Congressional Research Service Reports - 55 Matching Results

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Child Care Reauthorization: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Child Care Provisions in House and Senate Versions of H.R. 4, S. 880, and Current Law: This report discuses the legislative action to reauthorize child care legislation that expired at the end of FY2002. The Child care reauthorization” is composed of two parts: legislation to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act and legislation to extend mandatory funding appropriated under Section 418 of the Social Security Act.
Medicaid Disproportionate Share Payments: The Medicaid statute requires that states make disproportionate share (DSH) adjustments to the payment rates of certain hospitals treating large numbers of low-income and Medicaid patients — recognizing the disadvantaged situation of those hospitals. Although the requirement was established in 1981, DSH payments did not become a significant part of the program until after 1989 when they grew from just under $1 billion to almost $17 billion by 1992. During that time states’ Medicaid budgets were facing a number of upward pressures while states were learning about financing techniques that made it easier to collect increased DSH payments from the federal government.
Child Welfare Issues in the 108th Congress: This report discusses child welfare services that seek to protect children who have been abused or neglected or who are at risk of maltreatment. It also point out child welfare financing and other child welfare issues.
Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues: This report discusses Temporary Protected Status and other forms of blanket relief offered by the United States to aliens who are fleeing and unable to return to dangerous situations abroad. Updated January 14, 2005.
Housing Assistance and Welfare: Background and Issues: This paper will introduce the reader to federal housing assistance and welfare programs, the people they serve, how the programs interact and current issues.
Medicaid and the Current State Fiscal Crisis: Medicaid, a health insurance program funded jointly by the federal government and the states, is facing a period of quickly escalating costs at a time when the need (as measured by the number of uninsured) among the population it serves — the lowincome disabled, families and elderly — is rising. The pressures of quickly rising costs and increasing need are driving legislative attention both at the state and federal levels. Between FY2000 and FY2003, the annual growth rate of federal Medicaid expenditures was 11.3%.
Coverage of the TANF Population Under Medicaid and SCHIP: Health insurance is an important support for individuals receiving, leaving or diverted from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare or cash assistance program for low-income families. Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) are key vehicles for providing such coverage. While there is no formal link between TANF and either Medicaid or SCHIP, some TANF-eligibles, especially children, are likely to qualify for one of these programs. But state eligibility rules can be complex and often differ for parents versus children, leaving some parents, in particular, without coverage.
Medicaid Expenditures, FY2002 and FY2003: Medicaid is a health insurance program jointly funded by the states and the federal government. Generally, eligibility is limited to low-income children, pregnant women, parents of dependent children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Each state designs and administers its own program within broad federal guidelines.
The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act: Reauthorization and Appropriations: This report discusses the 107th Congress the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act reauthorization and appropriations to fun the the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act program, and possible 110th Congress reauthorization issues. Updated: 02/15/2005
U.S. Immigration Policy on Asylum Seekers: This report analyzes the processes that aliens must go through to apply for asylum in the United States. It offers a historical overview of legislation concerning immigration as well as an overview of current asylum policy. The report also provides trends on immigration, such as the amount of asylum requests and source countries. Finally, it addresses issues that many have with U.S. asylum law, such as terrorist infiltration, coordination with border and transportation security and numerical limits.
TANF Reauthorization: Side-by-Side Comparison of Current Law and Two Versions of H.R. 4 (108th Congress): No Description Available.
How Medicaid Works - Program Basics: Medicaid is a means-tested entitlement program that has been in existence for over 35 years. It provides primary and acute care as well as long-term care to over 50 million Americans at a cost to federal and state governments of approximately $276.1 billion in FY2003. Of all federally supported social programs, only Medicare comes close to this level of spending, and only Social Security costs more.
Child Welfare: An Analysis of Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews: This report provides an overview of the current Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review process and a discussion of state performance on available reviews conducted after the January 25,2000 rule's effective date.
State Medicaid Program Administration: A Brief Overview: Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal and state governments, but each state designs and administers its own program within broad federal guidelines. This report provides a brief overview of the Medicaid program administration at the state level and includes information on organization, responsibilities, and expenditures. It also describes policy issues and proposals related to state Medicaid program administration that has attracted recent attention. It will be updated as legislative or other activity warrants.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions: No Description Available.
Child Welfare Financing: An Issue Overview: The purpose of this report is to describe the federal interest in child welfare (as expressed by Congress); describe the current level and structure of federal dedicated child welfare financing and examine trends in the appropriation and spending of this money; and to review the extent to which states rely on non-dedicated federal funds for child welfare purposes. Finally, the report discusses the future federal commitment to child welfare financing, along with the concepts of flexibility and accountability, as these relate both to current law and to recent proposals to alter federal child welfare financing.
The “Superwaiver” Proposal and Service Integration: A History of Federal Initiatives: From Summary: This report reviews the history, trends, and outcomes of past federal services integration initiatives that might be seen as comparable to the current "superwaiver" proposal, a welfare reform reauthorization proposed by the Bush Administration.
The Child Support Enforcement Program: A Review of the Data: This report discusses the child support enforcement program that promotes self-sufficiency of families in which one of the biological parents living outside of the home by ensuring that noncustodial parents meets their financial responsibility to their children.
The Department of Labor’s New Rules for Working Children and Youth: February 2005: No Description Available.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Formula and Estimated Allocation Rates: No Description Available.
The Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services Program: This report provides information on the Hospital Survey and Construction Act of 1946, commonly known as the Hill-Burton Act, which was enacted to provide federal financial assistance for the planning, construction, and improvement of health care facilities through grants, loans, and guaranteed loans under Title VI and later Title XVI of the Public Health Service Act. The report also covers the obligations and eligibility requirements for free care, and sources for further information
The Child Welfare Workforce: An Overview: This report gives an overview of the Child Welfare Workforce. The contents include who are child welfare workers, size and job characteristics of child welfare workforce, earnings, Working conditions, and job outlook.
Welfare Reauthorization: Overview of the Issues: In February 2002, the Administration proposed its welfare reauthorization plan. The debate was dominated by controversy over the amount of child care funding and the Administration's proposed changes to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) work participation standards. The final agreement reflects the same child care funding increase that was provided in House-passed welfare reauthorization measures in 2002 and 2003 ($1 billion in additional mandatory child care funding over five years). The 2005 Senate Finance Committee welfare reauthorization bill would have provided $6 billion in additional child care funding over five years. Though the final agreement would require states to increase the share of their families participating in TANF work activities, it does not include the Administration's proposal to set a 40-hour workweek standard or revise the activities that count toward the standard. The reauthorization debate also reflected a renewed focus on noncustodial parents and on family formation issues. The budget agreement includes responsible fatherhood initiatives and a scaled back version of the President's initiative to promote healthy marriages.
Welfare Reauthorization: Overview of the Issues: In February 2002, the Administration proposed its welfare reauthorization plan. The debate was dominated by controversy over the amount of child care funding and the Administration's proposed changes to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) work participation standards. The final agreement reflects the same child care funding increase that was provided in House-passed welfare reauthorization measures in 2002 and 2003 ($1 billion in additional mandatory child care funding over five years). The 2005 Senate Finance Committee welfare reauthorization bill would have provided $6 billion in additional child care funding over five years. Though the final agreement would require states to increase the share of their families participating in TANF work activities, it does not include the Administration's proposal to set a 40-hour workweek standard or revise the activities that count toward the standard. The reauthorization debate also reflected a renewed focus on noncustodial parents and on family formation issues. The budget agreement includes responsible fatherhood initiatives and a scaled back version of the President's initiative to promote healthy marriages.
Medicaid and SCHIP: The President's FY2006 Budget Proposals: This report describes the proposal and provides an estimate of the cost or savings based on publicly available information. The report provides a brief background for the proposal and provides a listing of current Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports related to the proposal.
Family Law: Congress’ Authority to Legislate on Domestic Relations Questions: No Description Available.
Child Welfare: State Performance on Child and Family Services Reviews: This report begins with a short history of the legislation and other factors that led to the creation of the current CFSR and then briefly describes how a CFSR is conducted and what “substantial conformity” with federal child welfare policy means in the context of this review. Much has been made of the fact that no state was found to be in substantial conformity with all aspects of federal policy reviewed during the initial (FY2001-FY2004) round of the CFSRs. This report seeks to better understand that fact by looking closely at state performance on each of the performance indicators that determined compliance.
Welfare Reauthorization: Overview of the Issues: In 2003, 12.3 million children lived in families with incomes below the poverty line (a 17.2% child poverty rate). Research has shown that poverty can have negative consequences on a child’s development. Children depend upon their parents for support, and most of the recent policy attention has focused on initiatives to move poor parents (mostly single mothers) from welfare to work and on reducing welfare dependency.
Child Care Issues in the 109th Congress: Federal support for child care comes in many forms, ranging from grant programs to tax provisions. Some programs serve as specifically dedicated funding sources for child care services (e.g., the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)), while for others (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)), child care is just one of many purposes for which funds may be used. This report discusses budget proposals in areas related to child care and early childhood development in the 109th Congress.
Medicaid Eligibility for Adults and Children: Medicaid is a means-tested entitlement program that is largely designed and administered by states under broad federal rules. The programs are jointly financed by federal and state funds. Federal contributions to each state are based on a state’s willingness to finance covered medical services and a matching formula. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is responsible for federal oversight of the program. In FY2003, preliminary federal and state spending on Medicaid reached $275.5 billion, exceeding Medicare payments, net of premiums, by over $15 billion.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions: The 109th Congress is considering legislation to extend funding and possibly amend the block grant of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which was created in the 1996 welfare reform law. The original funding authority provided in the 1996 law expired at the end of FY2002. Since then, Congress has inconclusively debated legislation to reauthorize TANF (and some related programs) but has kept the program alive through temporary extensions. The latest such extension is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2005. Reauthorization bills introduced for the 109th Congress (H.R. 240, S. 667) have policies that mirror those of bills considered during the previous three years.
Trends in Poverty in the United States: This report discusses trends in poverty in the United States. In 2004, 37 million people were found poor under the official poverty definition — a 1.1 million increase from 2003. The poverty rate, or percent of the population considered poor, increased for the fourth straight year, to 12.7% in 2004 — up from 12.5% in 2003, and 11.3% in 2000, its most recent low.
TANF Cash Benefits as of January 1, 2004: No Description Available.
Hurricane Katrina: Medicaid Issues: This report discusses the following: Medicaid’s rules on eligibility, benefits, and financing in the context of current questions and issues raised by Hurricane Katrina. Recent state actions in response to Medicaid issues raised by the hurricane. Federal Medicaid waiver authority, including information on current activity in this area and the New York Disaster Relief Medicaid waiver granted in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Current federal legislation related to Medicaid and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Its Role In Response to the Effects of Hurricane Katrina: The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant provides grants to states to help them fund a wide variety of benefits and services to low-income families with children. TANF is best known as helping fund ongoing cash welfare benefits for families with children, but the block grant may also fund other benefits and services such as emergency payments, child care.
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Tax Credit: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit are temporary provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Since their initiation in the mid-1990s, the Congress has allowed the credits to lapse four of the five times they were up for reauthorization. In each instance, they were reinstated retroactive to their expiration dates as part of large tax-related measures. The employment tax credits never have been addressed independently of broader legislation. This report describes the WOTC and WtW Tax Credit and outlines issues for members of Congress.
TANF Reauthorization: Side-by-Side Comparison of Current Law, S. 667, and H.R. 240 (TANF Provisions): This report discusses the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) re-authorization, and the debate over authorization for TANF and related programs.
TANF Reauthorization: Side-by-Side Comparison of Current Law, S. 667 and H.R. 240 (TANF Provisions): No Description Available.
Welfare Reauthorization: Overview of the Issues: The 109th Congress is reviewing a number of programs that aid poor and low-income families with children. These programs include the TANF and child care block grants, child support enforcement, abstinence education, transitional Medicaid (known as Transitional Medical Assistance), Head Start, and the Workforce Investment Act. Other potential policy initiatives, such as social security and tax reform, also would likely affect low-income families with children. This report focuses on programs and policy initiatives that are being raised in the context of reviewing and reauthorizing welfare programs: TANF, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Child Support Enforcement, Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA), Abstinence Education, initiatives to promote responsible fatherhood, and initiatives to promote rearing children in married-couple families.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Its Role in Response to the Effects of Hurricane Katrina: No Description Available.
Welfare Reauthorization: Overview of the Issues: In 2003, 12.3 million children lived in families with incomes below the poverty line (a 17.2% child poverty rate). Research has shown that poverty can have negative consequences on a child’s development. Children depend upon their parents for support, and most of the recent policy attention has focused on initiatives to move poor parents (mostly single mothers) from welfare to work and on reducing welfare dependency.
Medicaid Issues for the 109th Congress: This report provides background information for medicaid reforms and discuses proposals for reform.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act: This report is intended to provide an overview of the Adequate Yearly Process (AYP) concept and several related issues, a description of the AYP provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, and an analysis of the implementation of these provisions by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the states. It will be updated when major administrative actions are taken by ED, or substantial new data on state implementation become available.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act: This report is intended to provide an overview of the Adequate Yearly Process (AYP) concept and several related issues, a description of the AYP provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, and an analysis of the implementation of these provisions by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the states. It will be updated when major administrative actions are taken by ED, or substantial new data on state implementation become available.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Percentage of Total Tax Returns and Credit Amount by State: The earned income tax credit (EITC), established in the tax code in 1975, offers cash aid to working parents with relatively low incomes who care for dependent children. The EITC is the only federal cash aid available to all working poor families with children. For eligible filers with income tax liability, the EITC reduces their taxes.
Topics in Aging: Income and Poverty Among Older Americans in 2004: Older Americans are an economically diverse group. In 2004, the median income of individuals age 65 and over was $15,199, but incomes varied widely around this average. Twenty-eight percent of Americans 65 or older had incomes of less than $10,000 in 2004, while 10% had incomes of $50,000 or more. As Congress considers reforms to Social Security and the laws governing pensions and retirement savings plans, it may be helpful to consider how changes to one income source would affect each of the others, and thus the total income of older Americans
AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC): Problems, Responses, and Issues for Congress: This report discusses the issue of children that have been left as orphans due to AIDS taking their parents lives. Moreover, the report details that between 2001 and 2003 the number of children orphaned from AIDS increased by 3.5 million. The rate of orphaned children is only expected to increase in the future if massive spending is not issued to curb the problem.
Child Welfare: Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bills: This report provides background information on provisions relevant to federal funding for child welfare purposes and other child welfare related provisions included in S. 1932 and H.R. 4241, and will be updated as necessary.
Welfare Reauthorization: A Side-By-Side Comparison of Current Law, Senate Committee-Approved and House Budget Reconciliation Bill Provisions: No Description Available.
Budget Reconciliation FY2006: Provisions Affecting the Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP): The federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) is the rate at which states are reimbursed for most Medicaid service expenditures. The FY2006 budget reconciliation bills passed by the House (H.R. 4241) and Senate (S. 1932) include provisions that would affect state FMAPs for Medicaid in a number of ways. This report describes these provisions and estimates their impact on FY2006 FMAPs.

Congressional Research Service Reports - 55 Matching Results

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