New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: August 1995

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

New and Pending Demonstration Project Proposals Submitted

Pursuant to Section 1115(a) of the Social Security Act: August 1995

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice lists new proposals for welfare reform and

combined welfare reform/Medicaid demonstration projects submitted to

the Department of Health and Human Services for the month of August,

1995. It includes both those proposals being considered under the

standard waiver process and those being considered under the 30 day

process. Federal approval for the proposals has been requested pursuant

to section 1115 of the Social Security Act. This notice also lists

proposals that were previously submitted and are still pending a

decision and projects that have been approved since August 1, 1995. The

Health Care Financing Administration is publishing a separate notice

for Medicaid only demonstration projects.

Comments: We will accept written comments on these proposals. We

will, if feasible, acknowledge receipt of all comments, but we will not

provide written responses to comments. We will, however, neither

approve nor disapprove any new proposals under the standard application

process for at least 30 days after the date of this notice to allow

time to receive and consider comments. Direct comments as indicated

below.

ADDRESSES: For specific information or questions on the content of a

project contact the State contact listed for that project.

Comments on a proposal or requests for copies of a proposal should

be addressed to: Howard Rolston, Administration for Children and

Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., Aerospace Building, 7th Floor

West, Washington DC 20447. FAX: (202) 205-3598 PHONE: (202) 401-9220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Under section 1115 of the Social Security Act (the Act), the

Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may approve research and

demonstration project proposals with a broad range of policy

objectives.

In exercising her discretionary authority, the Secretary has

developed a number of policies and procedures for reviewing proposals.

On September 27, 1994, we published a notice in the Federal Register

(59 FR 49249) that specified (1) the principles that we ordinarily will

consider when approving or disapproving demonstration projects under

the authority in section 1115(a) of the Act; (2) the procedures we

expect States to use in involving the public in the development of

proposed demonstration projects under section 1115; and (3) the

procedures we ordinarily will follow in reviewing demonstration

proposals. We are committed to a thorough and expeditious review of

State requests to conduct such demonstrations.

On August 16, 1995, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal

Register (60 FR 158) exercising her discretion to request proposals

testing welfare reform strategies in five areas. Since such projects

can only incorporate provisions included in that announcement, they are

not subject to the Federal notice procedures. The Secretary proposed a

30 day approval process for those provisions. As previously noted, this

notice lists all new or pending welfare reform demonstration proposals

under section 1115. Where possible, we have identified the proposals

being considered under the 30 day process. However, the Secretary

reserves the right to exercise her discretion to consider any proposal

under the 30 day process if it meets those criteria in the five

specified areas and the State requests it or concurs.

II. Listing of New and Pending Proposals for the Month of August, 1995

As part of our procedures, we are publishing a monthly notice in

the Federal Register of all new and pending proposals. This notice

contains proposals for the month of August, 1995.

Project Title: California - Work Pays Demonstration Project

(Amendment).

Description: Would amend Work Pays Demonstration Project by adding

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provisions to: Reduce benefit levels by 10% (but retaining the need

level); reduce benefits an additional 15% after 6 months on assistance

for cases with an able-bodied adult; time-limit assistance to able-

bodied adults to 24 months, and not increase benefits for children

conceived while receiving AFDC.

Date Received: 3/14/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Glen Brooks, (916) 657-3291.

Project Title: California--Assistance Payments Demonstration

Project (Amendment).

Description: Would amend the Assistance Payments Demonstration

Project by: Exempting certain categories of AFDC families from the

State's benefit cuts; paying the exempt cases based on grant levels in

effect in California on November 1, 1992; and renewing the waiver of

the Medicaid maintenance of effort provision at section 1902(c)(1) of

the Social Security Act, which was vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court

of Appeals in its decision in Beno v. Shalala.

Date Received: 8/26/94.

Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Michael C. Genest, (916) 657-3546.

Project Title: California--Work Pays Demonstration Project

(Amendment).

Description: Would amend the Work Pays Demonstration Project by

adding provisions to not increasing AFDC benefits to families for

additional children conceived while receiving AFDC.

Date Received: 11/9/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact person: Eloise Anderson, (916) 657-2598.

Project Title: California--School Attendance Demonstration Project.

Description: In San Diego County, require AFDC recipients ages 16-

18 to attend school or participate in JOBS.

Date Received: 12/5/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Michael C. Genest (916) 657-3546.

Project Title: California--Incentive to Self-Sufficiency

Demonstration.

Description: Statewide, would require 100 hours CWEP participation

per month for JOBS mandatory individuals who have received AFDC for 22

of the last 24 months and are working fewer than 15 hours per week

after two years from JOBS assessment and: have failed to comply with

JOBS without good cause, have completed CWEP or are in CWEP less than

100 hours per month, or have completed or had an opportunity to

complete post-assessment education and training; provide Transitional

Child Care and Transitional Medicaid to families who become ineligible

for AFDC due to increased assets or income resulting from marriage or

the reuniting of spouses; increase the duration of sanctions for

certain acts of fraud.

Date Received: 12/28/94.

Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Michael C. Genest (916) 657-3546.

Project Title: Connecticut--A Fair Chance--Modification.

Description: Proposed modifications would: Establish time limits;

disregard earnings for time-limited recipients up to poverty level;

reduce benefit increase for additional children by one-half; require

minor parents to live with adult; change redetermination, verification,

and reporting requirements; provide employer tax credits for hiring

AFDC recipients; require biometric identification as condition of

eligibility for unit; establish two-tier payment system for new

residents; simplify and conform AFDC and Food Stamp rules on resources;

allow 24 weeks of job search without child care guarantee; change good

cause criteria regarding participation; change JOBS sanctions; apply

uniform sanction policy for JOBS, child support, and voluntary quits;

extend transitional Medicaid to two years; provide transitional child

care while income below 75% of state median; limit the application

period for transitional child care to 6 months after leaving AFDC;

establish fee for child care for AFDC recipients; serve non-custodial

parents under JOBS.

Date Received: 8/10/95.

Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: New.

Contact Person: Nancy Wiggett, (203) 424-5329.

Project Title: Florida--Family Transition Program (Amendments).

Description: Would expand the Family Transition Program

demonstration, currently operating in two counties, to six additional

counties. The demonstration limits, with some exceptions, AFDC benefits

to 24 months in any 60-month period followed by participation in

transitional employment. For families subject to the time limit, it

replaces current $90 and $30 and one-third disregards with a single,

non-time-limited disregard of $200 plus one-half of the remainder;

disregards income of a stepparent whose needs are not included in the

assistance unit for the first 6-months of receipt of public assistance;

excludes summer earnings of teens and interest income; lowers age of

child for JOBS exemption to 6-months; raises asset limit to $5,000 plus

a vehicle of reasonable worth used primarily for self-sufficiency

purposes; extends transitional Medicaid and child care benefits;

eliminates 100-hour and required quarters of work rules, and (on a

case-by-case basis) the 6-month time limit requirements in the AFDC-UP

program; requires school conferences and regular school attendance;

offers incentive payments to private employers who hire hard-to-place

AFDC recipients; and allows non-custodial parents of AFDC children to

participate in JOBS. Statewide, the demonstration requires

immunizations of pre-school-age children.

Date Received: 8/2/95.

Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending--30 Day Approval Process for all areas

except the school attendance component.

Contact Person: Don Winstead, (904) 921-5567.

Project Title: Georgia--Work for Welfare Project.

Description: Work for Welfare Project. In 10 pilot counties would

require every non-exempt recipient and non-supporting parent to work up

to 20 hours per month in a state, local government, federal agency or

nonprofit organization; extends job search; and increases sanctions for

JOBS noncompliance. On a statewide basis, would increase the automobile

exemption to $4,500 and disregard earned income of children who are

full-time students.

Date Received: 6/30/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Nancy Meszaros, (404) 657-3608.

Project Title: Hawaii--Families Are Better Together.

Description: Statewide, would eliminate 100-hour, attachment to the

work force, 30 day unemployment and principal wage earner criteria for

AFDC-UP families.

Date Received: 5/22/95.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Patricia Murakami, (808) 586-5230.

Project Title: Illinois--Six Month Paternity Establishment

Demonstration.

Description: In 20 counties, would require the establishment of

paternity, unless good cause exists, within 6 months of application or

redetermination as a condition of AFDC and Medicaid eligibility for

both mother

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and child; would deny Medicaid to children age 7 and under, exclude

children from filing rules, and exempt Department from making

protective payments to eligible children, when custodial parent has not

cooperated in establishing paternity; delegate the establishment of

paternity in uncontested cases to caseworkers who perform assistance

payment or social service functions under title IV-A or XX.

Date Received: 7/18/95.

Title: AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.

Project Title: Illinois--School Attendance Demonstration.

Description: Statewide, would require the participation in a plan

for poor elementary school attendance and, upon continuation of poor

attendance, the establishment of a protective payee, progressing to the

removal of the caretaker's portion of the AFDC grant.

Date Received: 7/18/95.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.

Project Title: Illinois--Work and Responsibility Demonstration.

Description: The demonstration includes six components, five of

which will be implemented statewide. (1) Targeted Work Initiative--

would limit receipt of AFDC benefits to a total of 24 months without

earnings for households whose youngest child is at least 13 years of

age; any month with budgeted income due to employment will not be

counted toward the 24 month time limit. (2) Get a Job Initiative--new

applicants determined to be job ready and whose children are between 5

and 12 will be required to participate in job search for up to six

months. (3) Family Accountability--assistance payments will not be

increased as a result of the birth of children conceived while the

parent was receiving assistance. (4) Job Track--exempt volunteers for

JOBS will become subject to the same requirements and sanctions as non-

exempt participants; participation in basic education or GED programs

will be limited to two years unless the individual is working or

participating in an approved work activity. (5) Self-Sufficiency Plan--

all applicants and recipients will be required to complete a self-

sufficiency plan as a condition of eligibility. (6) Quarterly

Budgeting--in selected sites, cases with earned income will be required

to report income quarterly; the information will be used to

prospectively budget income for the next quarter. Failure to report

earnings will result in case closure and overpayment recovery.

Date Received: 7/18/95.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Karan D. Maxson, (217) 785-3300.

Project Title: Kansas--Actively Creating Tomorrow for Families

Demonstration.

Description: Would, after 30 months of participation in JOBS, make

adults ineligible for AFDC for 3 years; replace $30 and 1/3 income

disregard with continuous 40% disregard; disregard lump sum income and

income and resources of children in school; count income and resources

of family members who receive SSI; exempt one vehicle without regard

for equity value if used to produce income; allow only half AFDC

benefit increase for births of a second child to families where the

parent is not working and eliminate increase for the birth of any child

if families already have at least two children; eliminate 100-hour rule

and work history requirements for UP cases; expand AFDC eligibility to

pregnant women in 1st and 2nd trimesters; extend Medicaid transitional

benefits to 24 months; eliminate various JOBS requirements, including

those related to target groups, participation rate of UP cases and the

20-hour work requirement limit for parents with children under 6;

require school attendance; require minors in AFDC and NPA Food Stamps

cases to live with a guardian; make work requirements and penalties in

the AFDC and Food Stamp programs more uniform; and increase sanctions

for not cooperating with child support enforcement activities.

Date Received: 7/26/94.

Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Faith Spencer, (913) 296-0775.

Project Title: Maine--Project Opportunity.

Description: Increase participation in Work Supplementation to 18

months; use Work Supplementation for any opening; use diverted grant

funds for vouchers for education, training or support services; and

extend transitional Medicaid and child care to 24 months.

Date Received: 8/5/94.

Type: Combined AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Susan L. Dustin, (207) 287-3106.

Project Title: Mississippi--A New Direction Demonstration Program--

Amendment.

Description: Statewide, would amend previously approved New

Direction Demonstration Program by adding provision that a family's

benefits would not increase as a result of additional children

conceived while receiving AFDC.

Date Received: 2/17/95.

Type: AFDC

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Larry Temple, (601) 359-4476.

Project Title: New Hampshire--Earned Income Disregard Demonstration

Project.

Description: AFDC applicants and recipients would have the first

$200 plus 1/2 the remaining earned income disregarded.

Date Received: 9/20/93.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Avis L. Crane, (603) 271-4255.

Project Title: New Mexico--Untitled Project.

Description: Would increase vehicle asset limit to $4500; disregard

earned income of students; develop an AFDC Intentional Program

Violation procedure identical to Food Stamps; and allow one individual

to sign declaration of citizenship for entire case.

Date Received: 7/7/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Scott Chamberlin, (505) 827-7254.

Project Title: North Dakota--Training, Education, Employment and

Management Project.

Description: Would require families to develop a social contract

specifying time-limit for becoming self-sufficient; combine AFDC, Food

Stamps and LIHEAP into single cash payment with simplified uniform

income, expense and resource exclusions; increase income disregards and

exempt stepparent's income for six months; increase resource limit to

$5000 for one recipient and $8000 for families with two or more

recipients; exempt value of one vehicle; eliminate 100-hour rule for

AFDC-UP; impose a progressive sanction for non-cooperation in JOBS or

with child support; require a minimum of 32 hours of paid employment

and non-paid work; require participation in EPSDT; and eliminate child

support pass-through.

Date Received: 9/9/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Kevin Iverson, (701) 224-2729.

Project Title: Ohio--Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP)

program.

Description: Statewide, would modify and extend by 6 and 1/2 years

the previously approved Learning, Earning,

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and Parenting Demonstration to require enrollment and regular school

attendance by pregnant and parenting teens; provide a $62 bonus or

sanction based on attendance; require continued participation in JOBS

by LEAP participants who turn 20 and have a child over 6 weeks of age;

provide a $62 grade completion bonus for those in high school; provide

a graduation or GED completion bonus of $200; implement a progressive

sanction leading to removal of the needs of the teen parent and her

child/children in determining amount of AFDC; and continue the LEAP

progressive sanction when the participant turns 20, if she remains JOBS

mandatory.

Date Received: 6/19/95.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Jackie Martin, (614) 466-8530.

Project Title: Oregon--Oregon Option.

Description: As a statewide project, would incorporate waivers

already approved in 1992 for JOBS Welfare Program and in 1994 for the

JOBS Plus Demonstration with previously pending waiver requests to

increase vehicle asset limit and extend transitional child care.

Requests guaranteed level of federal funding, with funds not used for

benefits to be used for other community support or prevention programs.

Also would, with some exceptions, limit receipt of AFDC benefits to no

more than 24 out of 84 months for families with employable parents;

allow case manager to determine JOBS exemptions on an individual basis;

eliminate the time restrictions on job search; impose progressive

sanctions, leading to full-family ineligibility, for non-compliance

with JOBS; require ineligible alien parents of AFDC children to

participate in JOBS; require counseling for recipients with substance

abuse problems; require teen parents to live in an adult-supervised

setting; discontinue the AFDC-UP program from June through September

each year and eliminate the 100-hour rule and work history

requirements; increase asset limit to $2,500 for non-JOBS participants

and $10,000 for JOBS participants, and treat lump-sum payments as an

asset; require annual AFDC eligibility redeterminations; modify the

rules for potential liability under EBT.

Date Received: 7/10/95.

Type: AFDC/Medicaid.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.

Project Title: Oregon--Expansion of the Transitional Child Care

Program.

Description: Provide transitional child care benefits without

regard to months of prior receipt of AFDC and provide benefits for 24

months.

Date Received: 8/8/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.

Project Title: Oregon--Increased AFDC Motor Vehicle Limit.

Description: Would increase automobile asset limit to $9000.

Date Received: 11/12/93.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Jim Neely, (503) 945-5607.

Project Title: Pennsylvania--School Attendance Improvement Program.

Description: In 7 sites, would require school attendance as

condition of eligibility.

Date Received: 9/12/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, (717) 787-4081.

Project Title: Pennsylvania--Savings for Education Program.

Description: Statewide, would exempt as resources college savings

bonds and funds in savings accounts earmarked for vocational or

secondary education and disregard interest income earned from such

accounts.

Date Received: 12/29/94.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Patricia H. O'Neal, (717) 787-4081.

Project Title: South Carolina--Family Independence Program

Description: Statewide, would, with exceptions, time limit AFDC

benefits to families with able bodied adults to 24 months out of 120

months, not to exceed 60 months in a lifetime; eliminate increase in

AFDC benefit resulting from birth of children 10 or more months after

the family begins AFDC receipt, but provide benefits to such children

in the form of vouchers for goods and services permitting child's

mother to participate in education, training, and employment-related

activities; eliminate deprivation requirements, principal earner

provisions, work history requirements, and 100-hour rule for AFDC-UP;

increase AFDC resource limit to $2,500 and disregard as resources one

vehicle with a market value up to $10,000, the balance in an Individual

Development Account (IDA) up to $10,000, and the cash value of life

insurance; disregard from income up to $10,000 in lump sum payments

deposited in an IDA within 30 days of receipt, earned income of

children attending school, and interest and dividend income up to $400;

require participation in a family skills training program; require

certain AFDC recipients to submit to random drug tests and/or

participate in alcohol or drug treatment; require children to attend

school; increase amount of child support passed through to AFDC

recipients; require more extensive information for child support

enforcement purposes; modify JOBS exemptions and good cause criteria,

and increase sanctions for non-compliance; make job search a condition

of eligibility; allow non-custodial parents of AFDC children to

participate in JOBS; pay transitional grant equaling 3 percent of the

maximum family grant following employment; and provide transitional

grant Medicaid and child care for 12 months from the date of employment

for cases previously closed due to time limit.

Date Received: 6/12/95.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Linda Martin (804) 737-6010.

Project Title: Washington--Success Through Employment Program

Description: Statewide, would eliminate the 100-hour rule for AFDC-

UP families; impose a 10 percent grant reduction for AFDC recipients

who have received assistance for 48 out of 60 months, and impose an

additional 10 percent grant reduction for every additional 12 months

thereafter, and budget earnings against the original payment standard;

and hold the food stamp benefit level constant for cases whose AFDC

benefits are reduced due to length of stay on assistance.

Date Received: 2/1/95.

Type: AFDC.

Current Status: Pending.

Contact Person: Liz Begert Dunbar, (206) 438-8350.

III. Listing of Approved Proposals Since August 1, 1995

Project Title: Maryland--Welfare Reform Project.

Contact Person: Katherine L. Cook, (410) 767-7338.

Project Title: Massachusetts--Welfare Reform '95.

Contact Person: Valerie Foretra, (617) 348-5508.

Project Title: Wisconsin--Pay for Performance (Self Sufficiency

First was included as a part of Pay For Performance).

Contact Person: Jean Sheil, (608) 266-0613.

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IV. Requests for Copies of a Proposal

Requests for copies of an AFDC or combined AFDC/Medicaid proposal

should be directed to the Administration for Children and Families

(ACF) at the address listed above. Questions concerning the content of

a proposal should be directed to the State contact listed for the

proposal.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program, No. 93562;

Assistance Payments--Research)

Dated: September 11, 1995.

Howard Rolston,

Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 95-22890 Filed 9-13-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-P