WELFARE REFORM STUDY PLAN

The following is a proposed study plan the committee may want to consider in its study of welfare reform issues including the relationship between the state and the Indian tribes:

1. Receive testimony from the Department of Human Services, county social service agencies, tribal representatives, and recipients regarding the status of the implementation of the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program, the effectiveness of the program in accomplishing welfare reform, the need for continuing legislative monitoring, and the proportion of adults living in Indian country who are unemployed. This information could include caseload and appropriation status reports. (Section 4 of SB 2114)
2. Receive reports from the Department of Human Services periodically on the progress of negotiations with any tribal government to establish a pilot project for administration of a tribal family assistance grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. (Section 3 of SB 2114)
3. Receive periodic reports from the Department of Human Services on the department's progress in determining the most reliable current data concerning the proportion of unemployed adults living in Indian country. (Section 5 of SB 2114)
4. Receive and consider any requests from the Department of Human Services regarding the termination of any federal waivers (Section 50-06-01.8) and regarding Department of Human Services revisions to the administration of the TANF program (Section 50-09-29). Receive from the Department of Human Services any suggested statutory changes regarding the administration of the TANF program and federal waiver approvals.
5. Receive a report August 2000 from the Department of Human Services on the progress in implementing child support income withholding through the state disbursement unit. (Section 4 of HB 1121)
6. Receive testimony from the Department of Human Services, county social service agencies, and representatives of tribal governments regarding the impact of the TANF program on Indian tribes; the use of the Bureau of Indian Affairs unemployment rate statistics in determining exemptions from the state's lifetime limit under the TANF program; the department's process of receiving input from local governments and the tribes; efforts to improve economic development, job training, and work force training program coordination; and the impact of tribal sovereignty on economic development and the TANF program. (SCR 4036)
7. Develop recommendations and any necessary legislation to implement the committee's recommendations.
8. Prepare a final report for submission to the Legislative Council.