No. TANF-ACF-IM-2012-03), or to any administrative action relating to the same subject matter or that reflects the same or similar policies.

Prohibits the Secretary also from authorizing, approving, modifying, or extending any experimental, pilot, or demonstration project under the Social Security Act (SSA) that: (1) waives compliance with mandatory work requirements of SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF), or (2) authorizes an expenditure not otherwise allowable under a state TANF program with respect to compliance with such work requirements.

Rescinds and nullifies any waiver relating to the subject matter of the Information Memorandum granted before the enactment of this Act.