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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Taylor

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-4-06

HB

SHORT TITLE Welfare Reform Policy Effectiveness

SJM 16

ANALYST Baca

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

None

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Joint Memorial 16 resolves that the Human Services Department (HSD) be requested to

collect such data and to convene a working families task force to examine and report on the data

and on the effectiveness of the welfare reform measures undertaken in the past decade, compar-

ing incomes, earnings and employment longevity of program participants and other relevant data

from the start of the temporary assistance for needy families program to the year 2005.

SJM 16 further resolves that the working families task force report to the welfare reform over-

sight committee by October 2006 on the effectiveness of the welfare reform measures under-

taken in the past decade. The task force is to include designees of the Secretary of Human Ser-

vices, the Secretary of Children, Youth and Families, the Secretary of Indian affairs, the Execu-

tive Director of the Office of Workforce Training and Development and five representatives of

appropriate community groups whose charters include serving the state's poorest people.

Copies of the memorial are to be transmitted to the Secretary of Human Services, the Secretary

of Children, Youth and Families, the Secretary of Indian affairs, the Executive Director of the

Office of Workforce Training and Development.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

SJM 16 contains no appropriation. Presumably, costs for the study will be borne by the Human

Services Department. Costs for the study may include expenses for the working families task

force, data collection and any data storage and retrieval software and additional staffing that may

Senate Joint Memorial 16 – Page

2

be required to implement the provisions of SJM 16.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The plight of the poor, the homeless and those who continue to learn substantially less than the

federal poverty level has been addressed by various welfare program reforms. Yet, it is observed,

the disparity between the haves and the have-nots appears to continue and even worsen. HJM 16

addresses the need for policy makers to know what impact their policy decisions are having on

the targeted populations.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

The information for making better informed policy decisions may not be available, and welfare

reform and\or assistance may not be as effective as desired.

LRB/mt