95-22890. New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: August 1995

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 178 (Thursday, September 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47748-47752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22890]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families


New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted 
Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: August 1995

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 month of August, 
1995. 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 August 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 any 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: [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.
    On August 16, 1995, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal 
Register (60 FR 158) 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 those criteria in the five 
specified areas and the State requests it or concurs.

II. Listing of New and Pending Proposals for the Month of August, 1995

    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 August, 1995.
    Project Title: California - Work Pays Demonstration Project 
(Amendment).
    Description: Would amend Work Pays Demonstration Project by adding 

[[Page 47749]]
    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].

    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: Michael C. Genest, [phone].

    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: Eloise Anderson, [phone].

    Project Title: California--School Attendance Demonstration Project.
    Description: In San Diego County, require AFDC recipients ages 16-
18 to attend school or participate in JOBS.
    Date Received: 12/5/94.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Michael C. Genest [phone].

    Project Title: California--Incentive to Self-Sufficiency 
Demonstration.
    Description: Statewide, would require 100 hours CWEP participation 
per month for JOBS mandatory individuals who have received AFDC for 22 
of the last 24 months and are working fewer than 15 hours per week 
after two years from JOBS assessment and: have failed to comply with 
JOBS without good cause, have completed CWEP or are in CWEP less than 
100 hours per month, or have completed or had an opportunity to 
complete post-assessment education and training; provide Transitional 
Child Care and Transitional Medicaid to families who become ineligible 
for AFDC due to increased assets or income resulting from marriage or 
the reuniting of spouses; increase the duration of sanctions for 
certain acts of fraud.
    Date Received: 12/28/94.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Michael C. Genest [phone].

    Project Title: Connecticut--A Fair Chance--Modification.
    Description: Proposed modifications would: Establish time limits; 
disregard earnings for time-limited recipients up to poverty level; 
reduce benefit increase for additional children by one-half; require 
minor parents to live with adult; change redetermination, verification, 
and reporting requirements; provide employer tax credits for hiring 
AFDC recipients; require biometric identification as condition of 
eligibility for unit; establish two-tier payment system for new 
residents; simplify and conform AFDC and Food Stamp rules on resources; 
allow 24 weeks of job search without child care guarantee; change good 
cause criteria regarding participation; change JOBS sanctions; apply 
uniform sanction policy for JOBS, child support, and voluntary quits; 
extend transitional Medicaid to two years; provide transitional child 
care while income below 75% of state median; limit the application 
period for transitional child care to 6 months after leaving AFDC; 
establish fee for child care for AFDC recipients; serve non-custodial 
parents under JOBS.
    Date Received: 8/10/95.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: New.
    Contact Person: Nancy Wiggett, [phone].

    Project Title: Florida--Family Transition Program (Amendments).
    Description: Would expand the Family Transition Program 
demonstration, currently operating in two counties, to six additional 
counties. The demonstration limits, with some exceptions, AFDC benefits 
to 24 months in any 60-month period followed by participation in 
transitional employment. For families subject to the time limit, it 
replaces current $90 and $30 and one-third disregards with a single, 
non-time-limited disregard of $200 plus one-half of the remainder; 
disregards income of a stepparent whose needs are not included in the 
assistance unit for the first 6-months of receipt of public assistance; 
excludes summer earnings of teens and interest income; lowers age of 
child for JOBS exemption to 6-months; raises asset limit to $5,000 plus 
a vehicle of reasonable worth used primarily for self-sufficiency 
purposes; extends transitional Medicaid and child care benefits; 
eliminates 100-hour and required quarters of work rules, and (on a 
case-by-case basis) the 6-month time limit requirements in the AFDC-UP 
program; requires school conferences and regular school attendance; 
offers incentive payments to private employers who hire hard-to-place 
AFDC recipients; and allows non-custodial parents of AFDC children to 
participate in JOBS. Statewide, the demonstration requires 
immunizations of pre-school-age children.
    Date Received: 8/2/95.
    Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending--30 Day Approval Process for all areas 
except the school attendance component.
    Contact Person: Don Winstead, [phone].

    Project 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].

    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, [phone].

    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 

[[Page 47750]]
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, [phone].

    Project Title: Illinois--School Attendance Demonstration.
    Description: Statewide, would require the participation in a plan 
for poor elementary school attendance and, upon continuation of poor 
attendance, the establishment of a protective payee, progressing to the 
removal of the caretaker's portion of the AFDC grant.
    Date Received: 7/18/95.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, [phone].

    Project Title: Illinois--Work and Responsibility Demonstration.
    Description: The demonstration includes six components, five of 
which will be implemented statewide. (1) Targeted Work Initiative--
would limit receipt of AFDC benefits to a total of 24 months without 
earnings for households whose youngest child is at least 13 years of 
age; any month with budgeted income due to employment will not be 
counted toward the 24 month time limit. (2) Get a Job Initiative--new 
applicants determined to be job ready and whose children are between 5 
and 12 will be required to participate in job search for up to six 
months. (3) Family Accountability--assistance payments will not be 
increased as a result of the birth of children conceived while the 
parent was receiving assistance. (4) Job Track--exempt volunteers for 
JOBS will become subject to the same requirements and sanctions as non-
exempt participants; participation in basic education or GED programs 
will be limited to two years unless the individual is working or 
participating in an approved work activity. (5) Self-Sufficiency Plan--
all applicants and recipients will be required to complete a self-
sufficiency plan as a condition of eligibility. (6) Quarterly 
Budgeting--in selected sites, cases with earned income will be required 
to report income quarterly; the information will be used to 
prospectively budget income for the next quarter. Failure to report 
earnings will result in case closure and overpayment recovery.
    Date Received: 7/18/95.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, [phone].

    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, [phone].

    Project 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].

    Project Title: Mississippi--A New Direction Demonstration Program--
Amendment.
    Description: Statewide, would amend previously approved New 
Direction Demonstration Program by adding provision that a family's 
benefits would not increase as a result of additional children 
conceived while receiving AFDC.
    Date Received: 2/17/95.
    Type: AFDC
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Larry Temple, [phone].

    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, [phone].

    Project 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].

    Project 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].
    Project Title: Ohio--Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP) 
program.
    Description: Statewide, would modify and extend by 6 and 1/2 years 
the previously approved Learning, Earning, 

[[Page 47751]]
and Parenting Demonstration to require enrollment and regular school 
attendance by pregnant and parenting teens; provide a $62 bonus or 
sanction based on attendance; require continued participation in JOBS 
by LEAP participants who turn 20 and have a child over 6 weeks of age; 
provide a $62 grade completion bonus for those in high school; provide 
a graduation or GED completion bonus of $200; implement a progressive 
sanction leading to removal of the needs of the teen parent and her 
child/children in determining amount of AFDC; and continue the LEAP 
progressive sanction when the participant turns 20, if she remains JOBS 
mandatory.
    Date Received: 6/19/95.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Jackie Martin, [phone].

    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 EBT.
    Date Received: 7/10/95.
    Type: AFDC/Medicaid.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Jim Neely, [phone].

    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, [phone].

    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, [phone].

    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, [phone].

    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, [phone].

    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 [phone].

    Project Title: Washington--Success Through Employment Program
    Description: Statewide, would eliminate the 100-hour rule for AFDC-
UP families; impose a 10 percent grant reduction for AFDC recipients 
who have received assistance for 48 out of 60 months, and impose an 
additional 10 percent grant reduction for every additional 12 months 
thereafter, and budget earnings against the original payment standard; 
and hold the food stamp benefit level constant for cases whose AFDC 
benefits are reduced due to length of stay on assistance.
    Date Received: 2/1/95.
    Type: AFDC.
    Current Status: Pending.
    Contact Person: Liz Begert Dunbar, [phone].

III. Listing of Approved Proposals Since August 1, 1995

    Project Title: Maryland--Welfare Reform Project.
    Contact Person: Katherine L. Cook, [phone].

    Project Title: Massachusetts--Welfare Reform '95.
    Contact Person: Valerie Foretra, [phone].

    Project Title: Wisconsin--Pay for Performance (Self Sufficiency 
First was included as a part of Pay For Performance).
    Contact Person: Jean Sheil, [phone].

[[Page 47752]]


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: September 11, 1995.
Howard Rolston,
Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 95-22890 Filed 9-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P