Utah Reauthorization Project
P. O. Box 270090 Fruitland, UT 84027-0090
(435) 548-2630 FAX
(435) 548-2438
wrw@ubtanet.com www.slcap.org/UREAP/ureap.htm
Congressional Welfare Reform and
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization
The Basics
What is Reauthorization?
When Congress establishes a new program, often a date is set to reauthorize
the statute. The legislative process of reauthorization offers an opportunity
to review and revise programs--the modify approaches on the basis of experience.
Welfare Reform Reauthorization in 2003
Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act (PRWORA)--the 1996 Welfare Reform Law--in 1996 and set its reauthorization
for 2002. Last year, President Bush offered his proposal and the House passed
very similar legislation. A Tripartisan group in the Senate Finance Committee,
including Senator Orrin Hatch, drafted the "Work, Opportunity and Responsibility
for Kids" (WORK) Act, but the bill did not come before the Full Senate for
debate. In 2003, the President resubmitted his proposal and the House passed
HR 4 "Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2003", largely
the same as its 2002 bill. The Senate Finance Committee is just now taking
up work on a bill--a hearing was held on March 12. The Committee hopes to
mark-up a bill before Easter recess and pass legislation shortly thereafter.
Differences between the House and Senate bills will be resolved in a Conference
Committee.
Major issues where there may be variation between the Senate and House/President
approaches include:
- whether there will be increases in the number of hours parents must
work;
- what activities will be "countable" for purposes of meeting state
participation rates;
- whether state participation rates will be increased;
- whether states will retain current levels of discretion over their
programs or Congress will exert more control;
- whether funding, such as for child care, will be adequate to cover
needs;
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization in 2003
Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) in 1998, changing
the nations employment and training system. Previous training programs were
repealed and systems were to be operated under a concept called One-Stops
to bring related services together. In Utah, the Department of Workforce Services
operates the One-Stops, such that employment and training services, as well
as assistance and family support programs such as TANF, Food Stamps, and
child care are accessed in DWS Employment Centers. WIA has implications for
a number of "partner" agencies, including Adult Education and Vocational Rehabilitation
programs.
The President coupled his WIA Reauthorization proposal with a proposal to
create Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs). The intent is to accelerate
the reemployment of people likely to exhaust Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is scheduled to mark-up
HR 1261, "Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 2003" on March
27. HR 444 "Back to Work Incentive Act" is a separate bill to create PRAs.
That is waiting to go before the Full House. The Senate will take up WIA
Reauthorization in the next few months.
Some major WIA issues include:
- Funding: it will require $3.6 billion for PRAs at the same time as
funding for most other WIA programs is to be reduced.
- One-Stop operations were not funded in the 1998 bill and the Administration's
proposal is to take funding from partner programs to fill the gap;
- Membership on State and Regional Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs)
may be changed;
- Youth: Youth Councils may become optional and the Administration
proposes diverting funding from in-school at risk students to drop-outs;
- Elimination of the sequential approach to core, intensive, and training
services.
Utah Reauthorization Project (UREAP)
UREAP began in April 2001 and seeks to ensure that Utah understands and
has a voice in these reauthorization processes. We meet monthly, provide
resources and opportunities for interaction via a website and email list
of over 400 people statewide. UREAP has 28 official members. UREAP has developed
welfare reform principles, studied a broad range of reauthorization issues
and recommendations, and has developed position papers to reflect UREAP's
conclusions. UREAP communicates with Utah's Congressional Delegation, relevant
Congressional Committees, and has worked closely with Senator Orrin Hatch's
staff due to his key role on the Senate Finance Committee. UREAP believes
that Welfare Reform and WIA Reauthorizations are both of critical importance
in the coming years to Utah's low-income and special needs populations, and
works to communicate the lessons learned in Utah's experience.
For further information, contact Shirley Weathers and Bill Walsh, UREAP
staff--contact information noted in the letterhead on the reverse of this
sheet.