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The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program: How are State Allotments Determined?
This report discusses the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is a block grant program under which the federal government provides states annual grants to operate multi-component home energy assistance programs for needy households.
The Animal Welfare Act: Background and Selected Legislation
The Animal Welfare Act was first passed in 1966 to prevent pets from being stolen for sale to research laboratories, and to improve the treatment and wellbeing of animals intended for research. The passage in 2007 of legislation on animal fighting marked the sixth time Congress has amended the act to strengthen enforcement, expand coverage to more animals and activities, or curtail practices viewed as cruel, among other things. The Animal Welfare Act amendments in the 2008 farm bill band the importation of puppies under six months of age for resale, tighten prohibitions of dog and other animal fighting activities, and increase penalties for violation of the act.
Welfare Reform: An Issue Overview
The House passed a bill (H.R. 3146) on September 24 to extend TAIF, mandatory child care, abstinence education, and transitional Medicaid, on current terms, through March 31, 2004. In the absence of legislation, these programs would expire on September 30. The Senate Finance Committee approved a comprehensive TAIF preauthorization proposal of Chairman Chuck Grassley on September 10. Entitled Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone (PRIDE), the legislation would extend TANF, mandatory child care, abstinence education, and transitional Medicaid for 5 years, FY2004 through FY2008. It would raise TANF work participation standards, increase weekly work hours, add new countable work activities,
Small Business Administration HUBZone Program
This report examines arguments both for and against targeting assistance to geographic areas with specified characteristics, such as low income, high poverty, or high unemployment, as opposed to providing assistance to people or businesses with specified characteristics. It then assesses the arguments both for and against the continuation of the HUBZone program
The Child Care and Development Block Grant: Background and Funding
This report discusses the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which provides subsidies to assist low-income families in obtaining child care so that parents can work or participate in education or training activities.
Local Welfare Administrators' Comments On the "Welfare Crisis."
This report discusses local welfare and it points out a wide range of opinions and proposals reflected in the discussions of proposals for improving or changing the exiting system.
Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation
This report describes the federal programs that are targeted to assist those who are homeless; includes recent funding levels; discusses current issues, including homelessness after the economic downturn and federal efforts to end homelessness; and provides information on recent legislation. Among active legislation are bills to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which includes transitional housing for those who are homeless as a result of domestic violence and legislation that would, among other things, reauthorize the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program.
Family Law: Congress’ Authority to Legislate on Domestic Relations Questions
No Description Available.
Child Welfare Issues in the 108th Congress
The purpose of this report is to present a number of generally less broad legislative proposals related to child welfare financing have been introduced in the 108th Congress. Additional child welfare-related proposals designed to improve services, promote timely placement of children across state lines, and for other purposes, are described in this report.
Child Welfare Issues in the 110th Congress
As the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted, states have the primary obligation to ensure child welfare. However, Congress provides significant federal funds to help states exercise this responsibility ($7.9 billion appropriated in FY2008). Most of this support is provided for children who are in foster care and who meet specific federal eligibility criteria. This report discusses the federal framework for child welfare policy; reviews the scope of activities, and children and families served, by state child welfare agencies; summarizes several child welfare-related hearings that were held in 2007; describes child welfare and related legislative proposals that have been introduced in the 110th Congress; and reviews child welfare programs for which funding authorization has expired or is set to expire on the last day of FY2008.
Child Welfare: State Plan Requirements under the Title IV-E Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program
The focus of this report is Title IV-E plan requirements other than those related to provision of direct financial assistance to eligible children. It also provides an overview of requirement related to children's safety, permanence, and well-being.
Runaway and Homeless Youth: Legislative Issues
No Description Available.
Troubled Asset Relief Program and Foreclosures
Increasing foreclosure rates and problems in financial markets are some of the issues addressed in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110 343), which created the Troubled Asset Relief Plan (TARP). This report is concerned with Title II of the bill, which would require the Treasury to spend a minimum of $40 billion of the second $350 billion on foreclosure mitigation.
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