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UPDATE: WELFARE AND RELATED PROGRAMS EXTENDED THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 30
July 1, 2004
On June 22, 2004, both the House and Senate adopted H.R.
4589, allowing for a three month extension of TANF and related
programs. The President signed this bill into law as P.L.
108-262. This extension, the seventh since the authorizing language for
these programs expired in 2002, extends current rules and funding for many
welfare-related programs including TANF, TANF Supplemental Grants,
Transitional Medical Assistance under Medicaid, the Child Care Development Block
Grant Fund, Contingency Fund, and Abstinence Education. The bill provides
funding and programmatic authority for these programs through September 30,
2004. Social Services Block Grant funding was already provided for in
appropriations law through September 30, 2004.
The extension is a “clean” extension, without policy changes or
additions. This is notable as extensions with policy changes had
previously been dropped in the House, as a way of expressing House frustration
that the Senate has yet to pass reauthorization legislation. The House
passed its version of welfare reform reauthorization legislation, H.R. 4,
in February of 2003.
This extension will create more time for the Senate to
reconsider welfare reform reauthorization (HR 4/Senate version) on the Senate
floor either at the end of July or in September. NCSL continues to lobby
for both sides to reach a compromise and adopt welfare reauthorization and
increased child care funding this year.
Previous Action in the Senate
On March 29, 2004, the Senate began floor consideration of its version of
H.R. 4, the PRIDE Act, welfare reform reauthorization legislation.
The first vote on the bill (on March 30) was on an amendment by Senator Snowe
(R-ME) and Senator Dodd (D-CT) to increase child care block grant funding by
adding $6 billion in mandatory funding over five years. The NCSL-supported
amendment passed by a vote of 78-20. On Thursday, April 1, the Senate
voted on a cloture motion by Majority Leader Frist (R-TN) to limit debate on the
welfare reform reauthorization bill (H.R. 4). The Frist cloture
motion failed by a vote 51-47. This vote symbolized growing
divisions between Republicans and Democrats over an array of substantive and
procedural matters. Disputes over votes on minimum wage
increases, overtime pay regulations and unemployment benefits, along with
continuing disagreements over conference committees, made cloture impossible to
attain. The bill continues to be pending in the Senate, and could come
back to the floor at another time.
For additional information, please contact Sheri Steisel
(sheri.steisel@ncsl.org) or Lee Posey (lee.posey@ncsl.org) or call the D.C.
office at (202) 624-5400.
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