GCSA-Washington Roundup

House Leadership Introduces Legislation Supporting Bush Administration TANF (Welfare) Reauthorization Proposal: House Committees Hold Hearings, Take Testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson

This week, House Republican leadership, including Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas), Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (R-OK), Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH), and Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) introduced,"The Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2002," that would reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program which by law is due for reauthorization this year. The bill reflects President Bush's welfare reauthorization proposal with certain modifications.

Like the Administration's proposal, the House Republican bill would require 40 hours of work per week for most TANF recipients and would count as work up to three consecutive months of drug and alcohol treatment during any 24 months of TANF benefits. It also would permit individuals to spend as much as 16 of their 40 hours of work per week engaged in other types of activities, with the specific eligible activities determined by each state. A state would be able to include drug and alcohol treatment in this category of "other" activities.

The House Education and Workforce Committee and Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held hearings on TANF reauthorization this week. Both Committees heard testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson on the Administration's TANF reauthorization proposal. Concerns raised during these hearings included issues around the proposal's significant work requirements that would require States to eventually have 70% of TANF recipients engaged in 40 hours of work per week. The desire to provide drug and alcohol treatment services to TANF recipients was expressed by both members of the Committees and Secretary Thompson in his remarks.

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources could hold a vote on TANF reauthorization legislation as early as next week. Other bills up for consideration by the Subcommittee include Congresswoman Patsy Mink's (D-HI) bill, H.R. 3113, "The TANF Reauthorization Act of 2001." This legislation was developed in cooperation with grassroots and national organizations across the country representing individuals affected by welfare reform and providers of welfare, health care, and social services. It includes several provisions that would help individuals gain access to drug and alcohol treatment services, including:

o Permitting States to count drug and alcohol treatment as a work activity.

o Repealing the ban on receipt of TANF benefits and food stamps by individuals convicted of a drug felony.

o Requiring States to assess and address barriers that prevent individuals from moving from welfare to work, including drug and alcohol abuse and dependence, before imposing sanctions.

The Senate Finance Committee also held a hearing this week on TANF reauthorization that focused on the issue of work requirements. While the Senate Finance Committee still is in the process of developing TANF reauthorization legislation, it would like to hold a vote on reauthorization legislation by Memorial Day recess.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Releases Findings
From Major Study on College Drinking: Key Prevention Strategies Outlined

This week, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's Task Force on College Drinking announced the publication of findings from a three-year review of research on college drinking and the relative effectiveness of various prevention strategies. The announcement coincided with the celebration of National Alcohol Screening Day which was sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other national and local partners. Held on April 11th this year, the event provided professional screening and treatment referral at more than 2,600 sites around the country, including more than 500 universities and colleges.

As part of its review, the NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking commissioned two dozen studies, many of which have been published during the last month. One study highlighted by the Task Force found that drinking by college students 18-24 years old contributes to an estimated 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape each year. The study, conducted by Ralph W. Hingson, Sc.D., of the Boston School of Public Health in collaboration with researchers at Harvard and SAMHSA, analyzed data about drinking and its consequences from a number of national databases.

NIAAA's review both assesses the extent of the college drinking problem and identifies the best research-supported strategies for addressing it. The NIAAA Task Force has released its review findings in a number of different formats designed for a wide range of users: two panel reports, High-Risk Drinking in College: What We Know and What We Need to Learn and How to Reduce High-Risk College Drinking: Use Proven Strategies, Fill Research Gaps; a handbook for college planners on implementing and evaluating alcohol prevention programs; and brochures and pamphlets for college and university presidents, student peer educators, and parents. With these documents, the Task Force aims to help colleges and universities design prevention programs that simultaneously address the entire student population, the college and surrounding environment, and at-risk or alcohol-dependent individuals. The Task Force also describes the research gaps that must be filled to develop better prevention programs. The Task Force's publications can be accessed on the world wide web at www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.