96-3300. New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: December 1995 and January 1996  

  • [Federal Register Volume 61, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 1996)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 5780-5785]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 96-3300]
    
    
    
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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: December 1995 
    and January 1996
    
    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 for the months of December, 
    1995 and January, 1996. It includes both those proposals being 
    considered under the standard waiver process and those being considered 
    under the 30 day process. 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 
    December 1, 1995. 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 new proposals under the standard application 
    process 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.
        Comments on a proposal or requests for copies of a proposal should 
    be addressed to: Howard Rolston, Administration for Children and 
    Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Aerospace Building, 7th Floor 
    West, Washington DC 20447. Fax: (202) 205-3598 Phone: (202) 401-9220.
    
    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 
    
    [[Page 5781]]
    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.
        On August 16, 1995, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal 
    Register (60 FR 42574) exercising her discretion to request proposals 
    testing welfare reform strategies in five areas. Since such projects 
    can only incorporate provisions included in that announcement, they are 
    not subject to the Federal notice procedures. The Secretary proposed a 
    30 day approval process for those provisions. As previously noted, this 
    notice lists all new or pending welfare reform demonstration proposals 
    under section 1115. Where possible, we have identified the proposals 
    being considered under the 30 day process. However, the Secretary 
    reserves the right to exercise her discretion to consider any proposal 
    under the 30 day process if it meets the criteria in the five specified 
    areas and the State requests it or concurs.
    
    II. Listing of New and Pending Proposals for the Months of December, 
    1995 and January, 1996
    
        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 months of December, 1995 and January, 1996.
    
        Project 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, (916) 657-3291.
    
        Project 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: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
    
        Project Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project 
    (Amendment).
        Description: Would amend the 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: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
        Project Title: Florida--Family Responsibility Act.
        Description: Statewide, would require dependent children and 
    caretaker relatives under age 18 to remain in school; pay half the AFDC 
    benefit increment for the first child conceived by an AFDC recipient 
    and provide no cash benefits for a second or subsequent child; exclude 
    from the AFDC budget child support payments for children subject to the 
    family cap; require AFDC recipients not participating in JOBS or 
    actively seeking employment to engage in 20 hours per week of community 
    employment or work experience.
        Date Received: 10/4/95.
        Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: New.
        Contact Person: Sallie P. Linton, (904) 921-5572.
    
        Project Title: Georgia--Jobs First Project.
        Description: In ten pilot counties, would replace AFDC payment with 
    paid employment; extend transitional Medicaid to 24 months; eliminate 
    100 hour employment rule for eligibility determination in AFDC-UP 
    cases.
        Date Received: 7/5/94.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending (not previously published).
        Contact Person: Nancy Meszaros, (404) 657-3608.
    
        Project Title: Hawaii--Families Are Better Together.
        Description: Statewide, would eliminate 100-hour, attachment to the 
    work force, 30 day unemployment and principal wage earner criteria for 
    AFDC-UP families.
        Date Received: 5/22/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Patricia Murakami, (808) 586-5230.
    
        Project Title: Illinois--Six Month Paternity Establishment 
    Demonstration.
        Description: In 20 counties, would require the establishment of 
    paternity, unless good cause exists, within 6 months of application or 
    redetermination as a condition of AFDC and Medicaid eligibility for 
    both mother and child; would deny Medicaid to children age 7 and under, 
    exclude children from filing rules, and exempt Department from making 
    protective payments to eligible children, when custodial parent has not 
    cooperated in establishing paternity; delegate the establishment of 
    paternity in uncontested cases to caseworkers who perform assistance 
    payment or social service functions under title IV-A or XX.
        Date Received: 7/18/95.
        TITLE: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.
    
        Project Title: Indiana--Impacting Families Welfare Reform 
    Demonstration--Amendments.
        Description: Statewide, proposes expansions and amendments to 
    current demonstration to impose a lifetime 24-month limit on cash 
    assistance and categorical Medicaid eligibility (12 months for resident 
    alien); allow 1 month AFDC credit (to a maximum of 24 at any one time) 
    for each 6 consecutive months full-time employment; count each month of 
    AFDC receipt from another state within the previous 3 years as 1 month 
    against the lifetime limit; restrict permissible ``specified 
    relatives'' for AFDC children and minor parents; extend AFDC, Medicaid, 
    and food stamp fraud disqualification penalties; establish 3 unexcused 
    absences per year as the statewide definition of unacceptable school 
    attendance; provide a voucher equal to 50% of assistance amount for 
    family cap child for goods and services related to child care; divert 
    AFDC grants to subsidize child care costs; establish an option for an 
    employed AFDC recipient to receive guaranteed child care or an AFDC 
    payment equal to the family's benefit before employment; require a 
    child's mother to establish paternity as a condition of eligibility for 
    
    
    [[Page 5782]]
    the child and the caretaker; establish additional conditions of 
    eligibility for AFDC; impose penalties for illegal drug use; base CWEP 
    hours on the combined value of AFDC and Medicaid assistance; make JOBS 
    volunteers subject to the same sanctions as mandatory participants; 
    continue eligibility for AFDC recipients until countable income reaches 
    100% of the federal poverty guidelines; expand voluntary quit 
    definition and penalties; impose income limits on transitional Medicaid 
    and child care and limit each to 12 months in a person's lifetime; with 
    some exceptions, deny Medicaid under all coverage provisions to those 
    determined ineligible as a result of AFDC welfare reform provisions; 
    restrict Medicaid payments made to employees with employer's health 
    care benefits to the lesser of the employee's insurance premium or the 
    amount the state would otherwise pay; and require minor parents to live 
    with a legally responsible adult and count the income and resources of 
    non-parent adults.
        Date Received: 12/14/95.
        Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: New.
        Contact Person: James H. Hmurovich, (317) 232-4704.
    
        Project 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, (913) 296-0775.
    
        Project Title: Louisiana--Individual Responsibility Project.
        Description: Statewide, would limit AFDC benefits to 24 months out 
    of a 60 month period for able-bodied recipients with extensions where 
    the individual has been actively seeking employment, where job 
    availability is unfavorable, where the individual loses a job for 
    factors unrelated to his job performance, or where the individual 
    requires up to one year to complete employment related education or 
    training; require each child to attend school and be immunized or the 
    child will be removed from the budget group; and applies a full family 
    sanction where the parent has declined or refused an opportunity for 
    full-time employment, without good cause.
        Date Received: 9/22/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Sammy Guillory, (504) 342-4089.
    
        Project Title: Maine--Welfare to Work Program.
        Description: Statewide, would require caretaker relatives to sign a 
    family contract; require participation in parenting classes and health 
    care services; provide one-time vendor payments in lieu of AFDC for the 
    purpose of obtaining/retaining employment; provide voucher payments to 
    both married and unmarried minor parents; limit JOBS exemptions; expand 
    eligibility for Transitional Medicaid and Child Care and replace 
    sliding-scale fees with flat-rate fees; reduce Transitional Medicaid 
    reporting requirements; disregard entire value of one vehicle; and 
    apply any federal savings to the JOBS program services. In selected 
    sites, implement ASPIRE-Plus, a subsidized employment program, would 
    cash out food stamps, divert AFDC benefits and pass through all child 
    support collected to families who participate in ASPIRE-Plus.
        Date Received: 9/20/95.
        Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Susan Dustin, (207) 287-3104.
    
        Project Title: Mississippi--A New Direction Demonstration Program--
    Amendment.
        Description: Requests amendments to the Work First Component 
    (operating in Adams, Harrison, Hinds, Jones, Lee and Washington 
    counties) of the Mississippi New Direction Demonstration Project which 
    would: provide transitional Medicaid and child care to AFDC families 
    even if they have not received AFDC for at least three months; and 
    permit JOBS sanctions to be imposed for exempt clients that volunteer 
    for JOBS and then drop out without good cause.
        Date Received: 11/20/95.
        Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Larry Temple, (601) 359-4476.
    
        Project Title: New Hampshire--Earned Income Disregard Demonstration 
    Project.
        Description: AFDC applicants and recipients would have the first 
    $200 plus \1/2\ the remaining earned income disregarded.
        Date Received: 9/20/93.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Avis L. Crane, (603) 271-4255.
    
        Project Title: New Hampshire--New Hampshire Employment Program and 
    Family Assistance Program.
        Description: Statewide, would replace AFDC with Employment Program 
    administered by both Employment Security Agency and Family Assistance 
    Program; require job search and other employment-related activities for 
    first 26 weeks of receipt followed by work-related activities for 26 
    weeks; eliminate JOBS target group funding requirement and change JOBS 
    reporting requirements; require recipients attending post-secondary or 
    part-time vocational training to participate in work-related 
    activities; eliminate JOBS services priority for volunteers; establish 
    limits for provision of transportation and other JOBS services based on 
    activity and local conditions; eliminate remoteness as exemption from 
    JOBS; require non-custodial parents to participate in JOBS; increase 
    earned income disregard to 50%; eliminate AFDC-UP eligibility 
    requirements; allow transitional case management for up to one year; 
    raise resource limit to $2,000 and exclude one vehicle and life 
    insurance policies; pass through child support directly to family; take 
    SSI income into account in determining eligibility/payment; eliminate 
    conciliation and apply JOBS sanction of 50% of AFDC benefits for three 
    months followed by no payment for three months, allowing option to 
    increase initial sanction up to 100%; exempt pregnant women from JOBS 
    only during third trimester; for minor parents cases, include in 
    assistance unit any parent or sibling living in the home; eliminate 
    gross income test; disregard educational grants; allow emergency 
    assistance for 
    
    [[Page 5783]]
    families with employment-related barriers; allow State to eliminate the 
    certificate option for child care and development block grant funds and 
    use of these funds for capital improvement; eliminate ceiling on At 
    Risk Child Care funds; provide that FFP for AFDC not be reduced during 
    life of demonstration; fund computer system modifications at 80% FFP; 
    require pregnant recipients to cooperate with child support; require 
    that AFDC apply for Medicaid as a unit and not individually; eliminate 
    requirement of receipt of AFDC for 3 of last 6 months in order to 
    receive transitional Medicaid; and allow State to require that some 
    individuals be assigned to a managed care program; substitute outcome 
    measures for JOBS participation rates; change participation 
    requirements for parents with children under 6, UP recipients and 
    minors; establish a medical deduction; increase the sanction for non-
    cooperation with child support; exempt individuals with significant 
    employment barriers from JOBS; treat lump sum income and all real 
    property, except a home, as a resource; and use 20% of gross earned 
    income as a Medicaid disregard. Also contains various Food Stamp 
    waivers.
        Date Received: 9/18/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Marianne Broshek, (603) 271-4442.
    
        Project Title: New Hampshire--New Hampshire Employment Program.
        Description: In three pilot sites, would require work after 6 
    months of AFDC receipt; eliminate the exemption from JOBS for women in 
    the second trimester of pregnancy; eliminate the JOBS exemption for 
    caretaker of a child under 3 but not less than 1 year of age; replace 
    the earned income disregard of $90 and $30 and \1/3\ with a 50% 
    disregard which is not time-limited; raise the resource limit for 
    recipients to $2,000; disregard full value of one vehicle per adult for 
    applicants and recipients; apply a full family sanction voluntarily 
    quitting a job or refusing to accept a job; apply a sanction of 
    reducing the payment standard by 30% for one month for failure to 
    comply with JOBS in the first instance, by 60% in the second instance 
    for one month, and in the third instance apply a full-family sanction 
    for three months or until compliance; and require non-custodial parents 
    to participate in JOBS.
        Date Received: 10/6/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Marianne Broshek, (603) 271-4442.
    
        Project Title: North Carolina--Work First Program.
        Description: Statewide would eliminate increase in AFDC benefits 
    resulting from a birth of a child, limit JOBS exemptions, require a 
    self-sufficiency contract, and limit AFDC receipt to 24 cumulative 
    months. Families who reach the time limit could not reapply for 3 
    years. The contract would require: cooperation with child support; 
    child immunizations and medical check-ups; school attendance; and that 
    teen parents live with a parent/adult and graduate from high school. 
    Failure to sign the contract would result in denial of the AFDC 
    application. Failure to comply would result in the loss of the adult's 
    AFDC benefits and (starting with the second sanction) Medicaid coverage 
    for a minimum of: 3 months for the first sanction, 3 months for the 
    second, 6 months for the third, and 3 years for the fourth. The State 
    would offer new applicants a one-time payment in lieu of AFDC; expand 
    AFDC-UP eligibility; raise the resource limit to $3,000 and the vehicle 
    asset limit to $5,000 for AFDC and Food Stamps; and provide for 
    automatic food stamps eligibility for AFDC-eligible families.
        Date Received: 9/20/95.
        Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Kevin Fitzgerald, (919) 733-3055.
    
        Project Title: North Carolina--Cabarrus County Work Over Welfare 
    Demonstration Project.
        Description: In Cabarrus County, would require AFDC and Food Stamps 
    applicants and recipients, with exemptions, to sign an agreement to 
    participate in employment and training for up to 40 hours per week; 
    would divert AFDC and Food Stamps benefits to private employers to 
    supplement wages; and would disregard those wages for AFDC, Food 
    Stamps, and Medicaid eligibility (for NPA participants). Also, would 
    extend the $30 and \1/3\ disregard to 2 years for unsubsidized 
    earnings. Individuals who do not comply would be denied AFDC, Food 
    Stamps, and Medicaid (unless pregnant) according to the following 
    schedule: first, until compliance; second: for a minimum of 4 months; 
    and third and subsequently: for a minimum of 8 months. Adults who do 
    not sign an agreement would be denied AFDC, Food Stamps, and Medicaid 
    (unless pregnant) until they sign.
        Date Received: 10/5/95.
        Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Kevin Fitzgerald, (919) 733-3055.
    
        Project Title: Ohio--Ohio First.
        Description: Statewide, would replace current earned income 
    disregards with $250 and \1/2\ for twelve months for recipients; 
    eliminate the work history requirement for married parents in AFDC-UP 
    cases; eliminate 100-hour rule for AFDC-UP; disregard of stepparent 
    income for four months; increase the vehicle asset limit; use 
    established vacancies for subsidized employment slots; require 
    applicant job search as a condition of family eligibility; maintain 
    food stamp benefit levels when the AFDC benefit is reduced as a result 
    of sanction; impose progressive sanctions for noncompliance with JOBS 
    leading to whole family sanctions; establish that failure to comply 
    with JOBS equates to failure to comply with work program requirements 
    under the Food Stamp Program; limit AFDC eligibility to 36 months out 
    of any 60 month period, unless exempt; allow the IV-D agency to 
    determine good cause for noncooperation with Child Support Enforcement; 
    change penalty for failure to cooperate with Child Support provisions 
    to include a whole family sanction if the failure continues for two 
    years; change penalty for fraud to include ineligibility for all 
    assistance unit members until payments received fraudulently have been 
    repaid; require development and signing of a self-sufficiency contract 
    as a condition of eligibility for the assistance unit; require pregnant 
    women receiving Medicaid to participate in substance abuse screening as 
    part of prenatal care; implement sanctions for failure to cooperate 
    with substance abuse screening leading to whole family sanctions.
        Date Received: 10/27/95.
        Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Joel Rabb, (614) 466-3196.
    
        Project Title: Oklahoma--Welfare Self-Sufficiency Initiative.
        Description: In four pilots conducted in five counties each, would 
    (1) extend transitional child care to up to 24 months; (2) require that 
    all children through age 18 be immunized and require that responsible 
    adults with preschool age children participate in parent education or 
    enroll the children in Head Start or other preschool program; (3) not 
    increase AFDC benefits after birth of additional children, but provide 
    voucher payment for the increment of cash benefits that would have been 
    received until the child is two years old; and (4) pay lesser of AFDC 
    benefit or previous state of residence or Oklahoma's for 12 months for 
    new residents. 
    
    [[Page 5784]]
    
        Date Received: 10/27/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Raymond Haddock, (405) 521-3076.
    
        Project Title: Oregon--Oregon Option.
        Description: As a statewide project, would incorporate waivers 
    already approved in 1992 for JOBS Welfare Program and in 1994 for the 
    JOBS Plus Demonstration with previously pending waiver requests to 
    increase vehicle asset limit and extend transitional child care. 
    Requests guaranteed level of federal funding, with funds not used for 
    benefits to be used for other community support or prevention programs. 
    Also would, with some exceptions, limit receipt of AFDC benefits to no 
    more than 24 out of 84 months for families with employable parents; 
    allow case manager to determine JOBS exemptions on an individual basis; 
    eliminate the time restrictions on job search; impose progressive 
    sanctions, leading to full-family ineligibility, for non-compliance 
    with JOBS; require ineligible alien parents of AFDC children to 
    participate in JOBS; require counseling for recipients with substance 
    abuse problems; require teen parents to live in an adult-supervised 
    setting; discontinue the AFDC-UP program from June through September 
    each year and eliminate the 100-hour rule and work history 
    requirements; increase asset limit to $2,500 for non-JOBS participants 
    and $10,000 for JOBS participants, and treat lump-sum payments as an 
    asset; require annual AFDC eligibility redeterminations; modify the 
    rules for potential liability under Electronic Benefit Transfer.
        Date Received: 7/10/95.
        Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.
    
        Project 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.
        Date Received: 8/8/94.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.
    
        Project Title: Oregon--Increased AFDC Motor Vehicle Limit.
        Description: Would increase automobile asset limit to $9000.
        Date Received: 11/12/93.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.
    
        Project Title: Pennsylvania--School Attendance Improvement Program.
        Description: In 7 sites, would require school attendance as 
    condition of eligibility..
        Date Received: 9/12/94.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, (717) 787-4081.
    
        Project Title: Pennsylvania--Savings for Education Program.
        Description: Statewide, would exempt as resources college savings 
    bonds and funds in savings accounts earmarked for vocational or 
    secondary education and disregard interest income earned from such 
    accounts..
        Date Received: 12/29/94.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, (717) 787-4081.
    
        Project Title: South Carolina--Family Independence Program.
        Description: Statewide, would, with exceptions, time limit AFDC 
    benefits to families with able bodied adults to 24 months out of 120 
    months, not to exceed 60 months in a lifetime; eliminate increase in 
    AFDC benefit resulting from birth of children 10 or more months after 
    the family begins AFDC receipt, but provide benefits to such children 
    in the form of vouchers for goods and services permitting child's 
    mother to participate in education, training, and employment-related 
    activities; eliminate deprivation requirements, principal earner 
    provisions, work history requirements, and 100-hour rule for AFDC-UP; 
    increase AFDC resource limit to $2,500 and disregard as resources one 
    vehicle with a market value up to $10,000, the balance in an Individual 
    Development Account (IDA) up to $10,000, and the cash value of life 
    insurance; disregard from income up to $10,000 in lump sum payments 
    deposited in an IDA within 30 days of receipt, earned income of 
    children attending school, and interest and dividend income up to $400; 
    require participation in a family skills training program; require 
    certain AFDC recipients to submit to random drug tests and/or 
    participate in alcohol or drug treatment; require children to attend 
    school; increase amount of child support passed through to AFDC 
    recipients; require more extensive information for child support 
    enforcement purposes; modify JOBS exemptions and good cause criteria, 
    and increase sanctions for non-compliance; make job search a condition 
    of eligibility; allow non-custodial parents of AFDC children to 
    participate in JOBS; pay transitional grant equaling 3 percent of the 
    maximum family grant following employment; and provide transitional 
    grant Medicaid and child care for 12 months from the date of employment 
    for cases previously closed due to time limit.
        Date Received: 6/12/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Linda Martin (804) 737-6010.
    
        Project Title: Texas--Achieving Change for Texans.
        Description: Statewide, would implement requirement for a personal 
    responsibility agreement which addresses issues such as child support 
    cooperation, early medical screening for children, work requirements, 
    drug and alcohol abuse, school attendance, and parenting skills 
    training; would limit the caretaker exemption from employment services, 
    disregard the earned income and resources from earnings of a child, set 
    resource limits which promote independence from AFDC, eliminate work 
    history and 100-hour rules for otherwise eligible two-parent families. 
    In Bexar County would time-limit AFDC benefits to 12, 24, and 36 months 
    depending on education and job experience, with extensions of the time-
    limit based on severe personal hardship, or in cases where the State 
    could not provide supportive services, or the where the local economy 
    was in such state that the recipient could not reasonably be expected 
    to find employment, if State funds are available to continue 
    assistance. Transitional Medicaid and child care services would be 
    provided to individuals who exhaust their time-limited cash benefits. 
    In two metropolitan statistical areas establish Individual Development 
    Accounts to promote the transition to independence from AFDC, through 
    allowable account deductions for education, business start-up costs and 
    the like. In Fort Bend County would allow at recipient option, one-time 
    AFDC cash emergency assistance payments of $1,000 in lieu of ongoing 
    regular AFDC payments with prohibition from applying for regular AFDC 
    for a period of 12 months from date of receipt. In Dallas-Fort Worth 
    would require electronic imaging (fingerprinting combined with 
    photographic identification).
        Date Received: 10/6/95.
        TItle: AFDC/Medicaid.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Kent Gummerman, (512) 438-3743.
    
        Project Title: Utah--Untitled.
        Description: Statewide, would exclude the value of a vehicle for 
    AFDC 
    
    [[Page 5785]]
    recipient families, including those also receiving Food Stamps. Would 
    not apply to initial eligibility determination.
        Date Received: 10/3/95.
        Type: AFDC.
        Current Status: Pending.
        Contact Person: Bill Biggs, (801) 538-4337.
    
    III. Listing of Approved Proposals Since December 1, 1995
    
        Project Title: California--School Attendance Demonstration Project.
        Contact Person: Bruce Wagstaff, (916) 657-2367.
    
        Project Title: Connecticut--Reach for Jobs First (a modification of 
    previously approved Fair Chance Demonstration).
        Contact Person: Nancy Wiggett, (203) 424-5329.
    
    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: February 7, 1996.
    Karl Koerper,
    Director, Division of Economic Independence, Office of Planning, 
    Research and Evaluation.
    [FR Doc. 96-3300 Filed 2-13-96; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4184-01-P
    
    

Document Information

Published:
02/14/1996
Department:
Health and Human Services Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice.
Document Number:
96-3300
Pages:
5780-5785 (6 pages)
PDF File:
96-3300.pdf