H. Rept. 114-615 - WHAT WORKS TO MOVE WELFARE RECIPIENTS INTO JOBS ACT114th Congress (2015-2016)
Committee Report
| Report Type: | House Report |
|---|---|
| Accompanies: | H.R.5169 |
| Committees: |
H. Rept. 114-615 - 114th Congress (2015-2016)
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House Report 114-615 - WHAT WORKS TO MOVE WELFARE RECIPIENTS INTO JOBS ACT
[House Report 114-615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Rept. 114-615
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { Part 1
======================================================================
WHAT WORKS TO MOVE WELFARE RECIPIENTS INTO JOBS ACT
_______
June 10, 2016.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Brady of Texas, from the Committee on Ways and Means, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 5169]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 5169) to strengthen welfare research and evaluation,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill
as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND...........................................4
A. Purpose and Summary................................. 4
B. Background and Need for Legislation................. 4
C. Legislative History................................. 5
II. EXPLANATION OF THE BILL..........................................6
Section 1: Short Title................................. 6
Section 2: Strengthening Welfare Research and
Evaluation and Development of a What Works
Clearinghouse...................................... 6
Section 3: Effective Date.............................. 8
III. VOTES OF THE COMMITTEE...........................................9
IV. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES........................9
V. COST ESTIMATE PREPARED BY THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE........9
VI. OTHER MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED UNDER THE RULES OF THE HOUSE......11
A. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations.... 11
B. Statement of General Performance Goals and
Objectives......................................... 11
C. Applicability of House Rule XXI 5(b)................ 11
D. Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and
Limited Tariff Benefits............................ 11
E. Duplication of Federal Programs..................... 11
F. Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings................. 12
VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED...........12
A. Text of Existing Law Amended or Repealed by the
Bill, as Reported.................................. 12
B. Changes in Existing Law Proposed by the Bill, as
Reported........................................... 16
VIII.EXCHANGE OF LETTERS WITH ADDITIONAL COMMITTEES OF REFERRAL......25
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``What Works to Move Welfare Recipients
into Jobs Act''.
SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING WELFARE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT
OF A WHAT WORKS CLEARINGHOUSE.
Section 413 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 613) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 413. EVALUATION OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES AND
RELATED PROGRAMS.
``(a) Evaluation of the Impacts of TANF.--The Secretary shall conduct
research on the effect of State programs funded under this part and any
other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as
defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) on employment, self-sufficiency,
child well-being, unmarried births, marriage, poverty, economic
mobility, and other factors as determined by the Secretary.
``(b) Evaluation of Grants to Improve Child Well-being by Promoting
Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood.--The Secretary shall
conduct research to determine the effects of the grants made under
section 403(a)(2) on child well-being, marriage, family stability,
economic mobility, poverty, and other factors as determined by the
Secretary.
``(c) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary shall, in
consultation with States receiving funds provided under this part,
develop methods of disseminating information on any research,
evaluation, or study conducted under this section, including
facilitating the sharing of information and best practices among States
and localities.
``(d) State-initiated Evaluations.--A State shall be eligible to
receive funding to evaluate the State program funded under this part or
any other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as
defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) if--
``(1) the State submits to the Secretary a description of the
proposed evaluation;
``(2) the Secretary determines that the design and approach
of the proposed evaluation is rigorous and is likely to yield
information that is credible and will be useful to other
States; and
``(3) unless waived by the Secretary, the State contributes
to the cost of the evaluation, from non-Federal sources, an
amount equal to at least 25 percent of the cost of the proposed
evaluation.
``(e) Census Bureau Research.--
``(1) The Bureau of the Census shall implement or enhance
household surveys of program participation, in consultation
with the Secretary and the Burueau of Labor Statistics and made
available to interested parties, to allow for the assessment of
the outcomes of continued welfare reform on the economic and
child well-being of low-income families with children,
including those who received assistance or services from a
State program funded under this part or any other State program
funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)). The content of the surveys should include
such information as may be necessary to examine the issues of
unmarried childbearing, marriage, welfare dependency and
compliance with work requirements, the beginning and ending of
spells of assistance, work, earnings and employment stability,
and the well-being of children.
``(2) To carry out the activities specified in paragraph (1),
the Bureau of the Census, the Secretary, and the Bureau of
Labor Statistics shall consider ways to improve the surveys and
data derived from the surveys to--
``(A) address underreporting of the receipt of means-
tested benefits and tax benefits for low-income
individuals and families;
``(B) increase understanding of poverty spells and
long-term poverty, including by facilitating the
matching of information to better understand
intergenerational poverty;
``(C) generate a better geographical understanding of
poverty such as through State-based estimates and
measures of neighborhood poverty;
``(D) increase understanding of the effects of means-
tested benefits and tax benefits on the earnings of
low-income families; and
``(E) improve how poverty and economic well-being are
measured, including through the use of consumption
measures.
``(f) Research and Evaluation Conducted Under This Section.--Research
and evaluation conducted under this section designed to determine the
effects of a program or policy (other than research conducted under
subsection (e)) shall use experimental designs using random assignment
or other reliable, evidence-based research methodologies that allow for
the strongest possible causal inferences when random assignment is not
feasible.
``(g) Development of What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising
Approaches to Move Welfare Recipients Into Work.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Labor, shall develop a database (which shall be
referred to as the `What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and
Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into Work') of
the projects that used a proven approach or a promising
approach in moving welfare recipients into work, based on
independent, rigorous evaluations of the projects. The database
shall include a separate listing of projects that used a
developmental approach in delivering services and a further
separate listing of the projects with no or negative effects.
The Secretary shall add to the What Works Clearinghouse of
Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into
Work data about the projects that, based on an independent,
well-conducted experimental evaluation of a program or project,
using random assignment or other research methodologies that
allow for the strongest possible causal inferences, have shown
they are proven, promising, developmental, or ineffective
approaches.
``(2) Criteria for evidence of effectiveness of approach.--
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and
organizations with experience in evaluating research on the
effectiveness of various approaches in delivering services to
move welfare recipients into work, shall--
``(A) establish criteria for evidence of
effectiveness; and
``(B) ensure that the process for establishing the
criteria--
``(i) is transparent;
``(ii) is consistent across agencies;
``(iii) provides opportunity for public
comment; and
``(iv) takes into account efforts of Federal
agencies to identify and publicize effective
interventions, including efforts at the
Department of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Education, and the Department of
Justice.
``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Approach.--The term `approach' means a process,
product, strategy, or practice that is--
``(i) research-based, based on the results of
1 or more empirical studies, and linked to
program-determined outcomes; and
``(ii) evaluated using rigorous research
designs.
``(B) Proven approach.--The term `proven approach'
means an approach that--
``(i) meets the requirements of a promising
approach; and
``(ii) has demonstrated significant positive
outcomes at more than 1 site in terms of
increasing work and earnings of participants,
reducing poverty and dependence, or
strengthening families.
``(C) Promising approach.--The term `promising
approach' means an approach--
``(i) that meets the requirements of
subparagraph (D)(i);
``(ii) that has been evaluated using well-
designed and rigorous randomized controlled or
quasi-experimental research designs;
``(iii) that has demonstrated significant
positive outcomes at only 1 site in terms of
increasing work and earnings of participants,
reducing poverty and dependence, or
strengthening families; and
``(iv) under which the benefits of the
positive outcomes have exceeded the costs of
achieving the outcomes.
``(D) Developmental approach.--The term
`developmental approach' means an approach that--
``(i) is research-based, grounded in relevant
empirically-based knowledge, and linked to
program-determined outcomes;
``(ii) is evaluated using rigorous research
designs; and
``(iii) has yet to demonstrate a significant
positive outcome in terms of increasing work
and earnings of participants in a cost-
effective way.''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 2016.
I. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND
A. Purpose and Summary
H.R. 5169 as amended, the ``What Works to Move Welfare
Recipients into Jobs Act,'' as ordered reported by the
Committee on Ways and Means on May 24, 2016, would establish a
``What Works Clearinghouse'' to catalogue the different
approaches helping welfare recipients move into work.
B. Background and Need for Legislation
In 1996, Republicans reformed the safety net to better
support and reward work. As part of these reforms, the failed
New Deal-era Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
program was replaced with today's Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families program (TANF), which established strong
requirements for states to help welfare recipients prepare for
work and find jobs.
The number of families receiving cash assistance under the
TANF program fell by more than 50 percent, and has generally
remained low over time. Employment rates of single mothers with
children increased by 15 percent through 2007 compared with
1995; while their work rates declined as a result of the 2007-
09 recession, they have risen again since 2011 and remain 10
percent higher than before. Child poverty also declined
dramatically during this period as more people went to work and
earnings increased, and poverty among African American
households with children reached record lows. Poverty among
female-headed households with children remains lower today than
before the 1996 reforms--despite two intervening recessions.
The TANF program has helped shield American families from
sinking deeper into poverty by providing temporary assistance
that is also linked to stable employment. But it's been at
least a decade since any meaningful changes have been made to
this law.
States have used a variety of approaches to meet the goals
of TANF and move welfare recipients into work, including
assisting with job search, providing work supports like child
care and transportation, assisting with education and training,
and many others. While states have experimented with many
approaches to helping welfare recipients find work, few have
been studied using high-quality evaluations to determine
whether they were effective in actually increasing recipient
employment. When there are instance of proven successes, the
results are not often shared widely limiting other states from
being able to replicate them and move more recipients from
welfare to work.
H.R. 5169, as amended, would require the Department of
Health and Human Services (in coordination with the Department
of Labor) establish a ``What Works Clearinghouse'' to catalogue
the different approaches helping welfare recipients move into
work.
This clearinghouse, based on a similar one used by the
Department of Education, would make it easier for states to
know which approaches have been tested using independent,
rigorous evaluations, and based on those results, an
understanding of their effectiveness in achieving positive
results for individuals and families. Additionally, the
clearinghouse would also include a separate listing of
approaches that are based on research but have not yet proven
their effectiveness, expanding the awareness for future use and
evaluation. Finally, the clearinghouse would also document
which approaches have been proven to be ineffective in
achieving positive outcomes to prevent other states from
repeating the same failed efforts.
The overall measurement of poverty would improve by taking
advantage of data already held by other federal agencies.
Current TANF funds provided to measure poverty would now
specify that they be used to address underreporting of receipt
of welfare benefits and improve data matching to better
understand intergenerational poverty. Using data already held
by other federal agencies will improve program coordination and
preserve research funds for analysis, rather than data
collection.
C. Legislative History
Background
H.R. 5169, the ``What Works to Move Welfare Recipients into
Jobs Act,'' was introduced on May 6, 2016, by Representative
Vern Buchanan, and was referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means.
Committee hearings
The Committee began a bipartisan, comprehensive review of
the TANF program at the beginning of the Congress, in early
January 2015. Over the last fifteen months, the Human Resources
Subcommittee held a series of hearings with witnesses ranging
from current and former recipients to service providers to
employers to researchers. Members of the Human Resources
Subcommittee introduced a series of bills focused on smaller
provisions within TANF, and then they were compiled into a
larger, more comprehensive reauthorization draft bill. That
bipartisan draft was distributed for public comment and dozens
of stakeholders provided invaluable feedback, some incorporated
in H.R. 5169.
On March 17, 2015, the Human Resources Subcommittee held a
hearing entitled ``Expanding Opportunity by Funding What Works:
Using Evidence to Help Low-Income Individuals and Families Get
Ahead.'' This hearing focused on the effectiveness of federal
social programs, efforts to rigorously evaluate government
programs to determine their impact, and proposals to increase
the use of evidence across government so federal spending is
directed toward programs that work.
Throughout the Congress, the Human Resources Subcommittee
held hearings on evidence-based decision-making and the lack of
accountability in many federally-funded social service
programs. Those hearings included:
Challenges Facing Low-Income Individuals and
Families in Today's Economy, February 11, 2015
Next Steps for Welfare Reform: Ideas to
Improve TANF to Help More Families Find Work and Escape
Poverty, April 30, 2015
Protecting the Safety Net from Waste, Fraud,
and Abuse, June 3, 2015
Joint Subcommittee Hearing on How Our
Welfare System Can Discourage Work, June 25, 2015
Welfare Reform Proposals, July 15, 2015
Better Coordinating Welfare Programs to
Serve Families in Need, November 3, 2015
Moving America's Families Forward: Lessons
Learned from Welfare Reform in Other Countries,
November 17, 2015
Getting Incentives Right: Connecting Low-
Income Individuals with Jobs, March 1, 2016
Committee action
The Committee on Ways and Means marked up H.R. 5169, the
``What Works to Move Welfare Recipients into Jobs Act,'' on May
24, 2016. The bill, H.R. 5169, was ordered favorably reported
to the House of Representatives as amended by a voice vote
(with a quorum being present).
II. EXPLANATION OF THE BILL
Section 1: Short Title
Present law
No provision.
Explanation of provision
This section contains the short title of the bill, the
``What Works to Move Welfare Recipients into Jobs Act.''
Reason for change
The Committee believes that the short title reflects the
policy actions included in the legislation.
Effective date
The provision is effective on October 1, 2016.
Section 2: Strengthening Welfare Research and Evaluation and
Development of a What Works Clearinghouse
Present law
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) is required to conduct research on the benefits,
effects, and costs of state programs under the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The research
must include studies that relate to time limits, welfare
dependency, illegitimacy, teen pregnancy, employment rates, and
child well-being. HHS may conduct studies on other policy
issues as is appropriate.
HHS may assist states in developing innovative state
programs for reducing welfare dependency and increasing child
well-being. HHS may provide funds for training and technical
assistance. HHS must evaluate these innovative programs, using,
to the maximum extent possible, random assignment as the
evaluation methodology.
HHS is required to develop innovative methods for
disseminating information on any research, evaluation, or
studies conducted using TANF research funds. This shall include
facilitation of sharing information and best practices among
states and localities.
HHS is required to rank annually states in terms of their
success in placing TANF recipients into long-term private
sector jobs and reducing the welfare caseload. HHS may, if
methods become practicable, rank their success in diverting
families from assistance. HHS is also required to rank annually
states based on their ratio of out-of-wedlock births to total
births among families receiving TANF assistance.
HHS is required to report on various indicators of well-
being for children and families who (1) have been subject to
the time limit; (2) were born to teen parents; and (3) were
themselves teen parents. The indicators of well-being are:
percentage who dropped out of high school; the percentage
employed; the percentage that have been convicted of a crime;
the rate of out-of-wedlock childbearing; the percent that
continues to receive TANF; the percent that has health
insurance; and the average income of families in each group.
States are required to report to HHS their child poverty
rates. If their child poverty rate has increased by at least 5
percent as a result of the creation of TANF, the state is
required to submit to HHS a corrective action plan.
For FY2016, funding of $15 million was set aside from the
TANF contingency fund appropriation for HHS research on TANF.
An additional $10 million from the FY2016 contingency fund
appropriation was set aside and transferred to the Census
Bureau to conduct a study on the effects of welfare reform
using information from the Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP).
Explanation of provision
This bill would require the Secretary of HHS to conduct
research on the effect of TANF programs on employment, self-
sufficiency, child well-being, unmarried births, marriage,
poverty, economic mobility, and other factors determined by the
Secretary. HHS would also be required to conduct research on
the effects of grants to improve child well-being through
healthy marriage and fatherhood on child well-being, marriage,
family stability, economic mobility, poverty, etc. HHS would be
required to develop ways to distribute information on any
research and evaluation conducted as a part of this amendment.
The bill would make states eligible for funds to evaluate
their TANF and related programs. States would be eligible for
evaluation funds if HHS determines the research design is
rigorous and that research is likely to yield credible
information that would be useful to other states. The federal
government would pay up to 75 percent of the cost of the
evaluation, though the Secretary of HHS may waive requirements
for cost-sharing.
The bill would require research conducted by HHS and the
states to use experimental designs using random assignment when
feasible. If a random assignment experiment is not feasible,
the research would be conducted using other reliable evidence-
based research methodologies.
The bill would require HHS, in consultation with the
Department of Labor, to develop a database named, ``What Works
Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare
Recipients into Work.'' This database would consist of the
projects that used a promising or proven approach in delivering
services to move TANF recipients into work. This database would
also include a list of projects that used a developmental
approach, and a list of projects that were ineffective in
moving recipients to work. The categorization of these projects
as proven, promising, ineffective, or developmental would be
based on rigorous evaluation of the projects.
HHS, in consultation with the Department of Labor would be
required to establish the criteria associated with evaluating
the effectiveness of the approaches, and the process of
selecting the criteria must be consistent, transparent, and
open for comment. The criteria would be required to take into
account other federal efforts to identify and publicize
effective interventions.
The bill also would require the Census Bureau, in
consultation with the Secretary of HHS and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, to implement a new household survey and/or enhance
existing household surveys to provide for the assessment of the
effects of welfare reform on the economic and child well-being
of low-income families. The content of the survey would include
information to examine issues of unmarried childbearing,
marriage, welfare dependency and compliance with work
requirements; the beginning and ending spells of assistance;
work, earnings and employment stability; and the well-being of
children. The Census Bureau, the Secretary of HHS, and BLS
would be required to consider ways to improve the surveys and
data derived from the surveys to: address underreporting of
means-tested benefits; increase understanding of poverty
spells, long-term poverty, and intergenerational poverty;
better understand the geographical dimensions of poverty;
increase understanding of the effects of means-tested benefits
and tax benefits on the earnings of low-income families; and
improve how poverty and economic well-being are measured,
including the use of consumption measures.
Reason for change
The Committee believes that while states have experimented
with many approaches to helping welfare recipients find work,
few have been studied using high-quality evaluations to
determine whether they were effective in actually increasing
recipient employment. Further, when there are instance of
proven successes, the results are not often shared widely
limiting other states from being able to replicate them and
move more recipients from welfare to work. These provisions
would aid in promoting local solutions that help more people
get back to work quickly.
Effective date
The provision is effective on October 1, 2016.
Section 3: Effective Date
Present law
No provision.
Explanation of provision
This section includes an effective date of October 1, 2016.
Reason for change
The Committee believes it is appropriate to have an
effective date of October 1, 2016, the start of the next fiscal
year.
Effective date
The provision is effective on October 1, 2016.
III. VOTES OF THE COMMITTEE
In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following statement is made
concerning the vote of the Committee on Ways and Means in its
consideration of H.R. 5169, the ``What Works to Move Welfare
Recipients into Jobs Act,'' on May 24, 2016.
The Committee on Ways and Means marked up H.R. 5169, the
``What Works to Move Welfare Recipients into Jobs Act,'' on May
24, 2016. The bill, H.R. 5169, was ordered favorably reported
to the House of Representatives as amended by a voice vote
(with a quorum being present).
IV. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES
In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee states that the
bill involves no new budget authority or tax expenditure budget
authority.
V. COST ESTIMATE PREPARED BY THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, requiring a cost estimate
prepared by the CBO, the Committee sets forth the following
estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office.
H.R. 5169--What Works to Move Welfare Recipients into Jobs Act
Summary: H.R. 5169 would change how the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) conducts research and would
require the Census Bureau to implement or enhance a household
survey to assess the effect of continued welfare reform on
families. CBO estimates that the requirements on the Secretary
of HHS would be similar to those that already exist under
current law; therefore, implementing those provisions would not
affect discretionary spending by HHS. However, the legislation
would require the Census Bureau to conduct activities that are
not authorized under current law; CBO estimates that
implementing those new requirements would cost the Census
Bureau $49 million over the 2017-2021 period, assuming
appropriation of the necessary amounts.
Enacting this bill would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 5169 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 5169 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments. States could initiate program evaluations
authorized by the bill, and any costs tied to matching
requirements would be conditions of assistance.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary effect of this legislation is shown in the following
table. The costs of this legislation fall within budget
function 370 (commerce and housing credit).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
--------------------------------------------------
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017-2021
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Estimated Authorization Level................................ 10 10 10 10 10 50
Estimated Outlays............................................ 9 10 10 10 10 49
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basis of estimate: CBO assumes that H.R. 5169 will be
enacted near the start of fiscal year 2017, that the necessary
amounts will be appropriated each year, and that spending will
follow historical patterns for similar activities. H.R. 5169
would amend title IV of the Social Security Act to remove
requirements that HHS assist states in developing innovative
approaches to reducing welfare dependency and evaluate state
performance with work programs and related areas. The bill
would instead require HHS, in consultation with the Department
of Labor, to establish a database to catalogue the different
approaches used by states to help welfare recipients find work.
CBO estimates that, in general, those new responsibilities
would be similar to the welfare research HHS is currently
required to conduct. Thus, CBO estimates that no additional
funding would be required for HHS.
H.R. 5169 also would require the Census Bureau to conduct
new activities not authorized under current law. Specifically,
the legislation would require the Census Bureau to implement a
new household survey or to enhance an existing one in order to
assess the effects of welfare reform on the well-being of low-
income families with children. In 2016, $10 million was
appropriated for the Census Bureau to conduct research related
to welfare using the Survey of Income and Program
Participation. CBO estimates that the Census Bureau would
require the same level of funding annually to meet the
requirements under this bill. Such spending would be subject to
appropriation of the estimated amounts.
Pay-As-You-Go considerations: None.
Increase in long-term direct spending and deficits: CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 5169 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2027.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 5169
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or
tribal governments. States could initiate program evaluations
authorized by the bill, and any costs tied to matching
requirements would be conditions of assistance.
Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Susanne S. Mehlman;
Impact on State, local, and tribal governments: Zach Byrum;
Impact on the private sector: Paige Piper/Bach.
Estimate approved by: H. Samuel Papenfuss Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
VI. OTHER MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED UNDER THE RULES OF THE HOUSE
A. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
With respect to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the
findings and recommendations of the Committee, based on
oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the
description portions of this report.
B. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
performance goals and objectives of this legislation would
promote proven local solutions that help more people get back
to work.
C. Applicability of House Rule XXI 5(b)
Rule XXI 5(b) of the Rules of the House of Representatives
provides, in part, that ``A bill or joint resolution,
amendment, or conference report carrying a Federal income tax
rate increase may not be considered as passed or agreed to
unless so determined by a vote of not less than three-fifths of
the Members voting, a quorum being present.'' The Committee has
carefully reviewed the bill, and states that the bill does not
involve any Federal income tax rate increases within the
meaning of the rule.
D. Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits
With respect to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee has carefully reviewed
the provisions of the bill, and states that the provisions of
the bill do not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax
benefits, or limited tariff benefits within the meaning of the
rule.
E. Duplication of Federal Programs
In compliance with Sec. 3(g)(2) of H. Res. 5 (114th
Congress), the Committee states that no provision of the bill
establishes or reauthorizes: (1) a program of the Federal
Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program;
(2) a program included in any report from the Government
Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of
Public Law 111-139; or (3) a program related to a program
identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance, published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Pub. L. No. 95-220, as amended by Pub. L. No.
98-169).
F. Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings
In compliance with Sec. 3(i) of H. Res. 5 (114th Congress),
the following statement is made concerning directed rule
makings: The Committee estimates that the bill requires no
directed rule makings within the meaning of such section.
VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
A. Text of Existing Law Amended or Repealed by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, the text of each section
proposed to be amended or repealed by the bill, as reported, is
shown below:
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, the text of each section
proposed to be amended or repealed by the bill, as reported, is
shown below:
SOCIAL SECURITY ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE IV--GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID AND SERVICES TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH
CHILDREN AND FOR CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES
* * * * * * *
PART A--BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY
FAMILIES
* * * * * * *
SEC. 413. RESEARCH, EVALUATIONS, AND NATIONAL STUDIES.
(a) Research.--The Secretary, directly or through grants,
contracts, or interagency agreements, shall conduct research on
the benefits, effects, and costs of operating different State
programs funded under this part, including time limits relating
to eligibility for assistance. The research shall include
studies on the effects of different programs and the operation
of such programs on welfare dependency, illegitimacy, teen
pregnancy, employment rates, child well-being, and any other
area the Secretary deems appropriate. The Secretary shall also
conduct research on the costs and benefits of State activities
under section 407.
(b) Development and Evaluation of Innovative Approaches To
Reducing Welfare Dependency and Increasing Child Well-Being.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may assist States in
developing, and shall evaluate, innovative approaches
for reducing welfare dependency and increasing the
well-being of minor children living at home with
respect to recipients of assistance under programs
funded under this part. The Secretary may provide funds
for training and technical assistance to carry out the
approaches developed pursuant to this paragraph.
(2) Evaluations.--In performing the evaluations under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, to the maximum
extent feasible, use random assignment as an evaluation
methodology.
(c) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary shall
develop innovative methods of disseminating information on any
research, evaluations, and studies conducted under this
section, including the facilitation of the sharing of
information and best practices among States and localities
through the use of computers and other technologies.
(d) Annual Ranking of States and Review of Most and Least
Successful Work Programs.--
(1) Annual ranking of states.--The Secretary shall
rank annually the States to which grants are paid under
section 403 in the order of their success in placing
recipients of assistance under the State program funded
under this part into long-term private sector jobs,
reducing the overall welfare caseload, and, when a
practicable method for calculating this information
becomes available, diverting individuals from formally
applying to the State program and receiving assistance.
In ranking States under this subsection, the Secretary
shall take into account the average number of minor
children living at home in families in the State that
have incomes below the poverty line and the amount of
funding provided each State for such families.
(2) Annual review of most and least successful work
programs.--The Secretary shall review the programs of
the 3 States most recently ranked highest under
paragraph (1) and the 3 States most recently ranked
lowest under paragraph (1) that provide parents with
work experience, assistance in finding employment, and
other work preparation activities and support services
to enable the families of such parents to leave the
program and become self-sufficient.
(e) Annual Ranking of States and Review of Issues Relating to
Out-of-Wedlock Births.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall annually rank
States to which grants are made under section 403 based
on the following ranking factors:
(A) Absolute out-of-wedlock ratios.--The
ratio represented by--
(i) the total number of out-of-
wedlock births in families receiving
assistance under the State program
under this part in the State for the
most recent year for which information
is available; over
(ii) the total number of births in
families receiving assistance under the
State program under this part in the
State for the year.
(B) Net changes in the out-of-wedlock
ratio.--The difference between the ratio
described in subparagraph (A) with respect to a
State for the most recent year for which such
information is available and the ratio with
respect to the State for the immediately
preceding year.
(2) Annual review.--The Secretary shall review the
programs of the 5 States most recently ranked highest
under paragraph (1) and the 5 States most recently
ranked the lowest under paragraph (1).
(f) State-Initiated Evaluations.--A State shall be eligible
to receive funding to evaluate the State program funded under
this part if--
(1) the State submits a proposal to the Secretary for
the evaluation;
(2) the Secretary determines that the design and
approach of the evaluation is rigorous and is likely to
yield information that is credible and will be useful
to other States; and
(3) unless otherwise waived by the Secretary, the
State contributes to the cost of the evaluation, from
non-Federal sources, an amount equal to at least 10
percent of the cost of the evaluation.
(g) Report on Circumstances of Certain Children and
Families.--
(1) In general.--Beginning 3 years after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services shall prepare and submit to the
Committees on Ways and Means and on Education and the
Workforce of the House of Representatives and to the
Committees on Finance and on Labor and Resources of the
Senate annual reports that examine in detail the
matters described in paragraph (2) with respect to each
of the following groups for the period after such
enactment:
(A) Individuals who were children in families
that have become ineligible for assistance
under a State program funded under this part by
reason of having reached a time limit on the
provision of such assistance.
(B) Children born after such date of
enactment to parents who, at the time of such
birth, had not attained 20 years of age.
(C) Individuals who, after such date of
enactment, became parents before attaining 20
years of age.
(2) Matters described.--The matters described in this
paragraph are the following:
(A) The percentage of each group that has
dropped out of secondary school (or the
equivalent), and the percentage of each group
at each level of educational attainment.
(B) The percentage of each group that is
employed.
(C) The percentage of each group that has
been convicted of a crime or has been
adjudicated as a delinquent.
(D) The rate at which the members of each
group are born, or have children, out-of-
wedlock, and the percentage of each group that
is married.
(E) The percentage of each group that
continues to participate in State programs
funded under this part.
(F) The percentage of each group that has
health insurance provided by a private entity
(broken down by whether the insurance is
provided through an employer or otherwise), the
percentage that has health insurance provided
by an agency of government, and the percentage
that does not have health insurance.
(G) The average income of the families of the
members of each group.
(H) Such other matters as the Secretary deems
appropriate.
(h) Funding of Studies and Demonstrations.--
(1) In general.--Funds made available to carry out
this section for a fiscal year shall be used for the
purpose of paying--
(A) the cost of conducting the research
described in subsection (a);
(B) the cost of developing and evaluating
innovative approaches for reducing welfare
dependency and increasing the well-being of
minor children under subsection (b);
(C) the Federal share of any State-initiated
study approved under subsection (f); and
(D) an amount determined by the Secretary to
be necessary to operate and evaluate
demonstration projects, relating to this part,
that are in effect or approved under section
1115 as of August 22, 1996, and are continued
after such date.
(2) Allocation.--Of the amount appropriated under
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year--
(A) 50 percent shall be allocated for the
pur-poses described in subparagraphs (A) and
(B) of paragraph (1), and
(B) 50 percent shall be allocated for the
purposes described in subparagraphs (C) and (D)
of paragraph (1).
(3) Demonstrations of innovative strategies.--The
Secretary may implement and evaluate demonstrations of
innovative and promising strategies which--
(A) provide one-time capital funds to
establish, expand, or replicate programs;
(B) test performance-based grant-to-loan
financing in which programs meeting performance
targets receive grants while programs not
meeting such targets repay funding on a
prorated basis; and
(C) test strategies in multiple States and
types of communities.
(i) Child Poverty Rates.--
(1) In general.--Not later than May 31, 1998, and
annually thereafter, the chief executive officer of
each State shall submit to the Secretary a statement of
the child poverty rate in the State as of such date of
enactment or the date of the most recent prior
statement under this paragraph.
(2) Submission of corrective action plan.--Not later
than 90 days after the date a State submits a statement
under paragraph (1) which indicates that, as a result
of the amendments made by section 103 of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
of 1996, the child poverty rate of the State has
increased by 5 percent or more since the most recent
prior statement under paragraph (1), the State shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary a corrective action
plan in accordance with paragraph (3).
(3) Contents of plan.--A corrective action plan
submitted under paragraph (2) shall outline the manner
in which the State will reduce the child poverty rate
in the State. The plan shall include a description of
the actions to be taken by the State under such plan.
(4) Compliance with plan.--A State that submits a
corrective action plan that the Secretary has found
contains the information required by this subsection
shall implement the corrective action plan until the
State determines that the child poverty rate in the
State is less than the lowest child poverty rate on the
basis of which the State was required to submit the
corrective action plan.
(5) Methodology.--The Secretary shall prescribe
regulations establishing the methodology by which a
State shall determine the child poverty rate in the
State. The methodology shall take into account factors
including the number of children who receive free or
reduced-price lunches, the number of supplemental
nutrition assistance program benefits households, and,
to the extent available, county-by-county estimates of
children in poverty as determined by the Census Bureau.
(j) Evaluation of Welfare-To-Work Programs.--
(1) Evaluation.--The Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development--
(A) shall develop a plan to evaluate how
grants made under sections 403(a)(5) and
412(a)(3) have been used;
(B) may evaluate the use of such grants by
such grantees as the Secretary deems
appropriate, in accordance with an agreement
entered into with the grantees after good-faith
negotiations; and
(C) is urged to include the following outcome
measures in the plan developed under
subparagraph (A):
(i) Placements in unsubsidized
employment, and placements in
unsubsidized employment that last for
at least 6 months.
(ii) Placements in the private and
public sectors.
(iii) Earnings of individuals who
obtain employment.
(iv) Average expenditures per
placement.
(2) Reports to the congress.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraphs (B)
and (C), the Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development, shall submit to
the Congress reports on the projects funded
under section 403(a)(5) and 412(a)(3) and on
the evaluations of the projects.
(B) Interim report.--Not later than January
1, 1999, the Secretary shall submit an interim
report on the matter described in subparagraph
(A).
(C) Final report.--Not later than January 1,
2001, (or at a later date, if the Secretary
informs the Committees of the Congress with
jurisdiction over the subject matter of the
report) the Secretary shall submit a final
report on the matter described in subparagraph
(A).
* * * * * * *
B. Changes in Existing Law Proposed by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law
proposed by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows
(existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black
brackets, new matter is printed in italics, existing law in
which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law
made by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing
law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
SOCIAL SECURITY ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE IV--GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID AND SERVICES TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH
CHILDREN AND FOR CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES
* * * * * * *
PART A--BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY
FAMILIES
* * * * * * *
[SEC. 413. RESEARCH, EVALUATIONS, AND NATIONAL STUDIES.
[(a) Research.--The Secretary, directly or through grants,
contracts, or interagency agreements, shall conduct research on
the benefits, effects, and costs of operating different State
programs funded under this part, including time limits relating
to eligibility for assistance. The research shall include
studies on the effects of different programs and the operation
of such programs on welfare dependency, illegitimacy, teen
pregnancy, employment rates, child well-being, and any other
area the Secretary deems appropriate. The Secretary shall also
conduct research on the costs and benefits of State activities
under section 407.
[(b) Development and Evaluation of Innovative Approaches To
Reducing Welfare Dependency and Increasing Child Well-Being.--
[(1) In general.--The Secretary may assist States in
developing, and shall evaluate, innovative approaches
for reducing welfare dependency and increasing the
well-being of minor children living at home with
respect to recipients of assistance under programs
funded under this part. The Secretary may provide funds
for training and technical assistance to carry out the
approaches developed pursuant to this paragraph.
[(2) Evaluations.--In performing the evaluations
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, to the
maximum extent feasible, use random assignment as an
evaluation methodology.
[(c) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary shall
develop innovative methods of disseminating information on any
research, evaluations, and studies conducted under this
section, including the facilitation of the sharing of
information and best practices among States and localities
through the use of computers and other technologies.
[(d) Annual Ranking of States and Review of Most and Least
Successful Work Programs.--
[(1) Annual ranking of states.--The Secretary shall
rank annually the States to which grants are paid under
section 403 in the order of their success in placing
recipients of assistance under the State program funded
under this part into long-term private sector jobs,
reducing the overall welfare caseload, and, when a
practicable method for calculating this information
becomes available, diverting individuals from formally
applying to the State program and receiving assistance.
In ranking States under this subsection, the Secretary
shall take into account the average number of minor
children living at home in families in the State that
have incomes below the poverty line and the amount of
funding provided each State for such families.
[(2) Annual review of most and least successful work
programs.--The Secretary shall review the programs of
the 3 States most recently ranked highest under
paragraph (1) and the 3 States most recently ranked
lowest under paragraph (1) that provide parents with
work experience, assistance in finding employment, and
other work preparation activities and support services
to enable the families of such parents to leave the
program and become self-sufficient.
[(e) Annual Ranking of States and Review of Issues Relating
to Out-of-Wedlock Births.--
[(1) In general.--The Secretary shall annually rank
States to which grants are made under section 403 based
on the following ranking factors:
[(A) Absolute out-of-wedlock ratios.--The
ratio represented by--
[(i) the total number of out-of-
wedlock births in families receiving
assistance under the State program
under this part in the State for the
most recent year for which information
is available; over
[(ii) the total number of births in
families receiving assistance under the
State program under this part in the
State for the year.
[(B) Net changes in the out-of-wedlock
ratio.--The difference between the ratio
described in subparagraph (A) with respect to a
State for the most recent year for which such
information is available and the ratio with
respect to the State for the immediately
preceding year.
[(2) Annual review.--The Secretary shall review the
programs of the 5 States most recently ranked highest
under paragraph (1) and the 5 States most recently
ranked the lowest under paragraph (1).
[(f) State-Initiated Evaluations.--A State shall be eligible
to receive funding to evaluate the State program funded under
this part if--
[(1) the State submits a proposal to the Secretary
for the evaluation;
[(2) the Secretary determines that the design and
approach of the evaluation is rigorous and is likely to
yield information that is credible and will be useful
to other States; and
[(3) unless otherwise waived by the Secretary, the
State contributes to the cost of the evaluation, from
non-Federal sources, an amount equal to at least 10
percent of the cost of the evaluation.
[(g) Report on Circumstances of Certain Children and
Families.--
[(1) In general.--Beginning 3 years after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services shall prepare and submit to the
Committees on Ways and Means and on Education and the
Workforce of the House of Representatives and to the
Committees on Finance and on Labor and Resources of the
Senate annual reports that examine in detail the
matters described in paragraph (2) with respect to each
of the following groups for the period after such
enactment:
[(A) Individuals who were children in
families that have become ineligible for
assistance under a State program funded under
this part by reason of having reached a time
limit on the provision of such assistance.
[(B) Children born after such date of
enactment to parents who, at the time of such
birth, had not attained 20 years of age.
[(C) Individuals who, after such date of
enactment, became parents before attaining 20
years of age.
[(2) Matters described.--The matters described in
this paragraph are the following:
[(A) The percentage of each group that has
dropped out of secondary school (or the
equivalent), and the percentage of each group
at each level of educational attainment.
[(B) The percentage of each group that is
employed.
[(C) The percentage of each group that has
been convicted of a crime or has been
adjudicated as a delinquent.
[(D) The rate at which the members of each
group are born, or have children, out-of-
wedlock, and the percentage of each group that
is married.
[(E) The percentage of each group that
continues to participate in State programs
funded under this part.
[(F) The percentage of each group that has
health insurance provided by a private entity
(broken down by whether the insurance is
provided through an employer or otherwise), the
percentage that has health insurance provided
by an agency of government, and the percentage
that does not have health insurance.
[(G) The average income of the families of
the members of each group.
[(H) Such other matters as the Secretary
deems appropriate.
[(h) Funding of Studies and Demonstrations.--
[(1) In general.--Funds made available to carry out
this section for a fiscal year shall be used for the
purpose of paying--
[(A) the cost of conducting the research
described in subsection (a);
[(B) the cost of developing and evaluating
innovative approaches for reducing welfare
dependency and increasing the well-being of
minor children under subsection (b);
[(C) the Federal share of any State-initiated
study approved under subsection (f); and
[(D) an amount determined by the Secretary to
be necessary to operate and evaluate
demonstration projects, relating to this part,
that are in effect or approved under section
1115 as of August 22, 1996, and are continued
after such date.
[(2) Allocation.--Of the amount appropriated under
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year--
[(A) 50 percent shall be allocated for the
pur-poses described in subparagraphs (A) and
(B) of paragraph (1), and
[(B) 50 percent shall be allocated for the
purposes described in subparagraphs (C) and (D)
of paragraph (1).
[(3) Demonstrations of innovative strategies.--The
Secretary may implement and evaluate demonstrations of
innovative and promising strategies which--
[(A) provide one-time capital funds to
establish, expand, or replicate programs;
[(B) test performance-based grant-to-loan
financing in which programs meeting performance
targets receive grants while programs not
meeting such targets repay funding on a
prorated basis; and
[(C) test strategies in multiple States and
types of communities.
[(i) Child Poverty Rates.--
[(1) In general.--Not later than May 31, 1998, and
annually thereafter, the chief executive officer of
each State shall submit to the Secretary a statement of
the child poverty rate in the State as of such date of
enactment or the date of the most recent prior
statement under this paragraph.
[(2) Submission of corrective action plan.--Not later
than 90 days after the date a State submits a statement
under paragraph (1) which indicates that, as a result
of the amendments made by section 103 of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
of 1996, the child poverty rate of the State has
increased by 5 percent or more since the most recent
prior statement under paragraph (1), the State shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary a corrective action
plan in accordance with paragraph (3).
[(3) Contents of plan.--A corrective action plan
submitted under paragraph (2) shall outline the manner
in which the State will reduce the child poverty rate
in the State. The plan shall include a description of
the actions to be taken by the State under such plan.
[(4) Compliance with plan.--A State that submits a
corrective action plan that the Secretary has found
contains the information required by this subsection
shall implement the corrective action plan until the
State determines that the child poverty rate in the
State is less than the lowest child poverty rate on the
basis of which the State was required to submit the
corrective action plan.
[(5) Methodology.--The Secretary shall prescribe
regulations establishing the methodology by which a
State shall determine the child poverty rate in the
State. The methodology shall take into account factors
including the number of children who receive free or
reduced-price lunches, the number of supplemental
nutrition assistance program benefits households, and,
to the extent available, county-by-county estimates of
children in poverty as determined by the Census Bureau.
[(j) Evaluation of Welfare-To-Work Programs.--
[(1) Evaluation.--The Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development--
[(A) shall develop a plan to evaluate how
grants made under sections 403(a)(5) and
412(a)(3) have been used;
[(B) may evaluate the use of such grants by
such grantees as the Secretary deems
appropriate, in accordance with an agreement
entered into with the grantees after good-faith
negotiations; and
[(C) is urged to include the following
outcome measures in the plan developed under
subparagraph (A):
[(i) Placements in unsubsidized
employment, and placements in
unsubsidized employment that last for
at least 6 months.
[(ii) Placements in the private and
public sectors.
[(iii) Earnings of individuals who
obtain employment.
[(iv) Average expenditures per
placement.
[(2) Reports to the congress.--
[(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraphs
(B) and (C), the Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development, shall submit
to the Congress reports on the projects funded
under section 403(a)(5) and 412(a)(3) and on
the evaluations of the projects.
[(B) Interim report.--Not later than January
1, 1999, the Secretary shall submit an interim
report on the matter described in subparagraph
(A).
[(C) Final report.--Not later than January 1,
2001, (or at a later date, if the Secretary
informs the Committees of the Congress with
jurisdiction over the subject matter of the
report) the Secretary shall submit a final
report on the matter described in subparagraph
(A).]
SEC. 413. EVALUATION OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES AND
RELATED PROGRAMS.
(a) Evaluation of the Impacts of TANF.--The Secretary shall
conduct research on the effect of State programs funded under
this part and any other State program funded with qualified
State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) on
employment, self-sufficiency, child well-being, unmarried
births, marriage, poverty, economic mobility, and other factors
as determined by the Secretary.
(b) Evaluation of Grants to Improve Child Well-being by
Promoting Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood.--The
Secretary shall conduct research to determine the effects of
the grants made under section 403(a)(2) on child well-being,
marriage, family stability, economic mobility, poverty, and
other factors as determined by the Secretary.
(c) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary shall, in
consultation with States receiving funds provided under this
part, develop methods of disseminating information on any
research, evaluation, or study conducted under this section,
including facilitating the sharing of information and best
practices among States and localities.
(d) State-initiated Evaluations.--A State shall be eligible
to receive funding to evaluate the State program funded under
this part or any other State program funded with qualified
State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) if--
(1) the State submits to the Secretary a description
of the proposed evaluation;
(2) the Secretary determines that the design and
approach of the proposed evaluation is rigorous and is
likely to yield information that is credible and will
be useful to other States; and
(3) unless waived by the Secretary, the State
contributes to the cost of the evaluation, from non-
Federal sources, an amount equal to at least 25 percent
of the cost of the proposed evaluation.
(e) Census Bureau Research.--
(1) The Bureau of the Census shall implement or
enhance household surveys of program participation, in
consultation with the Secretary and the Burueau of
Labor Statistics and made available to interested
parties, to allow for the assessment of the outcomes of
continued welfare reform on the economic and child
well-being of low-income families with children,
including those who received assistance or services
from a State program funded under this part or any
other State program funded with qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)).
The content of the surveys should include such
information as may be necessary to examine the issues
of unmarried childbearing, marriage, welfare dependency
and compliance with work requirements, the beginning
and ending of spells of assistance, work, earnings and
employment stability, and the well-being of children.
(2) To carry out the activities specified in
paragraph (1), the Bureau of the Census, the Secretary,
and the Bureau of Labor Statistics shall consider ways
to improve the surveys and data derived from the
surveys to--
(A) address underreporting of the receipt of
means-tested benefits and tax benefits for low-
income individuals and families;
(B) increase understanding of poverty spells
and long-term poverty, including by
facilitating the matching of information to
better understand intergenerational poverty;
(C) generate a better geographical
understanding of poverty such as through State-
based estimates and measures of neighborhood
poverty;
(D) increase understanding of the effects of
means-tested benefits and tax benefits on the
earnings of low-income families; and
(E) improve how poverty and economic well-
being are measured, including through the use
of consumption measures.
(f) Research and Evaluation Conducted Under This Section.--
Research and evaluation conducted under this section designed
to determine the effects of a program or policy (other than
research conducted under subsection (e)) shall use experimental
designs using random assignment or other reliable, evidence-
based research methodologies that allow for the strongest
possible causal inferences when random assignment is not
feasible.
(g) Development of What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and
Promising Approaches to Move Welfare Recipients Into Work.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor, shall develop a database (which
shall be referred to as the ``What Works Clearinghouse
of Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare
Recipients into Work'') of the projects that used a
proven approach or a promising approach in moving
welfare recipients into work, based on independent,
rigorous evaluations of the projects. The database
shall include a separate listing of projects that used
a developmental approach in delivering services and a
further separate listing of the projects with no or
negative effects. The Secretary shall add to the What
Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to
Move Welfare Recipients into Work data about the
projects that, based on an independent, well-conducted
experimental evaluation of a program or project, using
random assignment or other research methodologies that
allow for the strongest possible causal inferences,
have shown they are proven, promising, developmental,
or ineffective approaches.
(2) Criteria for evidence of effectiveness of
approach.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Labor and organizations with experience in
evaluating research on the effectiveness of various
approaches in delivering services to move welfare
recipients into work, shall--
(A) establish criteria for evidence of
effectiveness; and
(B) ensure that the process for establishing
the criteria--
(i) is transparent;
(ii) is consistent across agencies;
(iii) provides opportunity for public
comment; and
(iv) takes into account efforts of
Federal agencies to identify and
publicize effective interventions,
including efforts at the Department of
Health and Human Services, the
Department of Education, and the
Department of Justice.
(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Approach.--The term ``approach'' means a
process, product, strategy, or practice that
is--
(i) research-based, based on the
results of 1 or more empirical studies,
and linked to program-determined
outcomes; and
(ii) evaluated using rigorous
research designs.
(B) Proven approach.--The term ``proven
approach'' means an approach that--
(i) meets the requirements of a
promising approach; and
(ii) has demonstrated significant
positive outcomes at more than 1 site
in terms of increasing work and
earnings of participants, reducing
poverty and dependence, or
strengthening families.
(C) Promising approach.--The term ``promising
approach'' means an approach--
(i) that meets the requirements of
subparagraph (D)(i);
(ii) that has been evaluated using
well-designed and rigorous randomized
controlled or quasi-experimental
research designs;
(iii) that has demonstrated
significant positive outcomes at only 1
site in terms of increasing work and
earnings of participants, reducing
poverty and dependence, or
strengthening families; and
(iv) under which the benefits of the
positive outcomes have exceeded the
costs of achieving the outcomes.
(D) Developmental approach.--The term
``developmental approach'' means an approach
that--
(i) is research-based, grounded in
relevant empirically-based knowledge,
and linked to program-determined
outcomes;
(ii) is evaluated using rigorous
research designs; and
(iii) has yet to demonstrate a
significant positive outcome in terms
of increasing work and earnings of
participants in a cost-effective way.
* * * * * * *
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