PRINTER'S NO. 4135
No. 621 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY FRANKEL, BATTISTO, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI, M. COHEN, COSTA, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HARHAI, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, MELIO, MUNDY, ORIE, PESCI, PETRARCA, PIPPY, READSHAW, SATHER, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STEELMAN, THOMAS, WALKO, WANSACZ AND WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 23, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, OCTOBER 23, 2000
A RESOLUTION 1 Calling on the President and the Congress of the United States 2 to restore proper funding levels for necessary programs 3 throughout the country through the Social Services Block 4 Grant. 5 WHEREAS, Title XX of the Social Security Act, the Social 6 Services Block Grant (SSBG), provides flexible funding to allow 7 states to provide a wide range of critical services to low- 8 income and vulnerable older adults, persons with disabilities, 9 children and families; and 10 WHEREAS, Programs most frequently supported by SSBG include 11 child care, child welfare, drug abuse prevention and treatment 12 activities, elder care, home-based services, employment services 13 and services for persons with disabilities; and 14 WHEREAS, Communities nationwide have maximized the 15 flexibility of SSBG funds to address service gaps and leverage 16 additional resources for over 25 years; and
1 WHEREAS, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 2 Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193, 110 Stat. 2105), 3 and the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, effective through 2002, 4 authorized a funding level established at $2.38 billion; and 5 WHEREAS, Funding cuts over the past four years have 6 dramatically reduced funding for critical services in local 7 communities; and 8 WHEREAS, The fiscal year 2001 authorized level for SSBG has 9 been reduced to $1.7 billion, with further reductions in 10 authorized levels occurring through 2003; and 11 WHEREAS, The United States Senate Appropriations Committee in 12 its fiscal year 2001 budget proposal cut the program to $600 13 million for fiscal year 2001, a 66% reduction from its fiscal 14 year 2000 funding level of $1.775 billion, resulting in an 15 estimated $400 million loss in funding for child protective 16 services and an estimated $262 million cut from key services for 17 the elderly; and 18 WHEREAS, Such funding cuts will be further exacerbated since 19 the amount that states can transfer from Temporary Assistance to 20 Needy Families (TANF) to Title XX has also been restricted to 21 4.25% in 2001 from the previous 10%; and 22 WHEREAS, Bipartisan bills introduced in the United States 23 Senate (S. 2585) and the United States House of Representatives 24 (H.R. 4481) on May 17, 2000, would raise the authorized funding 25 level for the SSBG in Title XX of the Social Security Act to 26 $2.38 billion; and 27 WHEREAS, The aforementioned legislation would again allow all 28 states to transfer 10% of their TANF funds to SSBG; therefore be 29 it 30 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 20000H0621R4135 - 2 -
1 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania support the funding increases 2 proposed in S. 2585 and H.R. 4481 to continue to fund critical 3 services for an estimated 11 million children, families, seniors 4 and persons with disabilities each year through the SSBG; and be 5 it further 6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives call on the 7 President and Congress of the United States to vote on and pass 8 S. 2585 or H.R. 4481 so that there will not be a detrimental 9 break in the community services provided through the funding 10 established in the SSBG. I29L82JS/20000H0621R4135 - 3 -