HB2462

House of Representatives

welfare reform

Sponsors: Anderson, Marsh; et. al.

DPA	Committee on Human Services
DPA/SE	Committee on Appropriations
X	Caucus and COW	This bill as introduced contains *an Appropriation clause.*
	As Passed the House

HB2462 modifies or expands several Title 46 programs that currently serve Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients, and creates a full-time liaison between the Department of Economic Security (DES) and the faith-based community.

History

Major Arizona welfare reform measures were enacted in Laws 1997, Chapter 300; Laws 1998, Chapter 208; and, Laws 1999, Chapter 328.

Provisions

· Revises eligibility for the Wheels to Work program to be based on an income level of 150 per cent or less of federal poverty level (FPL), rather than on being a recipient of TANF.

· Permits an employed former TANF recipient to apply for Short-Term Crisis Services (STCS) emergency assistance.

· Authorizes an increase in the eligibility period for transportation and post-employment education and training for TANF recipients from the present one year to two years.

· Requires state maintenance of effort (MOE) dollars to be used for TANF recipients who receive less than $100 a month, which removes them from the 60-month “time clock” of TANF eligibility.

· Permits a 100 per cent earned income disregard during the first three months of a TANF recipient’s full-time employment and a 50 per cent earned income disregard for the subsequent six months of full-time employment.

· Appropriates $49,000 from the general fund in FY 2000-2001 to DES to provide the department with a full-time liaison to the faith-based community to explain opportunities for the faith-based community to provide services pursuant to Title 46 and to facilitate relations with DES.

HB2462 was amended in the Human Services Committee as follows:

· Adds emotional harm as a basis for good cause for failure to cooperate with child support enforcement efforts.

· Clarifies that the Wheels to Work program shall serve current and former TANF clients, and parents whose household income is at or below 150 per cent of the federal poverty level. However, current and former TANF clients will have priority.

· Modifies the earned income disregard to be equal to 100 per cent of a person’s income during the first three months of full-time employment and $90 plus an additional 30 per cent of the remaining earned income.

· Modifies the DES FTE position to be a liaison to charitable, religious and nonprofit groups to be funded by a TANF block grant allocation in FY 2000-2001 of $75,000 to cover salary, employee-related and operating expenses.

· Allocates $5 million from the TANF block grant in FY 2000-2001 to DES for domestic violence shelters.

· Makes technical changes.

HB 2462 was amended in the Appropriations committee with a strike‑everything amendment as follows:

Includes all provisions of HB 2462 as amended in the Human Services Committee with the following changes and additions:

Welfare Reform

· Removes language permitting the earned income disregard to be equal to 100 per cent of a person’s income during the first three months of full-time employment and $90 plus an additional 30 per cent of the remaining earned income.

Perinatal Substance Abuse Treatment and Services

· Provides guidelines for the use of monies provided to DHS for perinatal substance abuse treatment and services.

· DHS, DES, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the Governor’s Office of Community and Family Programs, who are signers of the interagency services agreement, shall determine whether an additional request for proposal or an amendment to an existing program will be required to expend the funds appropriated for this treatment and service. The Auditor General shall include a report on the expanded services and additional populations served with these funds.

Pregnancy Prevention Pilot Program

· Establishes under the Department of Health Services (DHS) an after school and summer pregnancy prevention pilot program for pupils in grades four through 10, funded from the TANF block grant.

· DHS shall offer model pregnancy prevention programs that have been scientifically evaluated and determined to be effective. The programs shall include abstinence education, character development, communication skills training, tutoring and supplemental skills.

· DHS shall offer the model programs in five census tracts in Arizona that have the highest teen birth rates according to 1999 data collected by DHS.

· The model programs shall develop programs in cooperation with community-based organizations, juvenile justice agencies, religious organizations, law enforcement agencies and local youth organizations. Families and children must also be involved in planning the model programs.

Marriage and Parenting Skills Program

· Establishes a public school Marriage and Parenting Program fund administered by the Department of Education (ADE). ADE will distribute funds to school districts or charter schools whose plans to implement or continue a marriage and parenting education program have been approved by a newly-formed Marriage and Parenting Skills Commission.

· Creates a Marriage and Parenting Skills Commission consisting of seven voting members, two non-voting advisory members of the Senate, and two non-voting advisory members of the House of Representatives. Members are appointed by either the Governor, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Commission reviews plans submitted by applicant school districts or charter schools for participation in the marriage and parenting program and selects schools eligible to receive funding. It also develops and distributes to marriage license applicants a free handbook on how to have a healthy marriage, and works with DES on a study to determine the fiscal costs of divorce in Arizona and the potential savings of a reduction in the divorce rate.

· Specifies that a public school district or charter school may apply to participate or continue in the marriage and parenting education program for any fiscal year by submitting a proposal or application by April 15. The program proposal must contain a plan for implementing or demonstrating the existence of a marriage and parenting program.

Appropriations

· Allocates $5,520,000 in FY 2000-2001 from the TANF block grant to DES as follows:

· $100,000 to provide vouchers to married or cohabiting parents whose income is below 150 per cent of the federal poverty level to attend marriage skills training courses;

· $2,900,000 for a media campaign to promote the health and societal benefits of marriage;

· $70,000 for a study to determine the fiscal costs of divorce and how much money can be saved by reducing the divorce rate;

· $2,000,000 for emergency domestic violence shelters for victims and their children and monies shall also go towards educating victims of domestic violence of the cycle of domestic violence and how the cycle affects spousal and non-spousal relationships according to data collected by the department of economic security;

· $200,000 for the Hopi tribal council to establish a TANF tribal program on the Hopi reservation;

· $250,000 for perinatal substance abuse treatment and services.

· Allocates $2,530,000 in FY 2000-2001 from the TANF block grant to ADE as follows:

· $2,400,000 for the Marriage and Parenting Program fund established by this bill. Not more than five per cent of the fund shall be used for administrative costs.

· $130,000 for the development and printing of the “How to Have a Healthy Marriage” handbook.

· Allocates $1 million in FY 2000-2001 from the TANF block grant to DHS for the pregnancy prevention pilot program and not more than four per cent shall be used for administrative costs.

· Total TANF funds allocated for FY 2000-2001 are $9,125,000. This includes $75,000 for the DES FTE contained in the Human Services Committee amendment.

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· 44th Legislature Analyst Initials _______

· Second Regular Session February 17, 2000