Vetoed by President Bill Clinton

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that replaces most federal welfare programs with a block grant system for States, among other provisions.

Highlights:

• Replaces the current Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with block grants to states, as long as the State submits documents outlining how it plans to design a program that provides temporary assistance to families, requires one parent to work, and establishes goals to reduce pregnancies in unmarried women.

• Requires States to increase the percentage of families that must participate in work activities each year.

• Bans States from providing assistance to single teenage parents not living in adult-supervised settings or attending classes, and allows States to assist teenage parents to find a suitable living arrangement.

• Denies assistance to families that do not report their minor child's absence after a 5-day period.

• Requires states to limit aid to 5 years per family, and allows States to exempt up to 20 percent of families because of hardship, or if an individual was battered or suffered extreme cruelty.

• Allows states to administer assistance programs through charitable, religious, or non-profit organizations.

• Denies assistance for 10 years to any person who has fraudulently misrepresented their address in order to obtain assistance in more than one state.

• Denies assistance to fugitive felons and parole and probation violators.

• Allows the Secretary to administer grants to Native American tribes, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands for family assistance.

• Defines disabled children for the purpose of receiving assistance as an individual under the age of 18 who has a physical or mental impairment which results in severe functional limitations until death or for a duration of at least 12 months.

• Denies Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance to individuals whose handicap is alcoholism or a drug addiction.

• Allows the Secretary of State to refuse to issue or renew a passport to a parent who owes more than $5,000 in child support payments.

• Encourages states to implement an electronic benefit transfer system where a household is issued a photo identification card to electronically access food stamp benefits.

• Allows states to prohibit non-citizens from receiving public assistance, except for certain benefits such as immunizations and non-cash emergency relief. 

• Provides grants to states for children that have been abused or neglected.

• $1 billion in grants to states for child care assistance for fiscal year 1996.

• $602 million in grants to states for employment and training programs for fiscal years 1996 - 2002.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that replaces most federal welfare programs with a block grant system for States, among other provisions.

Highlights:

• Replaces the current Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with block grants to states, as long as the State submits documents outlining how it plans to design a program that provides temporary assistance to families, requires one parent to work, and establishes goals to reduce pregnancies in unmarried women.

• Requires States to increase the percentage of families that must participate in work activities each year.

• Bans States from providing assistance to single teenage parents not living in adult-supervised settings or attending classes, and allows States to assist teenage parents to find a suitable living arrangement.

• Denies assistance to families that do not report their minor child's absence after a 5-day period.

• Requires states to limit aid to 5 years per family, and allows States to exempt up to 20 percent of families because of hardship, or if an individual was battered or suffered extreme cruelty.

• Allows states to administer assistance programs through charitable, religious, or non-profit organizations.

• Denies assistance for 10 years to any person who has fraudulently misrepresented their address in order to obtain assistance in more than one state.

• Denies assistance to fugitive felons and parole and probation violators.

• Allows the Secretary to administer grants to Native American tribes, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands for family assistance.

• Defines disabled children for the purpose of receiving assistance as an individual under the age of 18 who has a physical or mental impairment which results in severe functional limitations until death or for a duration of at least 12 months.

• Denies Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance to individuals whose handicap is alcoholism or a drug addiction.

• Allows the Secretary of State to refuse to issue or renew a passport to a parent who owes more than $5,000 in child support payments.

• Encourages states to implement an electronic benefit transfer system where a household is issued a photo identification card to electronically access food stamp benefits.

• Allows states to prohibit non-citizens from receiving public assistance, except for certain benefits such as immunizations and non-cash emergency relief. 

• Provides grants to states for children that have been abused or neglected.

• $1 billion in grants to states for child care assistance for fiscal year 1996.

• $602 million in grants to states for employment and training programs for fiscal years 1996 - 2002.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that replaces most federal welfare programs with a block grant system to States, among other provisions.

Highlights:

• Replaces the current Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with block grants to states, as long as the State submits documents outlining how it plans to design a program that provides temporary assistance to families, requires one parent to work, and establishes goals to reduce pregnancies in unmarried women.

• Requires States to increase the percentage of families that must participate in work activities each year.

• Bans States from providing assistance to single teenage parents not living in adult-supervised settings or attending classes, and allows States to assist teenage parents to find a suitable living arrangement.

• Denies assistance to families that do not report their minor child's absence after a 5-day period.

• Requires states to limit aid to 5 years per family, and allows States to exempt up to 20 percent of families because of hardship, or if an individual was battered or suffered extreme cruelty.

• Allows states to administer assistance programs through charitable, religious, or non-profit organizations.

• Denies assistance for 10 years to any person who has fraudulently misrepresented their address in order to obtain assistance in more than one state.

• Denies assistance to fugitive felons and parole and probation violators.

• Allows the Secretary to administer grants to Native American tribes, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands for family assistance.

• Defines disabled children for the purpose of receiving assistance as an individual under the age of 18 who has a physical or mental impairment which results in severe functional limitations until death or for a duration of at least 12 months.

• Denies Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance to individuals whose handicap is alcoholism or a drug addiction.

• Allows the Secretary of State to refuse to issue or renew a passport to a parent who owes more than $5,000 in child support payments.

• Encourages states to implement an electronic benefit transfer system where a household is issued a photo identification card to electronically access food stamp benefits.

• Allows states to prohibit non-citizens from receiving public assistance, except for certain benefits such as immunizations and non-cash emergency relief. 

• Provides grants to states for children that have been abused or neglected.

• $1 billion in grants to states for child care assistance for fiscal year 1996.

• $602 million in grants to states for employment and training programs for fiscal years 1996 - 2002.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that replaces most federal welfare programs with a block grant system to States, among other provisions.

Highlights:

• Replaces the current Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with block grants to states, as long as the State submits documents outlining how it plans to design a program that provides temporary assistance to families, requires one parent to work, and establishes goals to reduce pregnancies in unmarried women.

• Increases grants after 2 years for states that decrease the number of pregnancies in unmarried women.

• Prohibits States from giving cash assistance to children of unmarried teenagers, except in cases of rape or incest.

• Requires States to increase the percentage of families that must participate in work activities each year.

• Prohibits States from providing additional cash assistance to families if another child is born, except in cases of rape or incest.

• Denies assistance to families that do not report their minor child's absence after a 5-day period.

• Requires states to limit aid to 5 years per family, and allows States to exempt up to 10 percent of families because of hardship, or if an individual was battered or suffered extreme cruelty.

• Withholds 15 percent of assistance from families when paternity is not established for at least one child, except in cases of rape or incest.

• Denies assistance for 10 years to any person who has fraudulently misrepresented their address in order to obtain assistance in more than one state.

• Denies assistance to fugitive felons and parole and probation violators.

• Defines a disabled children, for the purpose of receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance, as an individual under the age of 18 who has a physical or mental impairment.

• Denies SSI assistance to individuals whose handicap is alcoholism or a drug addiction.

• Prohibits non-citizen, legal immigrants and nonimmigrant from receiving public assistance, except for non-cash emergency relief and certain housing related assistants.

• Provides grants to states for children who have been abused or neglected.

• Encourages states to implement an electronic benefit transfer system where a household is issued a photo identification card to electronically access food stamp benefits.

• $36.26 billion in grants to states for school-based nutrition programs for fiscal years 1996 - 2000.

• $24.75 billion in grants to states for family nutrition programs for fiscal years 1996 - 2000.

• $22.47 billion in grants to states for child protection and payments for foster care and adoption assistance for fiscal years 1996 - 2000.

• $10.47 billion in grants to states for child care assistance for fiscal years 1996 - 2000.

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text