In Attendance
Kerry Steadman, S.L. County Human Services
Dan Belnap, Utahns Against Hunger (UAH)
Gina Cornia, UAH
Renee Leta, Planned Parenthood
Mary Beth Vogel-Ferguson, U of U Social Research Institute
Don Uchida, Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR)
Bob Haywood, Utah Department of Human Services (DHS)
Lois Kelson, Community Action Services, Provo
Dave Steele, Utah State Office of Education (USOE)
Dee Rowland, Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
Suzette Martellaro, Department of Workforce Services (DWS)
Stan Eckersley, Legislative Fiscal Analyst Office
Sarah Brenna, DWS
Tim Schultz, Utah Issues
Robin Arnold Williams, DHS, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
Pat Nielson, League of Women Voters
Shirley Weathers, UREAP staff
Bill Walsh, UREAP staff

Welcome, introductions, announcements

Dee Rowland announced that on September 25, several bus loads of people concerned about immigrant issues will be stopping in Salt Lake. In conjunction, educational events on immigrant issues are being planned locally.

Bill Walsh said the Mark Greenberg from the Center on Law and Social Policy (CLASP) would join the meeting by speakerphone. [Due to technical difficulties on our end, Mark was not able to join the meeting.]

Welfare Reform/TANF Reauthorization update

Bill reported that he and Shirley had talked to Jace Johnson, Senator Hatch's staff on welfare reform, that morning. Jace said there would not be a mark-up of TANF reauthorization legislation by the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) before the August Senate Recess. Shirley reported that disagreement among committee members regarding child care is the main issue that is preventing the mark-up from occurring, but that other factors include political and personality issues, from what we hear from national advocates. SFC Democrats are passionate in wanting $5.5 billion in new mandatory child care funding. Some Republican Senators do not want more than the $1 billion that is included in the House bill. Chairman Grassley agrees with them and is unwilling to have more child care funding added to the Mark in Committee. We understand that Senator Hatch sees greater hope of getting additional child care funding into a bill on the Floor than in the SFC under the prevailing circumstances. Jace said that Senator Hatch has promised to vote against a Welfare Reform Reauthorization bill on the Floor if it does not have additional child care funding. However, Democrats on the SFC have pulled back and say they will not vote for a bill in Committee unless the child care issue is addressed. 

Shirley noted that it will be important to know how much above $1 billion will be asked in amendments (whether in the SFC or on the Floor). At least $5.5 is needed. Robin Arnold-Williams noted that although $5.5 billion passed the Finance Committee last year, it appears likely that an amount between $1 billion and $5.5 billion is likely this year. As we feared when a bill did not pass last year, competing priorities, deficits, war, and so on have made funding extremely difficult this year.

Robin reported that she was in D.C. twice in the last week--once for APHSA meetings and once for a closed door meeting called by the Administration. In response to a question of whether TANF Reauthorization is really needed this year, Robin said that in the worst case, the House and Administration have indicated that federal money will stop as of September 30, 2003. They have said that there will be no more Continuing Resolutions (CR). As for whether that would happen, Robin said attorneys disagree on the legality of such action. She said states would fight it, rather than shut down programs. They would also fight for child care funding. Another worst case scenario is that the House would cut TANF funding: for example, cut or eliminate supplemental grants or the  high performance bonus. She said states are being threatened with such scenarios.

The National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) wrote a strong letter opposing H.R. 4 and Administration positions [the letter is posted at the UREAP web site] and suggesting another CR. She said tempers are high right now in D.C. and there is little bipartisan cooperation. Robin said that the Grassley II proposal has some good elements: Transitional Medicaid Assistance was funded, families with children under six would be required to do 24 hours of participation, and the extra credit was removed in favor of giving more credit for partial participation for all other families. But with the Republicans majority in the SFC of only one (11-10), nothing as yet looks like it can pass. It is believed that Senator Olympia Snowe is holding out for child care and Parents As Scholars issues. Forty-one Democrats have sent a letter supporting higher child care funding. Finance Committee Democrats and NCSL are holding out for 30 hours of participation - not 40 or 34 as have been proposed. Jace Johnson has said most recently that looks like the best hope is for a Mark to be passed our of the SFC without needed amendments, making the Floor the opportunity for a more bipartisan bill to be crafted. This, however, asks those who see the need for changes to the Grassley proposal to risk that votes will not be forthcoming on the Floor and suggests that there is no hope to get a bill out of the Committee. If there is any possibility for the deadlock to be broken and a bill to move at all, it appears that something needs to occur to allow a bipartisan bill to be crafted in the Senate Finance Committee. Someone asked whether there would be a way that Senator Hatch could play a role in helping this to happen? It was acknowledged that this would be difficult. The situation is chaotic and blame is being spread about. The Senate will be in recess until after Labor Day.

Shirley reminded the group that she and Bill are trying to get meetings with Senators Hatch and Bennett during the recess and asked for input regarding what the UREAP messages should be. Tim Schultz suggested following the lead of NCSL and stressing child care. A question was asked about where the National Governor's Association (NGA) stands on all of these matters. Robin said that APHSA is taking the lead and the NGA is not playing a very active role. Someone noted that states should certainly not give in to threats and abandon important provisions we are all working for. If families are harmed because the deals that Congress and the Administration want states to accept are rejected, it will be clear who caused the harm. There was consensus that UREAP should stand behind our carefully developed priorities. Robin said she was disappointed that the Senate does not understand that "part time employment" is 20 hours per week, not 24 as is being proposed, and that this increase will trigger numerous additional problems if states must meet that standard.

The Superwaiver has emerged again because the Administration still wants it. The House supports one version and a modification is rumored to be favored by some in the Senate. Gina Cornia said that Food Stamps are out of the Senate version of the Superwaiver, but homeless and housing and other programs would be affected in a ten state demo. UREAP is on record opposing the Superwaiver.

Dave Steele asked whether the business community has taken interest in welfare reform. Businesses that hire welfare recipients should have something to say about the harsh and unrealistic provisions. Shirley noted that participants in last year's Welfare Reform Roundtable have been receiving UREAP information and could be contacted for a business perspective. Sarah Brenna said the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) has been monitoring welfare reform and offered to contact them to learn of any possible involvement. Mary Beth Vogel-Ferguson said that businesses who support child care should be contacted. They would have a helpful viewpoint on the role of child care in employers' views. Robin relayed that a complication for some Senators comes from the fact that the Congressional Budget Office released a report on child care costs under the Grassley Proposal. The CBO indicated that there would be no additional child care costs in going beyond 30 hours to 40 hours. This reveals that they misunderstand how states purchase child care, but their position on this adds credence to those who do not want additional child care spending. Lois Kelson relayed that many TANF recipients need special help from employers to be able to succeed in the workplace. They may need extra time and training, among other help. The group agreed that staff should move ahead with strategies to involve businesses in the dialogue with Senator Hatch, stressing child care and other workplace and economic impacts of these programs.

Shirley said that UREAP staff will comply and invited ongoing input.

Workforce Investment Act Update

Sarah Brenna reported that DWS received the first part of a bipartisan document on WIA Reauthorization. Mark-up is now not expected until September. A Senate HELP Committee web site is being contemplated to share drafts and receive input. Sarah said that DWS is "ok with most provisions." Board composition is being discussed, along with infrastructure funding. Wagner-Peyser and WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker is said by HELP Committee staff to be "off the table."  TANF will become a mandatory partner (as it is in Utah now). Otherwise, much of the H.R. 1261 language is being used. Youth Councils will be a state option.

Don Uchida said he had read most of the bill and added that Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs) from the House bill have been renamed, but the Administration is still pushing for a similar concept. He said Utah appears to be able to keep its single statewide service delivery area. There seems to be agreement to end sequential eligibility. WIA purposes are being expanded. This means that this small pot of money will continue to dominate policy decisions in other programs with different funding sources. Don provided a handout from the Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) of its revised positions: 1) understanding that the funding structure for one-stops will not be dedicated, CSAVR wants .25 of 1% rather than .75; 2) dedicated funding for transitional services; 3) insuring the integrity of VR, i.e., VR should not be combined with other agencies; 4) representation of disability interests on State Workforce Boards; and 5) Local Board representation.

Shirley noted that NASWA has reported that Adult Education and Vocational Rehabilitation Titles will go through the same bipartisan process that Sarah talked about. Senate staff wants input. Shirley reminded people to check the UREAP website for documents designated by "New!!" in red or yellow, as they are  added.

Announcements

Robin said the House passed Head Start legislation by one vote. Eights states will be allowed to run their own programs. The Senate is expected to take up Head Start in September.

Gina Cornia said that Child Nutrition Reauthorization is going slowly and some children may lose eligibility for programs.

Robin said that Child Welfare legislation is close to being released and that Child Support provisions supported by UREAP are included in the Grassley bill. It appears that a change will be made so that more collections go to families.

The next UREAP meeting will be on August 26, 2003 at Horizonte.