Updates: TANF and WIA
    Mark Greenberg, Director of Policy for CLASP, began by providing 2002 history on TANF and PRWORA reauthorization and issues that remain in 2003. He mentioned TANF work requirements, funding for child care, overall costs, marriage promotion, legal immigrants, and the Superwaiver, all of which generated controversy. This year the Administration's proposal was largely put forward in HR 4, passed by the House. The Senate Finance Committee staff is working on its bill for TANF Reauthorization. Senator Orrin Hatch provided bi-partisan leadership last year and it is hoped this effort will continue this year. To date, though, Republican and Democrat Finance Staffs are meeting separately to produce a Finance Committee bill  (AKA the Chairman's Mark).
    Nisha Patel, working on WIA and TANF for CLASP, provided WIA background. The Administration put out its WIA Reauthorization proposal in March. A bill by Rep. McKeon (R-CA), HR 1261, "Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 2003" bears a great resemblance to the Administration proposal and passed the House Education and the Workforce Committee, mainly on party-line vote, late in March. It is expected on the House Floor after Easter. The main WIA issue is funding. Funding for Adults, Dislocated Workers, and Wagner-Peyser (Employment Services) are proposed to be block granted. A provision to fund One-Stop infrastructure gives Governors authority to take federal money from WIA partners. Funding for Youth WIA programs eliminates Challenge Grants and sets up competitive and formula funding at reduced rates. The bill mandates that 70% of funds be spent for out-of-school youth. WIA performance measures would be reduced in number, but a cost-efficiency measure is added that compares expenditures with the number of jobs secured. Personal Re-employment Accounts (PRAs) were proposed by the President and was in the initial version of HR 1261, but the House Committee removed the $3.6 billion requested to fund them because of uncertainty that the money would be available. Nisha explained that the Senate may approach WIA reauthorization in a more bi-partisan way, is expected to move more slowly and deliberatively, such that it may be after August before we see a Mark-up.
    Robin Arnold-Williams updated TANF from the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) perspective. She said APHSA is concerned by the lack of bi-partisanship. APHSA's focus has been on hours, rates, and "countable" activities, and is working with staff for Senators Hatch and Grassley. A goal is to avoid legislation that will restrict state flexibility and force states like Utah to have to subject their programs to wholesale change. Robin reported that Becky Shipp hopes to put out a concept paper of the Chairman's Mark after Easter.
    Sarah Brenna reported that National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) information basically agrees with the issues and timing that Nisha gave.
    Mark said that the trend in TANF legislation this year will likely see more hours and higher participation rates than last year, including in the Senate.
    Helen Thatcher shared that she recently heard an observation that the future of WIA could look like PRA-type programs. Nisha responded that PRAs may become an option, but she could see unemployment assistance moving that way. Mark commented that targeting unemployment services to individual situations is an attractive idea, but treating everyone in all states the same was still a strong impetus. Nisha said perhaps lump sum programs are possible and would lower costs in the unemployment system. Mark said PRAs, as described in the Administration's proposal or HR 1261, are not well developed and are not clear on the problem to be addressed.

Discussion on WIA and TANF
    Shirley Weathers noted that UREAP has commented that the $3.6 billion for PRAs, contained in H.R. 444 and formerly part of HR 1261, should be spent to make existing WIA programs whole, and asked Nisha whether that money is truly available.  Nisha said that it would be new money and not likely to materialize, but the issue is not dead yet. She advised that UREAP continue to talk optimistically about the possible use of those funds to restore funding to WIA programs.
    Shirley also asked the openendedness of the HR 1261 provision to allow Governors to take federal funding from partners for One-Stop infrastructure funding. She asked if a middle ground could be forged in the Senate. Nisha said one option she's heard about is that an amount or formula could be set at the federal level. Mark commented that such a measure would cross Congressional oversight lines and create controversy. He said budget realities preclude new funding, but new measures are possible. Don Uchida shared his impression that largely programs for people with disabilities were targeted for partner financial participation. Nisha agreed in part, but pointed out that additional programs are also targeted such as child support, Medicaid, and SSI. She said there is some indication that entitlement programs were favored in this provision.
    Shirley asked which staffers CLASP recommends contacting on the HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee. Nisha responded with Annie White, Majority Staff Director for Senator Judd Gregg, the HELP Committee Chair at Annie_White@Labor.senate.gov; Ilyse Schuman, for Senator Michael Enzi, Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Employment, Safety, and Training at Ilyse_Schuman@labor.senate.gov; Jane Oates for Senator Kennedy is the Minority Staff Director, jane_oates@labor.senate.gov; Senator Patty Murray's staff person is Bill Kamela, William_Kamela@murray.senate.gov.
    Mark mentioned that the HELP Committee has finished work on the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), setting a higher amount than requested by the Administration, but that the Finance Committee has to vote to fund higher amounts. This activity will be connected with the TANF bill, and then sent to the Senate Floor.
    Shirley asked Mark to describe Senate Bill 786, the Business Links Act. Mark explained that this bill would provide funds for Transitional Work programs targeted for low-income workers at state option. Additionally, training providers and businesses willing cooperate would participate. Garth Mangum asked about the amount of money requested and numbers to be trained. Mark said $200 million is being talked about, possibly using funds from the original High Performance Bonus money.
    Mark concluded that we should know a lot more about TANF reauthorization issues in the Senate by the next UREAP meeting. Shirley thanked Mark and Nisha for their time and information.

Report on the Representative Jim Matheson Meeting
    Bill Walsh summarized the meeting on disabilities issues called by Congressman Jim Matheson on April 21. The primary focuses were IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and WIA reauthorization, and the current year defunding of Assistive Technology (AT). Representative Matheson is keyed in to disability issues, as is his Policy Advisor, Emily Merchant. UREAP staff presented a letter that points out primarily concerns with H.B. 1261, the "Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 1002," and recommended that, if it could not be fixed with amendments, UREAP believes it warrants a "no" vote. Don said that people in the Vocational Rehabilitation arena are looking for a moderate Republican to introduce and amendment to eliminate Section 108 (h), which gives openended authority to assess partners for One-Stop operations. He hopes that Rep. Matheson would work with the "Blue Dog" Democrats to support it. Don also stated that cost allocation in the original act was specific on Rehab agencies, but not others, and Reauthorization could remedy that. He said the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is trying to kill HR 1261 in its entirety. Don concluded that cost allocation could be fixed if Section 108 (h) is removed.
    Garth asked whether Representative Rob Bishop has responded on WIA. Don said he had a meeting with him to explain issues. Don also met with Congressman Cannon's staff and noted that Cannon was a good friend of Chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee, Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon. Bill reported that UREAP staff plus Sandi Meehan of the Tri-County Independent Living Center, Sarah Harris of Your Community Connection in Ogden, and Diane Cunningham of the Social Research Institute had met with Rep. Bishop in February to talk about TANF, WIA and UREAP.
    John Woeste reported that Utah's Independent Living Centers (ILCs) are opposed to HR 1261 and cited, with regard to the partners assessment issue, the draft UREAP WIA Principle that called for "protecting the integrity of individual partners' program goals and objectives."
    Shirley pointed out that WIA Youth Services and Adult programs are undergoing cuts and the Department of Labor (DOL) is pushing for infrastructure funding from partners. It appears, in the big picture, that the new workforce development system established in 1998 has been eroded almost since its inception. The flaw in HR 1261 is that it continues this trend. John said he heard a DOL spokesperson say they were looking for money in disability programs.
    Everyone agreed that there was much more work to do and that UREAP needs to play a leading role.

FY 2004 Budget Resolution
    Robin shared a summary of the Congressional Conference Committee Agreement on the FY2004 Budget Resolution from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The full document is on the web at Thomas, H.C.R. 95. Domestic discretionary appropriations are up 2.4%, roughly split between defense and non-defense. The House wanted a 1% decrease and a ten-year reduction to fund the President's tax cut. The deficit will run until 2012 under this budget. It includes a Sense of the Senate to provide $30 billion for state fiscal relief, but the House did not agree to that. Additional funds are authorized for Special Education, SCHIP, No Child Left Behind Act, highways, Medicare modernization and prescription drugs, Medicaid and Medicaid expansion for children with special needs. The House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee will be the centers of debate about the size of the tax cut. A disturbing provision in the House version focuses on  identifying waste, fraud, and abuse. They targeted only social programs (e.g., student loans, EITC, Food Stamps, Bureau of Indian Affairs, retirement benefits). (See Section 301.) The pay-as-you-go provision was re-instituted, which says funding for new programs must be found in existing budgets.

UREAP Updates
    Bill distributed a UREAP Update document that highlights PRWORA issues that UREAP supported last year in position papers related to PRWORA. Child support and child welfare legislation are moving, similar to last year. Robin testified on child welfare.
    Shirley explained that a budget resolution item increasing child care funding by $5.5 billion got political and failed. Senator Hatch supports child care funding increases, but he and Senator Bennett voted against it. Senator Hatch's his staff person, Jace Johnson, has since explained that the Senator will work hard to find additional funding as part of the Finance Committee's TANF reauthorization legislation.
    S. 786, the "Business Links Act," reflects the type of job training and programs that UREAP continues to support.
    S. 256, the CARE Act, passed the Senate and increases the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).
    Sarah Brenna reported that NASWA (National Association of State Workforce Service Agencies) has selected its priorities in WIA discussions: 1) keep 50% of the allocation at the state level; 2) set specific infrastructure amounts for local boards; 3) let Governors set the workforce regions and areas; and, 4) let states have the option to select block grants.

UREAP Principles
    Bill read the preamble and the fourteen points of the 2nd Draft of the "UREAP Principles for the Workforce Investment Act," posted on the web page, dated April 7, 2003. Bob Haywood suggested that "older Americans" be added to the list of special populations noted in the document. All agreed. Garth Mangum noted that there is a need for stipends while low-income people are in training. Shirley said the point was made in UREAP comments and will continue to be made, but wondered whether the sense of this might be expressed in a principle. Bill asked Garth to develop language to that effect for next month's discussion. Bill said that the UREAP WIA Principles will be finalized at the May, 2003 meeting.

Announcements
    Garth provided copies of an Op Ed piece he authored on TANF and WIA and asked for feedback.
    The next meeting will be the day after Memorial Day: