This week, Congress discussed a number of options for avoiding a partial government shutdown, ranging from a short-term funding stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security to a full-year continuing resolution that would extend current funding levels through September 2019 for all agencies still awaiting appropriations. However, a consensus has not yet been reached and options remain open. Now for some updates on a few items that have been finalized...
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The Latest from the Administration & Congress
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Congress Passes 2018 Farm Bill, Reauthorizing SNAP
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Early this week, the Farm Bill Conference Committee released its
agreement report
. The bill subsequently passed in the Senate on Tuesday and in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The Farm Bill extends the major federal farm, nutrition assistance, and rural development programs for five years including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which was an area of major disagreement between the bills that passed in the Senate and the House over the summer. Highlights of the Nutrition Title in the conference agreement include...
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Public Charge Comment Letter
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On Monday, APHSA submitted our response to the Department of Homeland Security’s Request to Comment on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) entitled
Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds
.
The comment letter can be viewed
here
. Previous TWIW coverage on this NPRM can be viewed
here
.
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As we reported previously, House Republicans introduced a massive tax reform bill to further supplement the reforms that were signed into law last year. However, this week the House may consider the House
amendment
to the Senate amendment to H.R. 88,
Retirement, Savings, and Other Tax Relief Act of 2018
, which is a revised version of the tax bill introduced last month.
While the earlier version of the tax bill was estimated to cost $54.1 billion over the next decade, this new version of the tax bill is
estimated
to cost $80 billion over 10 years. The updated version of the bill includes some tax extensions for tax year 2018 but it would eliminate almost $30 billion worth of expired tax breaks. The bill would also delay $52 billion worth of taxes that were supposed to be in effect under the Affordable Care Act including the excise taxes on high-cost employer health plans and medical devices.
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Check out...
- According to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, new 1332 waiver guidance makes it easier for states to use ACA waivers to help healthier people buy short term plans that may not cover pre-existing conditions
- The National Human Services Assembly wrapped up their 2018 reframing initiative in their latest newsletter
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2019 Evaluation Summit Call for Abstracts
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The Children's Bureau is now
accepting abstracts
for the
2019 National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit
that will be held August 20–21, 2019 in D.C. The Summit is a forum for child welfare systems, their partners, and the research community to make connections, share information, and have robust discussions. The CB is seeking proposals for sessions that focus on longstanding and emerging evaluation issues and practice challenges with special attention to points of debate, gaps in knowledge, innovative methods, and new findings that contribute to the understanding of how to prevent and respond to child maltreatment. The deadline for submissions is
February 1, 2019
.
Submit a session proposal or learn more about the submission process.
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Data Exchange Standards for Improved Interoperability
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Last month, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), released a Request for Comments, entitled
Data Exchange Standards for Improved Interoperability of Multiple Human Service Programs
. OPRE is soliciting comments from interested parties on setting standards for data exchanges that affect the SSA Title IV programs for child welfare and foster care (title IV–B and IV–E), child support (title IV–D), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, title IV–A), but are also interested in receiving input affecting additional programs. Comments are due by
January 7, 2019
.
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NextGen Funding Opportunity
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The Human Services Program at the Kresge Foundation announced a new funding and learning opportunity as part of its Next Generation (NextGen) Initiative, now in its second year. As part of this initiative, Kresge will invest in those nonprofit organizations and public agencies working to advance the social and economic mobility of families. Proposals are due by
January 15, 2019
.
Click here
to learn more.
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Statewide Data Indicators for Child and Family Services Reviews
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The Children’s Bureau (CB) within the Department of Health and Human Services released a Request for Comments, entitled
Statewide Data Indicators for Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR).
The CB is seeking comments, in particular from state child welfare agencies and partner organizations, on the revised syntax and recommendations to strengthen the statistical calculations for generating CFSR statewide data indicator performance information. Comments are due by
February 25, 2019
.
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