Displaced Homemakers Self-Sufficiency Assistance Act
PL 101-554 (H.R.3069), enacted 11/15/1990

PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
104 STAT. 2751 
Public Law 101-554 
101st Congress 
An Act 
To establish an employment training program for displaced homemakers, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Displaced Homemakers Self-Suffi-
ciency Assistance Act". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— 
(1) the Nation has a vested interest in building a quality and 
productive workforce that will enable the United States to 
compete effectively in the global marketplace; 
(2) two in every three new entrants to the workforce during 
the 1990's will be women, and such women need appropriate 
basic and occupational skills to fill jobs requiring much higher 
skill levels than the jobs of today; 
(3) there are approximately 15,600,000 displaced homemakers 
in the United States, the majority of whom are women not in 
the labor force, who live in poverty and who require edu-
cational, vocational, training and other services to obtain finan-
cial independence and economic security; and 
(4) Federal, State, and local programs addressing the training 
and employment needs of displaced homemakers have been 
freigmented and insufficient to serve displaced homemakers 
effectively. 
0?) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to provide assistance to 
States to provide coordination and referral services, support service 
assistance, and program and technical assistance to displaced home-
makers and displaced homemaker service providers. Such assistance 
will enable public and private entities to better meet the needs of 
displaced homemakers and will expand the employment and self-
sufficiency options of displaced homemakers. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
As used in this Act: 
(1) The term "adult population" includes individuals aged 22 
through 64. 
(2) The term "community-based organization" has the same 
meaning given that term in section 4 of the Job Training 
Partnership Act. 
(3) The term "displaced homemaker" means an individual 
who has been providing unpaid services to family members in 
the home and who— 
(A) has been dependent either— 
Nov. 15, 1990 
[H.R. 3069] 
Displaced 
Homemakers 
Self-Sufficiency 
Assistance Act. 
Inter-
governmental 
relations. 
Grant programs. 
29 u s e 2301 
note. 
29 u s e 2301. 
29 u s e 2302. 
104 STAT. 2752 
PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
(i) on public assistance and whose youngest child is 
within 2 years of losing eligibility under part A of title 
IV of the Social Security Act, or 
(ii) on the income of another family member but is no 
longer supported by that income, and 
(B) is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing 
difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment. 
(4) The term "eligible service provider" means— 
(A) a community-based organization; 
(B) a local educational agency (as such term is defined in 
section 4 of the Job Training Partnership Act); 
(C) a postsecondary school (as such term is defined in such 
section); 
(D) an institution of higher education (as such term is 
defined in such section); 
(E) an area vocational education school (as such term is 
defined in such section); or 
(F) other entities designated by the Governor that have 
the demonstrated ability to meet the needs of displaced 
homemakers. 
(5) The term "eligible statewide public agency or statewide 
nonprofit organization" means agencies and organizations with 
demonstrated experience administering programs that serve 
displaced homemakers. 
(6) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Labor. 
(7) The term "State" includes any of the several States, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and 
the Virgin Islands. 
(8) The term "supportive services assistance" means assist-
ance which is necessary to enable an individual eligible for 
services under this Act to participate in programs funded under 
this Act. Such services may include transportation, health care, 
special services and materials for the handicapped, child care, 
adult dependent care, meals, temporary shelter, financial coun-
seling and other reasonable expenses required for participation 
in the program and may be provided in-kind or through cash 
assistance. 
29 use 2303. 
SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION. 
(a) GRANTS BY THE SECRETARY.—Except as provided in subsections 
(b) and (c), for any fiscal year for which the appropriation for this 
Act is less than $25,000,000, the Secretary shall make the funds 
available as grants to eligible State agencies and statewide nonprofit 
organizations on a competitive award basis. 
O
b
) STATE GRANT PROGRAM.—Except as provided in subsection (c), 
for any fiscal year for which the appropriation for this Act equals or 
exceeds $25,000,000, and for any fiscal year thereafter the Secretary 
shall use the available funds to make grants to States from alloca-
tions under section 7. 
(c) RESERVATION.—The Secretary shall reserve such amounts as 
are necessary, not to exceed 5 percent of the funds appropriated 
pursuant to this Act, for training and technical assistance under 
section 14(b), and for administration and evaluation of the programs 
funded under this Act. 
PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
104 STAT. 2753 
SEC. 5. COMPETITIVE GRANTS. 
29 USC 2304. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible statewide public agency or state-
wide nonprofit organization desiring to receive a competitive grant 
under section 4(a) of this Act shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
information £is the Secretary may reasonably require. Each such 
application shall contain assurances that the State Job Training 
Coordinating Council and the Governor have had an opportunity to 
review and comment on the application. Each applicant shall in-
clude the comments received by the applicant pursuant to such 
review. 
(b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under section 4(a) of this Act, 
the Secretary shall give priority to applications from statewide 
public agencies and statewide nonprofit organizations which— 
(1) demonstrate that employment and training related serv-
ices will be provided to displaced homemakers who are economi-
cally disadvantaged; 
(2) provide access to a comprehensive referral system so that 
participants will be directed to appropriate services based on 
their assessed needs; 
(3) demonstrate that emplojnnent and training related funds 
and services to be provided will be coordinated with other 
Federal and non-Federal progrsims providing education, train-
ing, or other human services; 
(4) demonstrate the ability to provide appropriate transition 
for participants into other related programs such as adult basic 
education, remedial education, vocational education, and the 
Job Training Partnership Act; and 
(5) demonstrate experience in providing services to displaced 
homem£ikers. 
(c) AWARDS.—The Secretary shall not award more than 1 competi-
tive grant per State. The competition for such grants shall be 
conducted annually, except that when a grantee has performed 
satisfactorily under the terms of an existing grant agreement and 
the immediately preceding grant eigreement, the Secretary may 
waive the requirement for such competition upon receipt from the 
grantee of a satisfactory prc^am plan for the succeeding grant 
period. 
SEC. 6. USE OF COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDS. 
29 USC 2305. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Funds awarded under section 4(a) of this Act 
may be used for any purpose described in section 10 and for state-
wide model and demonstration projects that provide special services 
for rural displaced homemakers, minority displaced homemakers, 
women age 40 and older, and for nontraditional training or self-
employment training. 
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE (DOST.—Ekich eligible service provider receiv-
ing assistance under this Act may use no more than 20 percent of 
the funds awarded to such service provider for administrative costs. 
SEC. 7. ALLOCATION. 
29 USC 2306. 
(a) ALLOCATION AMONG STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), finan-
cial assistance to States under section 4(b) of this Act shall be 
allotted based on the ratio of the adult population of the State to 
the total adult population of the United States. 
104 STAT. 2754 
PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
Federal 
Register, 
publication. 
29 use 2307. 
Regulations. 
(2) MINIMUM STATE ALLOCATION.—No State shall receive an 
allotment for any fiscal year described in section 4(b) that is less 
than 0.5 percent of the total funds appropriated for such fiscal 
year. 
(3) TIMELY ALLOCATION.—(A) All allotments and allocations 
under this Act shall be based on the latest available data and 
estimates satisfactory to the Secretary. 
(B) Whenever the Secretary allots and allocates funds re-
quired to be allotted or allocated by formula or otherwise under 
this Act, the Secretary shall publish in a timely fashion in the 
Federal Register the proposed amount to be distributed to each 
recipient. 
(C) All funds required to be distributed by formula under this 
Act shall be allotted within 45 days after the enactment of the 
appropriations therefor. 
(D) All funds required to be distributed through competitive 
grants under section 5 of this Act shall be allotted within 30 
days after the completion of the competition and the approval of 
grants. 
Qo) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a State 
is entitled to receive its full allocation of funds under section 
40t)) of this Act for any fiscal year if the Secretary finds that the 
aggregate expenditures of public funds within the State with 
respect to the provision of services for di^laced homemakers 
for the preceding fiscal year WEIS not less than 90 percent of such 
aggregate expenditures of public funds for the fiscal year 
preceding the first fiscal year for which an allocation of funds is 
made under section 40t)). 
(2) REDUCTIONS.—The Secretary shall reduce the amount of 
the allocation of funds under section 40^) of this Act in any fiscal 
year in the exact proportion to which the State fails to meet the 
requirements of paragraph (1) by falling below 90 percent of the 
aggregate expenditures of public funds. 
(3) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive, for any fiscal year, 
the requirements of this subsection if the Secretary determines 
that such a waiver would be equitable due to exceptional or 
uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster or a 
precipitous and unforeseen decline in the financial resources of 
the State. 
SEC. 8. STATE PLAN. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—In order to receive funds under section 40?) 
of this Act, the Governor of each State shall develop and submit to 
the Secretary for review and approval an annual State plan, describ-
ing the programs, assessment, and counseling activities, coordina-
tion and referral activities, and services for displaced homemakers 
to be assisted with funds provided. Such plan shall be submitted at 
such time and in such form as the Secretary shall require by 
regulation. 
G)) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—Each State plan submitted under subsec-
tion (a) shall— 
(1) contain assurances that funds provided under this Act will 
be used to supplement and not supplant Federal, State, and 
local public funds expended to provide services for displaced 
homemakers; 
PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
104 STAT. 2755 
(2) contain assurances that displaced homemakers with the 
greatest financial need will be given priority for services under 
this Act; 
(3) contain assurances that displaced homemakers 40 years of 
age or older £ind minority displaced homemakers will be given 
special consideration for services under this Act; 
(4) provide a description of the State's administration of the 
program funded under this Act; 
(5) demonstrate that funds and services, including supportive 
services, under this Act will be coordinated with other existing 
Federal and non-Federgd programs providing education, train-
ing, or other human services; and 
(6) contain assurances that the State Job Training Coordinat-
ing Council and any significant State organization representing 
displaced homemakers have had the opportunity to review and 
comment on the State plan, and include such comments when it 
is submitted for approval. 
SEC. 9. STATE ADMINISTRATION. 
29 USC 2308. 
(a) DESIGNATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY.—The Governor of 
each State receiving an allotment under section 40)) shall designate 
either— 
(1) the existing State displaced homemaker unit, or 
(2) the State unit administering displaced homemaker/single 
parent programs as authorized by the Carl Perkins Vocational 
and Applied Technology Education Act, 
as the administrative entity for programs funded under this Act. 
Qy) STATE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY.—Each State administrative 
entity for displaced homemaker services in a State receiving finan-
cial assistance under section 4(b) of this Act shall— 
(1) make appropriate services available to displaced home-
makers through the use of eligible service providers; 
(2) develop an annual plan for the use of all funds available 
under this Act for displaced homemaker programs, manage and 
coordinate the distribution of these funds, and monitor the use 
of funds distributed to eligible service providers; 
(3) set forth the criteria to be used in approving applications 
from eligible service providers; 
(4) provide appropriate pre-service and in-service training, 
technical assistance, and advice to individuals providing serv-
ices to displaced homemakers; and 
(5) gather, analyze, and disseminate data on the adequacy and 
effectiveness of the State in meeting the training and employ-
ment needs of displaced homemakers. 
SEC. 10. USE OF FUNDS. 
29 USC 2309. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Funds allocated to States pursugmt to section 
40)) shall be used to provide services to displaced homemakers, 
including 0)ut not limited to) the following: referral services, 
supportive service assistance, career counseling, assessment, testing 
and evaluation, pre-emplo3nnent services, basic skills, literacy and 
bilingual training, recruitment and outreach, job development and 
placement, follow-up services and life skills development. 
0)) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds provided under this Act 
shall be used to supplement and not to supplant Federal, State, and 
local public funds expended to provide services to displaced home-
makers. 
104 STAT. 2756 
PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
(c) SUPPORTIVE SERVICES LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) HEALTH CARE, MEALS, AND SHELTER.—Not more than 5 
percent of the funds made available to any eligible service 
provider for any fiscal year may be used to provide health care, 
meals, and temporary shelter. 
(2) DUPUCATION.—Funds used under this Act to provide 
supportive services shall not be used to duplicate services pro-
vided by any other public or private source that are available to 
participants without cost. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE COST.—Each eligible service provider receiv-
ing assistance under this Act may use no more than 20 percent of 
the funds awarded to such service provider for administrative costs. 
29 use 2310. 
SEC. 11. WITHIN STATE ALLOCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (e), from amounts allotted 
to each State pursuant to section 4(b), the designated administrative 
entity of each State shall make grants to eligible service providers to 
provide education, training related, and supportive services to dis-
placed homemakers. 
(b) AWARDS.—The administrative entity of each State receiving 
assistance under this Act shall award grants to eligible service 
providers only on a competitive basis. The competition for such 
grants shall be conducted annually, except that when a grantee has 
performed satisfactorily under the terms of an existing grant agree-
ment and the immediately preceding grant agreement, the adminis-
trative entity may waive the requirement for such competition upon 
receipt from the grantee of a satisfactory program plan for the 
succeeding grant period. 
(c) ASSURANCES.—Each service provider receiving a grant shall 
provide assurances that the services offered under this Act are of 
sufHcient size, scope, and quality to reasonably meet the education 
and training related needs of the displaced homemakers being 
served. 
(d) RESERVATIONS.—The Governor of each State shall reserve no 
more than 5 percent of funds allotted under section 40)) for the costs 
of State administration pursuant to section 9. 
29 use 2311. 
SEC. 12. ELIGIBLE SERVICE PROVIDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The designated administrative entity of each 
State receiving assistance shall select eligible service providers that 
demonstrate the ability to effectively deliver training, education, 
and supportive services to displaced homemakers. 
(b) PRIORITY.—Each State receiving financial assistance under this 
Act shall give priority in awarding grants to eligible service provid-
ers which have experience in providing services to displaced 
homemakers. 
(c) 
COMMUNITY-BASED 
ORGANIZATIONS.—Community-based 
organizations shall be given the opportunity to compete on an 
equitable basis with other eligible service providers for grants under 
this Act. 
Statistics. 
SEC. 13. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES. 
29 use 2312 
(a) INFORMATION.—From amounts available under section 4(c), the 
Secretary shall implement a uniform data collection system to 
collect information from the States. The information to be collected 
shall include— 
(1) the number of displaced homemakers served, 
PUBLIC LAW 101-554—NOV. 15, 1990 
104 STAT. 2757 
(2) the race, age, and sex of displaced homemakers, 
(3) the number of dependents of displaced homemakers, 
(4) the amount of income of displaced homemakers, 
(5) the range of services identified during the assessment 
process as necessary for displaced homemakers, and 
(6) the services received by displaced homemakers and appro-
priate outcomes, including type of training and education re-
ceived, and type of job and wage-at-placement for displaced 
homemakers placed. 
SEC. 14. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS. 
29 USC 2313. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall take appropriate action to 
establish administrative procedures for the selection, administra-
tion, monitoring, and evaluation of displaced homemaker programs 
authorized under this Act. 
(b) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may provide, where appro-
priate, through grants or contracts, training and technical as-
sistance to statewide public agencies or statewide 
nonprofit 
organizations serving displaced homemakers. 
(c) REPORT.—The Secretary shall biennially report to the Congress 
on the funds and services provided to displaced homemakers and the 
results of any evaluations under this Act. 
SEC. 15. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
29 USC 2314. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$35,000,000 for fiscal year 1991 and such sums as may be necessary 
for each succeeding fiscal year. Funds appropriated pursuant to this 
section are authorized to remain available for two fiscal years 
succeeding the fiscal year for which appropriated. 
Approved November 15, 1990. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 3069: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 136 (1990): 
Oct. 15, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 19, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Oct. 24, House concurred in Senate amendments. 
o