94-30123. New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: November, 1994

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 235 (Thursday, December 8, 1994)]
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From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30123]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 8, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted 
Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: November, 1994

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice lists new proposals for welfare reform and 
combined welfare reform/Medicaid demonstration projects submitted to 
the Department of Health and Human Services during the month of 
November, 1994. Federal approval for the proposals has been requested 
pursuant to section 1115 of the Social Security Act. This notice also 
lists proposals that were previously submitted and are still pending a 
decision and projects that have been approved since September 27, 1994. 
The Health Care Financing Administration is publishing a separate 
notice for Medicaid only demonstration projects.

COMMENTS: We will accept written comments on these proposals. We will, 
if feasible, acknowledge receipt of all comments, but we will not 
provide written responses to comments. We will, however, neither 
approve nor disapprove any new proposal for at least 30 days after the 
date of this notice to allow time to receive and consider comments. 
Direct comments as indicated below.

ADDRESSES: For specific information or questions on the content of a 
project contact the State contact listed for that project.
    Requests for copies of a project or comments on the project should 
be addressed to: Howard Rolston, Administration for Children and 
Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Aerospace Building, 7th Floor 
West, Washington DC 20447, Fax: [phone] Phone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act (the Act), the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may approve research and 
demonstration project proposals with a broad range of policy 
objectives.
    In exercising her discretionary authority, the Secretary has 
developed a number of policies and procedures for reviewing proposals. 
On September 27, 1994, we published a notice in the Federal Register 
(59 FR 49249) that specified (1) the principles that we ordinarily will 
consider when approving or disapproving demonstration projects under 
the authority in section 1115(a) of the Act; (2) the procedures we 
expect States to use in involving the public in the development of 
proposed demonstration projects under section 1115; and (3) the 
procedures we ordinarily will follow in reviewing demonstration 
proposals. We are committed to a thorough and expeditious review of 
State requests to conduct such demonstrations.

II. Listing of New and Pending Proposals for the Month of November, 
1994

    As part of our procedures, we are publishing a monthly notice in 
the Federal Register of all new and pending proposals. This notice 
contains proposals for the month of November 1994.
    Waiver Title: Arizona--Employing and Moving People Off Welfare and 
Encouraging Responsibility Program
    Description: Would not increase benefits for additional children 
conceived while receiving AFDC; limit benefits to adults to 24 months 
in any 60 month period; allow recipients to deposit up to $200/month 
(with 50% disregarded) in Individual Development Accounts; require 
minor mothers to live with parents; extend Transitional Child Care and 
Medicaid to 24 months and eliminate the 100-hour rule for AFDC-U cases. 
Also, in a pilot site, would provide individuals with short-term 
subsidized public or private OJT subsidized by grant diversion which 
includes cashing-out Food Stamps.
    Date Received: 8/3/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Gail A. Parin, [phone].

    Waiver Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project 
(Amendment).
    Description: Would amend Work Pays Demonstration Project by adding 
provisions to: reduce benefit levels by 10% (but retaining the need 
level); reduce benefits an additional 15% after 6 months on assistance 
for cases with an able-bodied adult; time-limit assistance to able-
bodied adults to 24 months, and not increase benefits for children 
conceived while receiving AFDC.
    Date Received: 3/14/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Glen Brooks, [phone].

    Waiver Title: California--Assistance Payments Demonstration Project 
(Amendment).
    Description: Would amend the Assistance Payments Demonstration 
Project by: exempting certain categories of AFDC families from the 
State's benefit cuts; paying the exempt cases based on grant levels in 
effect in California on November 1, 1992; and renewing the waiver of 
the Medicaid maintenance of effort provision at section 1902(c)(1) of 
the Social Security Act, which was vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court 
of Appeals in its decision in Beno v. Shalala.
    Date Received: 8/26/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Michael C. Genest, [phone].

    Waiver Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project 
(Amendment).
    Description: Would amend Work Pays Demonstration Project by adding 
provisions to not increasing AFDC benefits to families for additional 
children conceived while receiving AFDC.
    Date Received: 11/9/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Eloise Anderson, [phone].

    Waiver Title: California--AFDC and Food Stamp Compatibility 
Demonstration Project.
    Description: Would make AFDC and Food Stamp policy more compatible 
by making AFDC households categorically eligible for Food Stamps; 
allowing recipients to deduct 40 percent of self-employment income in 
reporting monthly income; disregarding $100 per quarter in non-
recurring gifts and irregular/infrequent income; disregarding 
undergraduate student assistance and work study income if payments are 
based on need; reinstating food stamp benefits discontinued for failure 
to file a monthly report when good cause is found for the failure; and 
simplifying vehicle valuation methodology.
    Date Received: 5/23/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Michael C. Genest, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Georgia--Work for Welfare Project.
    Description: Work for Welfare Project. In 10 pilot counties would 
require every non-exempt recipient and non-supporting parent to work up 
to 20 hours per month in a state, local government, federal agency or 
nonprofit organization; extends job search; and increases sanctions for 
JOBS noncompliance. On a statewide basis, would increase the automobile 
exemption to $4,500 and disregard earned income of children who are 
full-time students.
    Date Received: 6/30/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Nancy Meszaros, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Indiana--Manpower, Placement and Comprehensive 
Training Program.
    Description: Would limit AFDC benefits to 24 months for ``jobs-
ready'' individuals assigned to a placement track; provide preferential 
treatment in other Federal assistance programs during the time limit; 
freeze AFDC benefits at initial payment level for the 24 months and 
Food Stamp benefits for 6 months after initial employment; not increase 
AFDC benefits for birth of additional children; make development of 
personal responsibility agreement and cooperation with self-sufficiency 
plan a condition of eligibility; deny eligibility to: applicants who 
quit employment without cause within the prior 6 months, individuals 
convicted of welfare fraud, and parents who obtain physical custody of 
children for sole purpose of obtaining AFDC eligibility; extend grant 
diversion to up to 24 months and allow its use for child care and 
training and development projects; eliminate 100-hours of work rule for 
AFDC-UP; require children to attend school and be immunized; increase 
resource limit to $1500; extend transitional child care to 18 months; 
provide only one-time JOBS exemption for care of child under 3 years of 
age; eliminate JOBS participation rate and target group expenditure 
requirements; impose minimum JOBS/E&T sanction of two month AFDC/Food 
Stamp ineligibility; eliminate JOBS exemption for VISTA volunteers, 
recipients living in rural/hard to access areas, and those employed 30 
or more hours per week; extend post-employment support services, 
including case management; require minors to live with responsible 
adult; require that Food Stamp program fair hearing requests be in 
writing; enact other changes making AFDC and Food Stamp eligibility and 
JOBS/E&T compliance rules compatible and allowing eligibility and 
program services to be administered differently in accordance to 
community needs.
    Date Received: 6/21/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: James M. Hmurovich, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Kansas--Actively Creating Tomorrow for Families 
Demonstration.
    Description: Would, after 30 months of participation in JOBS, make 
adults ineligible for AFDC for 3 years; replace $30 and 1/3 income 
disregard with continuous 40% disregard; disregard lump sum income and 
income and resources of children in school; count income and resources 
of family members who receive SSI; exempt one vehicle without regard 
for equity value if used to produce income; allow only half AFDC 
benefit increase for births of a second child to families where the 
parent is not working and eliminate increase for the birth of any child 
if families already have at least two children; eliminate 100-hour rule 
and work history requirements for UP cases; expand AFDC eligibility to 
pregnant women in 1st and 2nd trimesters; extend Medicaid transitional 
benefits to 24 months; eliminate various JOBS requirements, including 
those related to target groups, participation rate of UP cases and the 
20-hour work requirement limit for parents with children under 6; 
require school attendance; require minors in AFDC and NPA Food Stamps 
cases to live with a guardian; make work requirements and penalties in 
the AFDC and Food Stamp programs more uniform; and increase sanctions 
for not cooperating with child support enforcement activities.
    Date Received: 7/26/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Faith Spencer [phone].

    Waiver Title: Maine--Project Opportunity.
    Description: Increase participation in Work Supplementation to 18 
months; use Work Supplementation for any opening; use diverted grant 
funds for vouchers for education, training or support services; and 
extend transitional Medicaid and child care to 24 months.
    Date Received: 8/5/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Susan L. Dustin [phone].

    Welfare Title: Maryland--Welfare Reform Project.
    Description: Statewide, eliminate increased AFDC benefit for 
additional children conceived while receiving AFDC and require minor 
parents to reside with a guardian. In pilot site, require able-bodied 
recipients to do community service work after 18 months of AFDC 
receipt; impose full-family sanction on cases where JOBS non-exempt 
parent fails to comply with JOBS for 9 months; eliminate 100-hour rule 
and work history requirements for AFDC-UP cases; increase both auto and 
resource limits to $5000; disregard income of dependent children; 
provide one-time payment in lieu of ongoing assistance; require teens 
parent to continue education and attend family health and parenting 
classes; extend JOBS services to unemployed non-custodial parents; and 
for work supplementation cases cash-out food stamps.
    Date Received: 3/1/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Katherine L. Cook [phone].

    Waiver Title: Massachusetts--Employment Support Program.
    Description: Would end cash assistance to most AFDC families, 
requiring recipients who could not find full-time unsubsidized 
employment after 60 days of AFDC receipt to do community service and 
job search to earn a cash ``subsidy'' that would make family income 
equal to the applicable payment standard; provide direct distribution 
of child support collections to, and cash-out food stamps for, those 
who obtain jobs; continue child care for working families as long as 
they are income-eligible (but requiring sliding scale co-payment); 
restrict JOBS education and training services to those working at least 
25 hours per week; extend transitional Medicaid for a total of 24 
months; and require teen parents to live with guardian or in a 
supportive living arrangement and attend school.
    Date Received: 3/22/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Joseph Gallant [phone].

    Waiver Title: Mississippi--A New Direction Demonstration Program.
    Description: Two work programs would be implemented in different 
locales, one of which would expand earned income disregards, and the 
other would emphasize work supplementation. Statewide, would eliminate 
increased AFDC benefit for additional children conceived while 
receiving AFDC, require school attendance and immunizations, and 
implement other provisions.
    Date Received: 12/10/93.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Larry Temple [phone].

    Waiver Title: Missouri--Families Mutual Responsibility Plan.
    Description: Require minor parents in live at home or in other 
adult-supervised setting; disregard parental income of minor parents if 
less than 100% of Federal Poverty Guidelines; disregard earnings of 
minor parents if they are students; provide option to standard filing 
unit requirements for households with minor parents; eliminate work 
history and 100-hour rule for two-parent families under 21 yrs old; 
exclude the value of one automobile.
    Date Received: 8/15/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Greg Vadner [phone].

    Waiver Title: Montana--Achieving Independence for Montanans.
    Description: Would establish: (1) Job Supplement Program consisting 
of a set of AFDC-related benefits to assist individuals at risk of 
becoming dependent upon welfare; (2) AFDC Pathways Program in which all 
applicants must enter into a Family Investment Contract and adults' 
benefits would be limited to a maximum of 24 months for single parents 
and 18 months for AFDC-UP families; and (3) Community Services Program 
requiring 20 hours per week for individuals who reach the AFDC time 
limit but have not achieved self-sufficiency. The office culture would 
also be altered in conjunction with a program offering a variety of 
components and services; and simplify/unify AFDC and Food Stamp intake/
eligibility process by: (1) Eliminating AFDC deprivation requirement 
and monthly reporting and Food Stamp retrospective budgeting; (2) 
unifying program requirements; (3) simplifying current income disregard 
policies. Specific provisions provide for cashing out food stamps, 
expanding eligibility for two-parent cases, increasing earned income 
and child care disregards and resource limits, and extending 
transitional child care.
    Date Received: 4/19/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Penny Robbe [phone].

    Waiver Title: Nebraska--Welfare Reform Waiver Demonstration.'
    Description: Would assign recipients with mental, emotional or 
physical barriers to self-sufficiency or who do not have parental 
responsibility for the children to a Non-Time-Limited Program and 
require all other recipients to choose either a Time-Limited, High 
Disregards Program or a Time-Limited, Alternative Benefit Program. 
Under all three programs would eliminate increase in benefits for birth 
of children conceived while receiving AFDC; raise resource limits to 
$5,000 and exclude the value of one vehicle; require school attendance; 
deem, to the family, income of parents living with a minor parent in 
excess of 300% of the poverty level, but where minor parent lives 
independently, secure support from the minor's parents. Under the Time-
Limited, High Disregards Program, would provide cash assistance for a 
total of 24 months during a 48 month period (with provisions for 
certain exemptions and extensions); cash-out Food Stamps; reduce AFDC 
payments, but replace earned income disregards with a disregard of 60% 
of earned income; require all adult wage earners to participate in 
educational job skills training, work experience, intensive job search, 
or employment; make employment a JOBS component, but only for a job 
deemed to lead to self-sufficiency; extend job search requirements; 
require both parents in two-parent families to participate in JOBS; 
impose first JOBS sanction for a least one month, the second for at 
least 90 days and the third permanently; extend transitional Medicaid 
and child care to 24 months; eliminate 100 hour rule and work place 
attachment requirements for AFDC-UP cases. Under the Time Limited, 
Alternative Benefit Program the same provisions would apply except that 
recipients of this program would have somewhat higher benefits, but 
with the current earned income disregards.
    Date Received: 10/4/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Dan Cillessen, [phone].

    Waiver Title: New Hampshire--Earned Income Disregard Demonstration 
Project.
    Description: AFDC applicants and recipients would have the $200 
plus \1/2\ the remaining earned income disregarded.
    Date Received: 9/20/93.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Avis L. Crane, [phone].

    Waiver Title: New Mexico--Untitled Project.
    Description: Would increase vehicle asset limit to $4500; disregard 
earned income of students; develop an AFDC Intentional Program 
Violation procedure identical to Food Stamps; and allow one individual 
to sign declaration of citizenship for entire case.
    Date Received: 7/7/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Scott Chamberlin, [phone].

    Waiver Title: North Dakota--Training, Education, Employment and 
Management Project.
    Description: Would require families to develop a social contract 
specifying time-limit for becoming self-sufficient; combine AFDC, Food 
Stamps and LIHEAP into single cash payment with simplified uniform 
income, expense and resource exclusions; increase income disregards and 
exempt stepparent's income for six months; increase resource limit to 
$5000 for one recipient and $8000 for families with two or more 
recipients; exempt value of one vehicle; eliminate 100-hour rule for 
AFDC-UP; impose a progressive sanction for non-cooperation in JOBS or 
with child support; require a minimum of 32 hours of paid employment 
and non-paid work; require participation in EPSDT; and eliminate child 
support pass-through.
    Date Received: 9/9/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Kevin Iverson, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Ohio--A State of Opportunity Project.
    Description: Three demonstration components proposed would test 
provisions which: divert AFDC and Food Stamp benefits to a wage pool to 
supplement wages of at least $8/hour; eliminate 100-hour rule for UP 
cases; provide fill-the-gap budgeting for 12 months from month of 
employment; increase child support pass-through to $75; provide a one-
time bonus of $150 for paternity establishment; provide an additional 6 
months of transitional child care; increase automobile asset limit to 
$4500 equity value; require regular school attendance by 6 to 19 year 
olds; continue current LEAP demo waivers (i.e., eliminate many JOBS 
exemptions and provide incentive payments and sanctions); and disregard 
JTPA earnings without time limit.
    Date Received: 5/28/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Joel Rabb, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Oklahoma--Mutual Agreement, A Plan for Success.
    Description: Oklahoma Five pilot demonstrations would test 
provisions which: (1) Eliminate 100-hour rule for UP cases; (2) 
increase auto asset level to $5000; (3) time-limit AFDC receipt to 
cases with non-exempt JOBS participants to 36 cumulative months in a 60 
month period followed by mandatory workfare program; (4) provide 
intensive case management; and (5) apply fill-the-gap budgeting.
    Date Received: 2/24/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Raymond Haddock, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Oregon--Expansion of the Transitional Child Care 
Program.
    Description: Provide transitional child care benefits without 
regard to months of prior receipt of AFDC and provide benefits for 24 
months.
    Dated Received: 8/8/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Jim Neely, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Oregon--Increased AFDC Motor Vehicle Limit.
    Description: Would increase automobile asset limit to $9000.
    Dated Received: 11/12/93.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Jim Neely, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Pennsylvania--School Attendance Improvement Program.
    Description: In 7 sites, would require school attendance as 
condition of eligibility.
    Dated Received: 9/12/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, [phone].

    Waiver Title: South Carolina--Self-Sufficiency and Parental 
Responsibility Program.
    Description: In pilot sites, would increase earned income 
disregards; disregard earned income of children, interest, dividends, 
and payments by the Employment Security Commission or DOD, and allow 
stepparents same earnings disregard as recipients; relax parental 
deprivation requirements for AFDC-U cases; disregard the cash value of 
one vehicle and life insurance and increase resource limit to $3000; 
and require participants to comply with individualized, time-limited, 
self-sufficiency plan as a condition of welfare receipt, placing 
recipients in public or private work experience if an unsubsidized job 
is not found.
    Dated Received: 6/13/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Linda Martin, [phone].

    Waiver Title: Washington--Success Through Employment Program.
    Description: Eliminate 100-hour rule and work history requirements 
for AFDC-UP cases and subtract client earnings from 55 percent of the 
State need standard rather than the payment standard.
    Dated Received: 11/16/93.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Laurel Evans, [phone].

III. Listing of Approved Proposals Since September 27, 1994

    Waiver Title: Michigan--To Strengthen Michigan Families.
    Contact Person: Daniel Cleary, [phone].

    Waiver Title: New York--New York's Welfare Reform Agenda: A Jobs 
First Strategy.
    Contact Person: Diane Bailargeon, [phone].
    Waiver Title: Pennsylvania--Pathways to Independence.
    Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, [phone].

IV. Requests for Copies of a Proposal

    Requests for copies of an AFDC or combined AFDC/Medicaid proposal 
should be directed to the Administration for Children and Families 
(ACF) at the address listed above. Questions concerning the content of 
a proposal should be directed to the State contact listed for the 
proposal.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program, No. 93562; 
Assistance Payments--Research.)

    Dated: December 1, 1994.
Howard Rolston,
Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 94-30123 Filed 12-7-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P