 National Conference of State Legislatures
Major Provisions of S. 2830,
The Healthy Marriages and Responsible Fatherhood
Act of 2004
Status of this Bill:
S. 2830 was introduced by Senators Santorum (R-PA) and Bayh (D-IN) on September 22, 2004, but did not move forward in the Senate. On September 28, Senator Santorum requested an unanimous consent agreement on S. 2830. That request failed. Instead of proceeding with consideration of S. 2830, Congress passed H.R. 5149, a clean extension of TANF and related programs until March 31, 2005, and the President signed the bill into law as P.L. 108-308. That extension is the eighth extension of TANF since the program’s original authorization expired September 30, 2002.
Summary of S. 2830
S. 2830 would extend TANF for six months, through March 31, 2005. It would also authorize new marriage promotion and fatherhood programs with $300,000,000 per year in federal funding for two years as described below. To pay for the new funding, the bill would end the out-of-wedlock and high performance bonuses in the TANF program. It also includes changes to the marriage promotion proposals contained in the House-passed version of H.R. 4, the Senate Finance Committee version of H.R. 4, and the President’s original proposal.
TANF Purposes/TANF Plans
The fourth purpose of the TANF program would be changed to read: “encourage the formation and maintenance of healthy 2-parent married families, and encourage responsible fatherhood.” States’ TANF plans would have to show how the state will encourage the “equitable treatment” of healthy, 2-parent married families.
Healthy Marriage Promotion Grants
$100,000,000 per year for FY 05 and FY 06 for competitive grants to states
Permitted activities include training for individuals who conduct marriage promotion programs and case management for some service recipients in addition to the activities in previous bills, such as premarital skills training and divorce reduction programs. This program requires a 1:1 match of state funds. TANF funds may be used as the state match. The bill would allow states to subgrant funds to a fatherhood organization to carry out these activities. This is a provision that is not contained in H.R. 4.
$100,000,000 is also appropriated for FY 05 and FY 06 for research, demonstrations and technical assistance. Not less than 80% of the funds must be spent for specified marriage promotion activities.
Fatherhood Grants
A total of $100,000,000 per year would be appropriated for fatherhood programs for FY 05 and FY 06.
- $45,000,000 for grants to 20 states to conduct demonstration programs;
- $30,00,000 to eligible entities (local government, private agencies, community based organization or nonprofit, or Indian tribe) to conduct demonstration programs;
- $20,000,000 for block grants to states for media campaigns to promote responsible fatherhood. This appears to require a 1:1 match of “non-federal” funds, a requirement that could be met by cash or in-kind donations as well as state funds; and
- $5,000,000 for a national clearinghouse on fatherhood/national media campaign to promote responsible fatherhood.
Grantees for the first and second programs above must target low-income participants. At least half of the recipients of services must be parents 1) of a child who has been a recipient within the past 24 months of TANF, child support, foster care, Medicaid, or Food Stamps, or 2) with incomes at or below 150% of poverty.
Prepared by Lee Posey, Senior Policy Specialist
For further information, contact Sheri Steisel (sheri.steisel@ncsl.org) or Lee Posey (lee.posey@ncsl.org), or call NCSL’s D.C. office at (202) 624-5400.
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