Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 5.djvu/493

 PUBLIC LAW 101-624—NOV. 28, 1990 104 STAT. 3815 Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and with the advice of State and local officials responsible for administering the food stamp program, cash and medical assistance programs for low-income families and individuals under the Social Security Act, and programs providing housing assistance to needy families and individuals, and representatives of recipients and recipient advocacy organizations associated with such programs. (2) QuAUFiCATiONS.— The members of the Committee shall be individuals who are familiar with the rules, goals, and limitations of Federal food stamp, cash, medical, and housing assistance programs for low-income families and individuals, and may include individuals who have demonstrated expertise in evaluating the operations of and interaction among such programs as they affect administrators and recipients, persons who have experience in administering such programs at the Federal, State, or local level, and representatives of administrators and recipients affected by such programs, (b) PURPOSE. —It shall be the purpose of the Committee, in consultation, where appropriate, with program administrators and representatives of recipients— (1) to identify the significant policies implemented in the food stamp program, cash and medical assistance programs under the Social Security Act, and housing assistance programs (whether resulting from law, regulations, or administrative practice) that, because they differ substantially, make it dif- ficult for those eligible to apply for and obtain benefits from more than one program and restrict the ability of administrators of such programs to provide efficient, timely, and appropriate benefits to those eligible for more than one type of assistance, drawing, where appropriate, on previous efforts to coordinate and simplify such programs and policies; (2) to examine the major reasons for such different programs and policies; (3) to evaluate how and the extent to which such different programs and policies hinder, to a significant degree, the receipt of benefits from more than one program and substantially ^ restrict administrators' ability to provide efficient, timely, and appropriate benefits; (4) to recommend common or simplified programs and policies (including recommendations for changes in law, regulations, and administrative practice and for policies that do not currently exist in such programs) that would substantially reduce difficulties in applying for and obtaining benefits from more than one program and significantly increase the ability of administrators of such programs to efficiently provide timely and appropriate assistance to those eligible for more than one type of assistance; and (5) to describe the major effects of such common or simplified programs and policies (including how such common or simplified programs and policies would enhance or conflict with the purposes of such programs, how they would ease burdens on administrators and recipients, how they would affect program costs and participation, and the degree to which they would change the relationships between the Federal Government and the States in such programs) and the reasons for recommending such programs and policies (including reasons, if any, that

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