Providing Relief to Individuals Desiring Employment (PRIDE) Act of 2013 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, effective as of October 1, 2013, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out pilot projects to permit states to run a work program (with certain features comparable to the program of block grants for temporary assistance for needy families under title IV of the Social Security Act) to increase employment and self-sufficiency through increased accountability (thereby reducing the need for supplemental nutrition assistance benefits (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program)).
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3055 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3055
To reform the Federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP)
so that States have the option of conducting pilot projects to require
that able-bodied individuals participate in work activities as a
condition of receiving benefits under such program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 2, 2013
Mr. Southerland (for himself, Mr. Reed, Ms. Jenkins, Mr. Austin Scott
of Georgia, Mr. Bentivolio, Mr. Price of Georgia, Mr. Westmoreland,
Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Kingston) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reform the Federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP)
so that States have the option of conducting pilot projects to require
that able-bodied individuals participate in work activities as a
condition of receiving benefits under such program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Relief to Individuals
Desiring Employment (PRIDE) Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECTS TO PROMOTE WORK AND INCREASE STATE
ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.
Effective October 1, 2013, section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(l) Pilot Projects To Promote Work and Increase State
Accountability in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out pilot
projects to develop and test methods allowing States to run a
work program with certain features comparable to the State
program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), with the intent of increasing
employment and self-sufficiency through increased State
accountability and thereby reducing the need for supplemental
nutrition assistance benefits.
``(2) Agreements.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out this subsection,
the Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements
with States in accordance with pilot projects that meet
the criteria required under this subsection.
``(B) Application.--To be eligible for a
cooperative agreement under this paragraph, a State
shall submit to the Secretary a plan that complies with
requirements of this subsection beginning in fiscal
year 2014. The Secretary may not disapprove
applications which meet the requirements of this
subsection as described through its amended
supplemental nutrition assistance State Plan.
``(C) Assurances.--A State shall include in its
plan assurances that its pilot project will--
``(i) operate for at least three 12-month
periods but not more than five 12-month
periods;
``(ii) have a robust data collection system
for program administration that is designed and
shared with project evaluators to ensure proper
and timely evaluation; and
``(iii) intend to offer a work activity
described in paragraph (4) to adults assigned
and required to participate under paragraph
(3)(A) and who are not exempt under paragraph
(3)(F).
``(D) Number of pilot projects.--Any State may
carry out a pilot project that meets the requirements
of this subsection.
``(E) Extent of pilot projects.--Pilot projects
shall cover no less than the entire State.
``(F) Other program waivers.--Waivers for able-
bodied adults without dependents provided under section
6(o) are void for States covered by a pilot project
carried out under paragraph (1).
``(3) Work activity.--(A) For purposes of this subsection,
the term `work activity' means any of the following:
``(i) Employment in the public or private sector
that is not subsidized by any public program.
``(ii) Employment in the private sector for which
the employer receives a subsidy from public funds to
offset some or all of the wages and costs of employing
an adult.
``(iii) Employment in the public sector for which
the employer receives a subsidy from public funds to
offset some or all of the wages and costs of employing
an adult.
``(iv) A work activity that--
``(I) is performed in return for public
benefits;
``(II) provides an adult with an
opportunity to acquire the general skills,
knowledge, and work habits necessary to obtain
employment;
``(III) is designed to improve the
employability of those who cannot find
unsubsidized employment; and
``(IV) is supervised by an employer, work
site sponsor, or other responsible party on an
ongoing basis.
``(v) Training in the public or private sector that
is given to a paid employee while he or she is engaged
in productive work and that provides knowledge and
skills essential to the full and adequate performance
of the job.
``(vi) Job search, obtaining employment, or
preparation to seek or obtain employment, including--
``(I) life skills training;
``(II) substance abuse treatment or mental
health treatment, determined to be necessary
and documented by a qualified medical,
substance abuse, or mental health professional;
or
``(III) rehabilitation activities;
supervised by a public agency or other responsible
party on an ongoing basis.
``(vii) Structured programs and embedded
activities--
``(I) in which adults perform work for the
direct benefit of the community under the
auspices of public or nonprofit organizations;
``(II) that are limited to projects that
serve useful community purposes in fields such
as health, social service, environmental
protection, education, urban and rural
redevelopment, welfare, recreation, public
facilities, public safety, and child care;
``(III) that are designed to improve the
employability of adults not otherwise able to
obtain unsubsidized employment;
``(IV) that are supervised on an ongoing
basis; and
``(V) with respect to which a State agency
takes into account, to the extent possible, the
prior training, experience, and skills of a
recipient in making appropriate community
service assignments.
``(viii) Career and technical training programs
(not to exceed 12 months with respect to any adult)
that are directly related to the preparation of adults
for employment in current or emerging occupations and
that are supervised on an ongoing basis.
``(ix) Training or education for job skills that
are required by an employer to provide an adult with
the ability to obtain employment or to advance or adapt
to the changing demands of the workplace and that are
supervised on an ongoing basis.
``(x) Education that is related to a specific
occupation, job, or job offer and that is supervised on
an ongoing basis.
``(xi) In the case of an adult who has not
completed secondary school or received such a
certificate of general equivalence, regular
attendance--
``(I) in accordance with the requirements
of the secondary school or course of study, at
a secondary school or in a course of study
leading to such certificate; and
``(II) supervised on an ongoing basis.
``(xii) Providing child care to enable another
recipient of public benefits to participate in a
community service program that--
``(I) does not provide compensation for
such community service;
``(II) is a structured program designed to
improve the employability of adults who
participate in such program; and
``(III) is supervised on an ongoing basis.
``(B) Protections.--Work activities under this subsection
shall be subject to all applicable health and safety standards.
Except as described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of
subparagraph (A), the term `work activity' shall be considered
work preparation and not defined as employment for purposes of
other law.
``(4) Pilot projects.--Pilot projects carried out under
paragraph (1) shall include interventions to which adults are
assigned that are designed to reduce unnecessary dependence,
promote self sufficiency, increase work levels, increase earned
income, and reduce supplemental nutrition assistance benefit
expenditures among households eligible for, applying for, or
participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
``(A) Adults assigned to interventions by the State
shall--
``(i) be subject to mandatory participation
in work activities specified in paragraph (4),
except those with 1 or more dependent children
under 1 year of age;
``(ii) participate in work activities
specified in paragraph (4) for a minimum of 20
hours per week per household;
``(iii) be a maximum age of not less than
50 and not more than 60, as defined by the
State;
``(iv) be subject to penalties during a
period of nonparticipation without good cause
ranging from, at State option, a minimum of the
removal of the adults from the household
benefit amount, up to a maximum of the
discontinuance of the entire household benefit
amount; and
``(v) not be penalized for nonparticipation
if child care is not available for 1 or more
children under 6 years of age.
``(B) The State shall allow certain individuals to
be exempt from work requirements--
``(i) those participating in work programs
under a State program funded under part A of
title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
601 et seq.) for an equal or greater number of
hours;
``(ii) 1 adult family member per household
who is needed in the home to care for a
disabled family member;
``(iii) an adult who is receiving temporary
or permanent disability benefits issued by
governmental sources; and
``(iv) those with a good cause reason for
nonparticipation, such as victims of domestic
violence, as defined by the State.
``(5) Evaluation and reporting.--
``(A) Evaluation.--
``(i) Independent evaluation.--
``(I) In general.--The Secretary
shall provide for each State that
enters into an agreement under
paragraph (2) an independent,
longitudinal evaluation of its pilot
project under this subsection to
determine total program savings over
the entire course of the pilot project
with results reported in consecutive
12-month increments.
``(II) Purpose.--The purpose of the
evaluation is to measure the impact of
interventions provided by the State
under the pilot project on the ability
of adults in households eligible for,
applying for, or participating in the
supplemental nutrition assistance
program to find and retain employment
that leads to increased household
income and reduced dependency.
``(III) Requirement.--The
independent evaluation under subclause
(I) shall use valid statistical methods
which can determine the difference
between supplemental nutrition
assistance benefit expenditures, if
any, as a result of the interventions
as compared to a control group that--
``(aa) is not subject to
the interventions provided by
the State under the pilot
project under this subsection;
and
``(bb) maintains services
provided under 16(h) in the
year prior to the start of the
pilot project under this
subsection.
``(IV) Option.--States shall have
the option to evaluate pilot projects
by matched counties or matched
geographical areas using a constructed
control group design to isolate the
effects of the intervention of the
pilot project.
``(V) Definition.--Constructed
control group means there is no random
assignment, and instead program
participants (those subject to
interventions) and non-participants
(control) are equated using matching or
statistical procedures on
characteristics that may be associated
with program outcomes.
``(B) Reporting.--Not later than 90 days after the
end of fiscal year 2014 and of each fiscal year
thereafter, until the completion of the last evaluation
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report that
includes a description of--
``(i) the status of each pilot project
carried out under paragraph (1);
``(ii) the results of the evaluation
completed during the previous fiscal year; and
``(iii) to the maximum extent practicable--
``(I) baseline information relevant
to the stated goals and desired
outcomes of the pilot project;
``(II) the impact of the
interventions on appropriate
employment, income, and public benefit
receipt outcomes among households
participating in the pilot project;
``(III) equivalent information
about similar or identical measures
among control or comparison groups;
``(IV) the planned dissemination of
the report findings to State agencies;
and
``(V) the steps and funding
necessary to incorporate into State
employment and training programs the
components of pilot projects that
demonstrate increased employment and
earnings.
``(C) Public dissemination.--In addition to the
reporting requirements under subparagraph (B),
evaluation results shall be shared broadly to inform
policy makers, service providers, other partners, and
the public in order to promote wide use of successful
strategies, including by posting evaluation results on
the Internet website of the Department of Agriculture.
``(6) Funding.--
``(A) Available funds.--From amounts made available
under section 18(a)(1), the Secretary shall make
available--
``(i) up to $1,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2014 through 2017 for evaluations
described in paragraph (5) to carry out this
subsection, with such amounts to remain
available until expended; and
``(ii) amounts equal to one-half of the
accumulated supplemental nutrition assistance
benefit dollars saved over each consecutive 12-
month period according to the evaluation under
paragraph (5) for bonus grants to States under
paragraph (7)(B).
``(B) Limitation.--A State operating a pilot
project under this subsection shall not receive more
funding under section 16(h) than the State received the
year prior to commencing a project under this
subsection and shall not claim funds under 16(a) for
expenses that are unique to the pilot project under
this subsection.
``(C) Other funds.--Any additional funds required
by a State to carry out a pilot project under this
subsection may be provided by the State from funds made
available to the State for such purpose and in
accordance with State and other Federal laws, including
the following:
``(i) Section 403 of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 603).
``(ii) The Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(29 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.).
``(iii) The Child Care and Development
Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C 9858 et seq.)
and section 418 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 618).
``(iv) The social services block grant
under subtitle A of title XX of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.).
``(7) Use of funds.--
``(A) Specific uses.--Funds provided under this
subsection for evaluation of pilot projects shall be
used only for--
``(i) pilot projects that comply with this
subsection;
``(ii) the costs incurred in gathering and
providing information and data used to conduct
the independent evaluation under paragraph (5);
and
``(iii) the costs of the evaluation under
paragraph (5).
``(B) Limitation.--Funds provided for bonus grants
to States for pilot projects under this subsection
shall be used only for--
``(i) pilot projects that comply with this
subsection;
``(ii) amounts equal to one-half of the
accumulated supplemental nutrition assistance
benefit dollars saved over each consecutive 12-
month period according to the evaluation under
paragraph (5); and
``(iii) any State purpose, not to be
restricted to the supplemental nutrition
assistance program or its beneficiary
population.''.
SEC. 3. IMPROVED WAGE VERIFICATION USING THE NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF NEW
HIRES.
Effective October 1, 2013, section 11(e) of the Food and Nutrition
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3) by inserting ``and after compliance
with the requirement specified in paragraph (24)'' after
``section 16(e) of this Act'',
(2) in paragraph (22) by striking ``and'' at the end,
(3) in paragraph (23 by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and'', and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(24) that the State agency shall request wage data
directly from the National Directory of New Hires established
under section 453(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
653(i)) relevant to determining eligibility to receive
supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits and
determining the correct amount of such benefits.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
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