SEC. 101. Short Title.
This title may be cited as “Health Benefits for Miners Act of 2017”.
Division M — Other Matters
DIVISION M Other Matters
TITLE I Health Benefits for Miners Act of 2017
SEC. 102. Extension of Tanf Program and Determining What Works to Move Welfare Recipients into Jobs.
In General.— Each of the following provisions of the Social Security Act is amended by striking “ fiscal year 2012” each place it appears and inserting “ each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018”:
Subparagraphs (A) and (C) of section 403(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)).
Section 403(a)(2)(D) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)(D)), except that the 2nd sentence of such section is amended by striking “ fiscal year 2012” and inserting “ fiscal year 2017 or 2018”.
Paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A) of section 412(a) (42 U.S.C. 612(a)).
Section 418(a)(3) (42 U.S.C. 618(a)(3)).
Section 1108(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 1308(b)(2)).
Contingency Fund.— Section 403(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
“(2) Deposits into fund.—Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for fiscal year 2018 such sums as are necessary for payment to the Fund in a total amount not to exceed $608,000,000.”
Strengthening Welfare Research and Evaluation and Development of a What Works Clearinghouse.—
In general.— Section 413 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 613) is amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 413. EVALUATION OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
“(a) Evaluation of the Impacts of TANF.—The Secretary shall conduct research on the effect of State programs funded under this part and any other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) on employment, self-sufficiency, child well-being, unmarried births, marriage, poverty, economic mobility, and other factors as determined by the Secretary.
“(b) Evaluation of Grants to Improve Child Well-Being by Promoting Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood.—The Secretary shall conduct research to determine the effects of the grants made under section 403(a)(2) on child well-being, marriage, family stability, economic mobility, poverty, and other factors as determined by the Secretary.
“(c) Dissemination of Information.—The Secretary shall, in consultation with States receiving funds provided under this part, develop methods of disseminating information on any research, evaluation, or study conducted under this section, including facilitating the sharing of information and best practices among States and localities.
“(d) State-Initiated Evaluations.—A State shall be eligible to receive funding to evaluate the State program funded under this part or any other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) if—
“(1) the State submits to the Secretary a description of the proposed evaluation;
“(2) the Secretary determines that the design and approach of the proposed evaluation is rigorous and is likely to yield information that is credible and will be useful to other States; and
“(3) unless waived by the Secretary, the State contributes to the cost of the evaluation, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the cost of the proposed evaluation.
“(e) Census Bureau Research.—
“(1) The Bureau of the Census shall implement or enhance household surveys of program participation, in consultation with the Secretary and the Bureau of Labor Statistics and made available to interested parties, to allow for the assessment of the outcomes of continued welfare reform on the economic and child well-being of low-income families with children, including those who received assistance or services from a State program funded under this part or any other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)). The content of the surveys should include such information as may be necessary to examine the issues of unmarried childbearing, marriage, welfare dependency and compliance with work requirements, the beginning and ending of spells of assistance, work, earnings and employment stability, and the well-being of children.
“(2) To carry out the activities specified in paragraph (1), the Bureau of the Census, the Secretary, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics shall consider ways to improve the surveys and data derived from the surveys to—
“(A) address under reporting of the receipt of means-tested benefits and tax benefits for low-income individuals and families;
“(B) increase understanding of poverty spells and long-term poverty, including by facilitating the matching of information to better understand intergenerational poverty;
“(C) generate a better geographical understanding of poverty such as through State-based estimates and measures of neighborhood poverty;
“(D) increase understanding of the effects of means-tested benefits and tax benefits on the earnings and incomes of low-income families; and
“(E) improve how poverty and economic well-being are measured, including through the use of consumption measures, material deprivation measures, social exclusion measures, and economic and social mobility measures.
“(f) Research and Evaluation Conducted Under This Section.—Research and evaluation conducted under this section designed to determine the effects of a program or policy (other than research conducted under subsection (e)) shall use experimental designs using random assignment or other reliable, evidence-based research methodologies that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences when random assignment is not feasible.
“(g) Development of What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Approaches To Move Welfare Recipients Into Work.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall develop a database (which shall be referred to as the ‘What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into Work’) of the projects that used a proven approach or a promising approach in moving welfare recipients into work, based on independent, rigorous evaluations of the projects. The database shall include a separate listing of projects that used a developmental approach in delivering services and a further separate listing of the projects with no or negative effects. The Secretary shall add to the What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into Work data about the projects that, based on an independent, well-conducted experimental evaluation of a program or project, using random assignment or other research methodologies that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences, have shown they are proven, promising, developmental, or ineffective approaches.
“(2) Criteria for evidence of effectiveness of approach.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and organizations with experience in evaluating research on the effectiveness of various approaches in delivering services to move welfare recipients into work, shall—
“(A) establish criteria for evidence of effectiveness; and
“(B) ensure that the process for establishing the criteria—
“(i) is transparent;
“(ii) is consistent across agencies;
“(iii) provides opportunity for public comment; and
“(iv) takes into account efforts of Federal agencies to identify and publicize effective interventions, including efforts at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department of Justice.
“(h) Appropriation.—
“(1) In general.—Of the amount appropriated by section 403(a)(1) for each fiscal year, 0.33 percent shall be available for research, technical assistance, and evaluation under this section.
“(2) Allocation.—Of the amount made available under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall make available $10,000,000 plus such additional amount as the Secretary deems necessary and appropriate, to carry out subsection (e).
“(3) Baseline.—The baseline established pursuant to section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907(b)(2)) for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program shall be recorded by the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office at the level prior to any transfers recorded pursuant to section 413(h) of this Act.”
Conforming amendment.— Section 403(a)(1)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting “ , reduced by the percentage specified in section 413(h)(1) with respect to the fiscal year,” before “ as the amount”.
SEC. 103. Full Funding for State Courts to Improve the Handling of Child Welfare Cases.
Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are hereby appropriated for fiscal year 2017 $20,000,000 for grants under section 438 of the Social Security Act, in addition to any other amounts appropriated for such purpose. The amounts appropriated by the preceding sentence shall be considered to be amounts reserved under section 436(b)(2) of such Act for fiscal year 2017, for purposes of clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 438(c)(3)(A) of such Act.
SEC. 104. Inclusion of Certain Retirees in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan.
In General.— Section 402(h)(2)(C) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1232(h)(2)(C)) is amended—
by striking clauses (ii), (iii), and (iv); and
by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) Calculation of excess.—The excess determined under clause (i) shall be calculated by taking into account only—
“(I) those beneficiaries actually enrolled in the Plan as of the date of the enactment of the Health Benefits for Miners Act of 2017 who are eligible to receive health benefits under the Plan on the first day of the calendar year for which the transfer is made, other than those beneficiaries enrolled in the Plan under the terms of a participation agreement with the current or former employer of such beneficiaries; and
“(II) those beneficiaries whose health benefits, defined as those benefits payable, following death or retirement or upon a finding of disability, directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement (as defined in section 9701(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), would be denied or reduced as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012 or 2015.
“(iii) Eligibility of certain retirees.—Individuals referred to in clause (ii)(II) shall be treated as eligible to receive health benefits under the Plan.
“(iv) Requirements for transfer.—The amount of the transfer otherwise determined under this subparagraph for a fiscal year shall be reduced by any amount transferred for the fiscal year to the Plan, to pay benefits required under the Plan, from a voluntary employees’ beneficiary association established as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding described in clause (ii).”
Effective Date.— The amendments made by this section shall apply to fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2016.
SEC. 105. Customs User Fees.
In General.— Section 13031(j)(3)(A) of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 U.S.C. 58c(j)(3)(A)) is amended by striking “ September 30, 2025” and inserting “ January 14, 2026”.
Rate for Merchandise Processing Fees.— Section 503 of the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 112–41; 19 U.S.C. 3805 note) is amended by striking “ September 30, 2025” and inserting “ January 14, 2026”.
TITLE II PUERTO RICO SECTION 1108(g) AMENDMENT OF 2017
SEC. 201. Short Title.
This title may be cited as “Puerto Rico Section 1108(g) Amendment of 2017”.
SEC. 202. PUERTO RICO SECTION 1108(g) AMENDMENT OF 2017.
Section 1108(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(g)) is amended—
in paragraph (4), by inserting “ and with respect to fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 2017, if Puerto Rico qualifies for a payment under section 1903(a)(6) for a calendar quarter (beginning on or after July 1, 2017) of such fiscal year” after “ 1903(a)(3)”; and
in paragraph (5)—
in the first sentence, by striking “ The Secretary” and inserting “ (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary”; and
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(B) The amount of the increase otherwise provided under subparagraph (A) for Puerto Rico shall be further increased by $295,900,000.”
All the unobligated amounts available under section 1323(c)(1) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18043(c)(1)) are rescinded immediately upon the date of the enactment of this section.
TITLE III General Provision
SEC. 301. Budgetary Effects.
Statutory PAYGO Scorecards.— The budgetary effects of this division and each succeeding division shall not be entered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
Senate PAYGO Scorecards.— The budgetary effects of this division and each succeeding division shall not be entered on any PAYGO scorecard maintained for purposes of section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21 (110th Congress).
Classification of Budgetary Effects.— Notwithstanding Rule 3 of the Budget Scorekeeping Guidelines set forth in the joint explanatory statement of the committee of conference accompanying Conference Report 105–217 and section 250(c)(8) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, the budgetary effects of this division and each succeeding division shall not be estimated—
for purposes of section 251 of such Act; and
for purposes of paragraph (4)(C) of section 3 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 as being included in an appropriation Act.