§1314a Measurement and Reporting of Welfare Receipt

Summary

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, working with the Secretary of Agriculture, to create ways to measure how often and how much families rely on welfare, how long they get it, and what predicts who will need it. The Secretaries must check what data exist and what new information is needed, and must send an interim report with their findings no later than 2 years after October 31, 1994 to the House and Senate committees named in the law. Sets up a 12-member advisory board to help design the measures and the annual reports. The House, the Senate, and the President each appoint four members. Members are unpaid but get travel pay, and HHS can assign staff to help. The board ends before the first annual report. The Secretary must then send yearly reports on people getting means-tested benefits (including aid under part A of subchapter IV, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), Supplemental Security Income under subchapter XVI, and state or local general assistance). Each report must show indicators of rate/depth of dependence and duration, trends, predictors, causes, multiple-program use, other relevant facts, and any legislative recommendations that do not cut eligibility or make access harder. Reports are due not later than 3 years after October 31, 1994 and every year after, transmitted during the first 60 days of each regular session of Congress.