The Utah Reauthorization Project (UREAP) began in April 2001 with the goal of educating Congress about what researchers and organizations serving families and children had learned about the 1996 congressional Welfare Law--the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). At the time, Congress was preparing for discussions on the way to reauthorize the Act by September 30, 2002. From then until the 107th Congress adjourne, UREAP sought to communicate a common ground, Utah perspective to elected officials. We sought to ensure that, by working closely with Utah's Congressional Delegation and national researchers, advocates, and professional organizations interested in, and knowledgeable about, these issues, Utah would have a voice in refining the law to better serve families and their communities. We accomplished our goal, but Congress  finished up and went home in November 2002 without taking action on PRWORA reauthorization.

When the 108th Congress convened in January 2003, UREAP II began--with the same goal with regard to reauthorization of the Welfare Law, plus we added a second goal of participating in the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA).  PRWORA and WIA are related in that both govern programs that play roles in helping families with children become self-reliant and move out of poverty and have vital interest to people with disabilities. In similar fashion to the 107th Congress, the House passed bills on both topics in 2003. The Senate passed its own WIA reauthorization bill, but the House and Senate bills were never conferenced. The Senate's welfare reauthorization bill passed out of the Finance Committee, but was not debated by the full Senate. By its 2004 adjournment, this Congress had also been unsuccessful in finalizing either process.

It is now up to the 109th Congress to address these issues anew and UREAP will once again convey Utah's voice and "UREAP III" will continue to work towards positive outcomes in both of these Congressional reauthorization debates. As in past years, we will work with the state's Congressional Delegation. We will stay in particularly close contact with Senator Orrin Hatch's staff specialist on welfare reform. Senator Hatch will continue to play a key role via his position on the Senate Finance Committee, where reauthorization legislation originates in that Chamber. Senator Robert Bennett will also be kept informed of UREAP activities--he is a member of Senate Leadership and is on the Appropriations Committee. We will again consult with Mason Bishop, formerly of the Utah Department of Workforce Services and now a top level member of Secretary of Labor DeRocco's staff on WIA issues. Additionally, Senator Hatch now sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and will therefore be integrally involved in the development of Workforce Investment Act reauthorization.  And, UREAP will be sure to reconnect with former Utah Governor Michael Leavitt in his new position as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

On the basis of our work together for over three years, UREAP III will give attention to how Congressional legislation addresses the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Child Support, Child Welfare, Transitional Medical Assistance, Family Formation, and Families with Disabilities. Concurrently, the project will study and respond to key aspects of legislation reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act, including Adult Education and Literacy programs, Rehabilitation Act programs, and Wagner-Peyser Act provisions.

UREAP III will continue to work with a wide range of organizations and entities as we explore reauthorization issues, consider proposed legislation, and develop and convey common ground recommendations to our elected officials and other interested parties. We will also ensure that other networks are informed of the key issues and know when and how to submit their own comments and communications.

If you represent a private entity, please consider "official membership" in the UREAP coalition. This means that your organization's name will appear as a signatory on UREAP correspondence. You can see the current 28-member list by clicking a link on this page. If you represent a public entity, your input and involvement as a partner is essential. If you know of someone you think should be involved in this work, please introduce them to us. We are especially interested in further expanding our participant base of people who use the programs that will be affected by the reauthorization process.

This website will change frequently throughout the months ahead, but it will retain the same simplicity of the two earlier versions. It is designed to ensure that member organizations and other interested parties can learn about reauthorization legislation and fully participate in the work of UREAP, regardless of whether you can attend meetings. We will also continue to use UREAP's growing email list to send "UREAP News" out to everyone, including to let you know when something new has been posted at the website. (There are now two UREAP Archives, one for 2001-02 and the other for 2003-04.)

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions--especially if you cannot attend meetings--please contact UREAP staff, Bill Walsh and Shirley Weathers of Walsh & Weathers Research and Policy Studies, P. O. Box 270090, Fruitland, UT 84027-0090, (435) 548-2630, FAX (435) 548-2438, wrw@ubtanet.com .

Salt Lake Community Action Program (SLCAP) is the sponsor of UREAP and hosts and  manages  the technical side of the website.

Center for Law and Social Policy

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities

National Community Action Foundation (NCAF)

National Conference of State Legislatures

National Governors Association

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

Urban Institute

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Labor  

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Office of Management and Budget (link to Bush Administration's FY2006 Budget)

U.S. Senate

UREAP 2001-02 Archives