End of Year (2005) Wrap-ups and Analyses. **NEW** As the 109th Congress rushed to finish business before the end of the year, a number of actions were taken that have great importance to UREAP participants and the people they represent. First, TANF reauthorization appears to be all but done and in a very negative way. Although the House must still vote to adopt the version of the Budget Reconcilation bill just passed by the Senate when it reconvenes after the New Year, it seems entirely unlikely that either language reauthorizing TANF and related programs included in the bill, or important funding levels such as for child care, will improve in the process. Second, the same bill and appropriations actions for FY2006 are poised to seal tragic budget cuts for the large majority of programs and services on which vulnerable families and individuals rely. Below are a number of links to summaries and analyses prepared by some of our most trusted national sources. We will add to these as more information becomes available.

Center for Law and Social Policy Udates: Link to analyses based on Congressional Research Service information that estimates of the number of additional individuals who, due to language included in the Budget Reconciliation conference bill just passed by the Senate, will need to be engaged in work activities (and are countable under federal rules) and the shortfall in child care resources provided to cover those costs.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities TANF Update . Link to a preliminary analysis of the major changes to TANF contained in the conference agreement mentioned just above.

The Workforce Alliance End of the Year Update. on TANF, funding for assistance and training programs, and the status of Workforce Investment Act reauthorization.

Principles

UREAP Principles for Welfare Reform (Adopted on July 31, 2001)

Recent, Relevant Activities of the Bush Administration and the 109th Congress

S. 667 "Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone Act" (PRIDE)  

House Committee on Ways and Means page with links to a description of the latest version of HR 240, the actual bill, a side-by-side comparison of HR 240 and the current law, and other information  

Conceptual Mark of the Senate TANF reauthorization bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee on March 9, 2005  

Amendments to the conceptual Mark approved during mark up (combine these with the above conceptual Mark for content of S. 667) 

H.R. 240, "Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2005," is the House version of welfare reform reauthorization. It includes TANF, child care, child support, child welfare, Supplemental Security Income, demonstrations, abstinence education, and Transitional Medical Assistance. Here is a link to the Committee on Ways and Means Welfare Reform Resource Kit with links to various types of information in support of the bill, including a bill summary. 

Current Law

Title IV of the Social Security Act (Title that includes current TANF law)  

Key UREAP Communications with Elected Officials (most recent first)

UREAP to Secretary of HHS Michael Leavitt re: S. 667, "Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone Act" (PRIDE) , sent on July 4, 2005

UREAP to Senator Orrin Hatch re: Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone (PRIDE) Act of 2005 , sent on March 30, 2005 with a copy to Becky Shipp, Senate Finance Committee staff  

Text of email to Jace Johnson (provided to Jenny George in March 2005) re: increasing federally countable months of vocational education and training under TANF from 12 to 24.

Text of UREAP email to Jenny George outlining key points for discussion of S.6, the 2003 Senate Finance Committee bill to reauthorize the 1996 Welfare Reform Law - sent on March 3, 2005

UREAP Position Papers

Child Care and Development Grant Reauthorization Position Paper (Finalized February 25, 2002)

Child Support Position Paper (Finalized June 5, 2002)

Child Welfare and Well-being Position Paper (Finalized June 6, 2002)

Family Formation Position Paper (Finalized December 4, 2001)

Families with Disabilities Position Paper (Finalized June 5, 2002)

Food Stamp Program Reauthorization Position Paper (Finalized October 26, 2001)

TANF Reauthorization Position Paper (Finalized August 21, 2001)

UREAP Membership

UREAP Membership Form

UREAP Member List

Utah Links and Resources

Letter to Richard Ellis (Governor's Office of Planning and Budget) re: S. 667, "Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone Act" (PRIDE) from Voices for Utah's Children, Salt Lake Community Action Program, and Utah Issues , dated July 6, 2005

Welfare Reform Reauthorization Update, March 22, 2005 (prepared by UREAP staff for March 22, 2005 UREAP meeting.)  

Assets Empowerment Training - Briefing Paper on Welfare Reform Reauthorization for Utah Indian Tribes  
(This is retained here because it includes a brief overview of the 1996 Welfare Reform Law, some findings from studies of the first five years. It also includes a description of key components of the Senate Finance Committee's 2002 WORK Act, including provisions folded into the Act during the Committee mark-up from S. 2484, " The American Indian Welfare Reform Act").

Center for Public Policy and Administration, U of U, Welfare Reform Initiative

Social Research Institute, U of U

Utah Issues

Utah Welfare Reauthorization Round Table (March 15, 2002) Summary Report (Although this occurred in 2002, it is retained here to give easy access to the briefing materials, issues paper, and common ground revisions to the 1996 Welfare Reform Law discussed and prioritized by a broad-based group of Utah community leaders. Download PDF version)
    Appendix A: Agenda
    Appendix B: Participant List
    Appendix C: "Briefing Paper" (Advance briefing materials - includes a short history of Utah Welfare Policy and Reform)
    Appendix D: "Major Reauthorization Issues" (Advance briefing materials - issues and possible common ground recommendations)
    Appendix E: Brainstorming on the Family Employment Program

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)  

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities  

General Accounting Office: "Former TANF Recipients with Impairments Less Likely to Be Employed and More Likely to Receive Federal Supports"

House Committee on Ways and Means

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

Senate Finance Committee

National Governors Association (NGA)

Thomas (This website is an invaluable source of information about Congressional activities, including legislation, Congressional Record, and committee information.)

Urban Institute

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Position Paper on TANF Reauthorization

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate
 
Welfare Information Network, Reauthorization section [This website, on its main page, provides a wealth of critical links to pertinent federal laws and regulations for TANF, Food Stamps, Child Care, Welfare-to-Work, and Workforce Investment Act; state policy provisions (compilations); federal and state data sources on key program areas as above; overview and crosscutting policy analyses (including studies, publications, policy proposals, and research findings); and individual policy area discussions (including child care, earnings supplements, Food Stamps, pregnancy prevention, post-secondary education, and work requirements).]
   
Welfare Reform Research (WRR) Database [This website was developed by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. It provides links to an impressive number of studies of welfare reform (including Food Stamps and Medicaid) focusing on the following topics: Immigrants, Job retention and career advancement, Welfare "leavers," Long-term welfare recipients (note that the Social Research Institute, U of U study is listed here), Management and Administration (includes funding issues), Market ability to absorb recipients, and Minimum wage.]