Taxes / Fees

Corrections

Juvenile Justice

Transportation

Medicaid

Medicare

Welfare

Technology

Environment

Higher Education

K-12 Education

Performance Management

Nasbo Home Page

Welfare

Background

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, signed on August 22, 1997, replaced the 60-year old Aid to Families with Depended Children with the Temporary Assistance to Needy (TANF) families program. Under the new TANF program states are given broad authority to implement income security programs that promote work and personal independence. The 1996 law and the subsequent 1997 legislation, have had far reaching consequences not only on cash assistance, but also in a variety of related areas, including:

1. child support; http://epn.org/clasp/child.html
2. legal immigrants; http://www.ncsl.org/statefed/ipphmpg.htm
3. child care;
4. job training activities; http://newfederalism.urban.org/html/anf_a7.htm
5. foodstamps; http://www.usda.gov/fcs/welfare.htm and,
6. supplemental security income v05n01.htm .

State Programs

Following existing waivers, newly revised state plans, and new state legislation; states have begun to implement innovative programs, with programs varying widely. The latest information on specific state initiatives, as well as information of all state’s welfare agencies is available through News in the States section of the American Public Welfare Association web page. The structural reforms implemented by the states combined with the robust economy have contributed to significant welfare caseload reductions across the country.

Fiscal Issues

Under the new TANF program, states continue to have financial responsibility through maintenance of effort requirements, with three basic strategies to meet the requirements. The challenge for states will come in the next few years as federal block grant levels remain constant; an especially difficult challenge if the economy falters. States will no longer be able to rely on increased federal aid as caseloads increase. Rather states will need to access limited federal contingency funds or use state established rainy day funds.

Websites

The Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.acf.dhhs.gov

U.S. Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov

U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service http://www.ins.usdoj.gov

Food and Consumer Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/fcs

U.S. House of Representative Ways and Means Committee, 1996 Green Book http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/wm001.html

American Public Welfare Association www.apwa.org

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities http://www.cbpp.org

Center for Law and Social Policy http://www.clasp.org

National Conference of State Legislatures, www.ncsl.org

National Governor’s Association www.nga.org

The Urban Institute’s New Federalism Project http://newfederalism.urban.org

Welfare Information Network www.welfareinfo.org

Also, contact a state budget analyst directly through NASBO’s Welfare Analyst Directory.

For further
information
please contact:

Email: jills@sso.org