‘ 2. Identify measures of child and family economic security. Beginning October 15, 2019 and annually thereafter, the department shall obtain and compile the following data for the State regarding child and family economic security from those sources reasonably available to the department, including, but not limited to, data collected and maintained by the department, data available from the Department of Labor and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services or other state or federal agencies and such other data as can reasonably be obtained from other public or private sources upon request. The data must include:’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 in the first paragraph by striking out all of the last sentence (page 1, lines 9 to 11 in L.D.)
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 in subsection 2 by striking out all of the first 6 lines (page 1, lines 21 to 26 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 in subsection 2 in paragraph D by inserting after subparagraph (1) the following:
‘
(2) The number and percentage of families with quarterly earnings from unsubsidized employment that are below 50% of the federal poverty level:
(a) At the time participation in the program was terminated;
(b) During the 2nd quarter after participation in the program was terminated; and
(c) During the 4th quarter after participation in the program was terminated;
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 in subsection 2 in paragraph D by renumbering the subparagraphs to read numerically.
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 in subsection 2 by striking out all of paragraph F (page 3, lines 12 to 16 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
‘ F. The ratio of persons receiving food supplement assistance to the total number of potentially eligible persons; the ratio of persons 60 years of age or older receiving food supplement assistance to the total number of potentially eligible persons 60 years of age or older; the ratio of nonelderly persons with a disability receiving food supplement assistance to the total number of potentially eligible nonelderly persons with a disability; and the ratio of children under 18 years of age receiving food supplement assistance to the total number of potentially eligible children under 18 years of age;’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 in subsection 2 by striking out all of paragraphs J and K (page 3, lines 28 to 31 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
‘ J. The average waiting times, by month, for a person calling the department's call center to speak to a person, not including an interactive voice response system; and
K. The number and percentage, by month, of telephone calls to the department's call center that are terminated by a caller prior to the caller's speaking to a person, not including an interactive voice response system.’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3109 by striking out all of subsections 3 and 4 and inserting the following:
‘ 3. Measuring the effect of department initiatives to improve child and family economic security; report. The department shall examine and use the data related to program measures compiled pursuant to subsection 2 and consider how department programming can contribute to improvements in child and family economic security, including increased ability to meet basic needs, improved educational levels and increased incomes. Beginning January 15, 2021, and annually thereafter, the department shall present the data collected pursuant to subsection 2 along with an assessment of how these measures can be improved through department programming to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters for the committee's review. The department shall also identify any obstacles to improving the economic security for children, families and individuals and make recommendations for addressing those obstacles, which may include improved coordination between agencies of State Government. The committee's review must include the opportunity for public comment on the department's presentation and the committee may introduce any legislation that it considers necessary to address barriers faced by the department in improving economic security for children, families and individuals in this State.’
Amend the bill in section 6 in subsection 3-B in the 6th line from the end (page 11, line 20 in L.D.) by striking out the following: " $500,000" and inserting the following: ' $250,000'
Amend the bill by adding after section 8 the following:
‘Sec. 9. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment 0146
Initiative: Provides allocations for expected additional participants in the Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment program.
| FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
|
All Other
|
$3,010,368 | $4,013,824 |
 |
|
|
| FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL | $3,010,368 | $4,013,824 |
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138
Initiative: Provides allocations for campus-based student support and navigation.
| FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
|
All Other
|
$187,500 | $250,000 |
|
|
|
| FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL | $187,500 | $250,000 |
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138
Initiative: Provides allocations due to the elimination of the gross income test.
| FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
|
All Other
|
$575,060 | $766,746 |
|
|
|
| FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL | $575,060 | $766,746 |
| HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF | ||
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
|
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND
|
$3,772,928 | $5,030,570 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $3,772,928 | $5,030,570 |
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
summary
This amendment makes the following changes to the bill.
1. It removes the requirement for the Department of Health and Human Services to establish annual improvement targets to ensure access to public assistance programs.
2. It clarifies that sources of information to compile data measures of child and family economic security are not limited to the data sources in the bill and specifies that data from other state agencies including the Department of Labor and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services must be compiled.
3. It includes a data requirement that includes families earning below 50% of the federal poverty level at the time participation in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was terminated and during the 2nd and 4th quarters after participation was terminated.
4. It clarifies the language regarding the ratio of persons receiving food supplement assistance to those eligible to specify that the ratio applies to the number of persons overall, the number of persons 60 years of age and older, nonelderly persons with a disability and children under 18 years of age.
5. It specifies that data collected regarding waiting times for calls to Department of Health and Human Services call centers are to a person and not to an interactive voice response system.
6. It changes the requirements of the Department of Health and Human Services to measure and report on the effect of departmental initiatives to improve child and family economic security rather than establishing improvement targets with reporting requirements.
7. It changes the amount of funding for navigators at educational institutions and programs from $500,000 to $250,000.
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)