Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 3.djvu/447

 PUBLIC LAW 100-485—OCT. 13, 1988

102 STAT. 2399

SEC. 405. CBO STUDY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL MINIMUM PAYMENT STANDARD.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Congressional Budget Office shall conduct a study on the implementation of the amendments proposed by section 101 of the bill introduced in the Senate of the United States during the 100th Congress and designated S. 862 (relating to the requirement of a minimum payment standard under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act with a Federal matching rate of 90 percent). db) DESCRIPTION OF STUDY.—The study conducted under subsection (a) shall assess the extent to which— (1) the goal of budget neutrality may be preserved by repealing the programs included in, but not limited to, the programs described in the amendments proposed by section 301 of the bill described in subsection (a) over a more gradual period of time in conjunction with corresponding increases (up to 90 percent) in the Federal matching rates under part A of title IV, and title XIX, of the Social Security Act; and (2) the effects on local governments of repealing Federal programs could be mitigated by providing, over a period of time that corresponds with more gradual increases in the Federal matching rates under such part A and title XIX, general revenue supplements to those localities with the lowest levels of fiscal capacity and pass-throughs to units of local government. (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Congressional Budget Office shall report on the results of the study conducted under this section not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. SEC. 406. STUDY OF NEW NATIONAL APPROACHES TO WELFARE BENEFITS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.

42 USC 602 note.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services Contracts. shall enter into a contract or arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for the study of a new national system of welfare benefits for low-income families with children, giving particular attention to what an appropriate national minimum benefit might be and how it should be calculated. The study shall give consideration to alternative minimum benefit proposals including proposals for benefits based on a famUy living standard, on weighted national median income, on State median income, and on the poverty level, and shall take into account the probable impact of a national minimum benefit on individuals and on State and local governments. (b) METHODOLOGY.—(1) The study under this section shall include the development of a uniform national methodology which could be used to calculate State-specific family living standards and benefits based on other minimum benefit proposals. (2) The methodology so developed shall be designed to identify a single uniform measure suitable for application in each State, and shall— (A) take into account actual living costs in each State while permitting variances in such costs as between the different geographic areas of the State; (B) take into account variations in actual living costs in each State for families of different sizes and composition; and

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