Social Services Amendments of 1974

(LATEST SUMMARY)

Social Services Amendments - Authorizes necessary appropriations each fiscal year for payments to States for provision of social services directed toward the goal of: (1) achieving or maintaining economic self-support to prevent, reduce, or eliminate dependency; (2) preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children and adults unable to protect their own interests, or preserving, rehabilitating, or reuniting families; (3) preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing for community-based care, home-based care, or other forms of less intensive care; or (4) securing referral or admission for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate.

Requires that 50 percent of such payments to States be for provision of services to individuals who are receiving (or are eligible to receive) aid under the Aid to Needy Families with Children, Supplemental Security Income, or Medicaid programs of the Social Security Act.

Prohibits payments to States for aid to individuals with incomes above specified levels.

Requires that expenditures by States under this Act for child day care services be for day care services which meet the Federal interagency day care requirements as approved by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Office of Economic Opportunity.

Prohibits, with specified exceptions, State expenditures under this Act for services to individuals living in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, prisons, or foster homes.

Prohibits such expenditures for services to individuals eligible for Medicare aid.

Requires that State expenditures for social services not fall below those of fiscal year 1973.

Requires that States participating in the programs established under this Act report annually on the results of specified audits of their participation. Allows suspension of payments to States failing to meet requirements under this Act.

Requires States to provide hearings for individuals whose claims to services under this Act are denied, to restrict disclosure of information obtained on individuals pursuant to this Act, and to refrain from imposing durational residency or citizenship requirements upon individuals as a condition to participation in programs under this Act.

States that comprehensive plans must be published by States setting forth their programs under this Act which will be pursued in the ensuing year. Requires that such plans include descriptions of objectives, individuals and geographic areas to be served; and descriptions of implementation procedures, estimated expenditures, and services to be rendered.

Requires annual evaluations of the programs under this Act by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to establish an organization unit under the Assistant Secretary for Child Support. Directs such Assistant Secretary to: (1) establish such standards for State programs for locating absent partents, establishing paternity, and obtaining child support as he determines to be necessary to assure that such programs will be effective; (2) evaluate the implementation of State programs established pursuant to this Act; and (3) provide technical assistance to the States to help them establish effective systems for collecting child support and establishing paternity.

Establishes a revolving fund to pay the States for child support programs as provided in this Act.

Authorizes appropriations to such fund. Establishes a Parent Locator Service under the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Child Support which shall be used to obtain and transmit to any authorized person (as defined in this Act) information as to the whereabouts of any absent parent when such information is to be used to locate such parent for the purpose of enforcing support obligations against such parent.

Sets limits on disclosure of such information.

Sets forth requirements for State child support plans in order to qualify for assistance under this Act.

Authorizes quarterly payments to the States of 75 percent of their expenditures under their plans.

Prescribes the distribution of amounts collected by States as child support.

Allows garnishment of Federal salaries for child support purposes.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to assess and collect, if necessary, child support obligations.

States that no court of the United States, whether established under article I or article III of the Constitution, shall have jurisdiction of any action, whether legal or equitable, brought to restrain or review the assessment and collection of such amounts by the Secretary or his delegate, nor shall any such assessment and collection be subject to review by the Secretary or his delegate in any proceeding.

Requires child support aid recipients to cooperate with the State in establishing the paternity of a child born out of wedlock with respect to whom aid is claimed, and in obtaining support payments for such applicant and for a child with respect to whom such aid is claimed, or in obtaining any other payments or property due such applicant or such child.

Prescribes sanctions against States not cooperating with the provisions of this Act.

Authorizes appropriations necessary to plan and prepare for implementation of this Act.