1997
RESOLUTIONS
1997
RESOLUTIONS
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-01 EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION TO THE
ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the responsibility for making arrangements for the 1997 HSFO 50th Anniversary Conference requires dedication and cooperation, and
WHEREAS, the logistical task of preparation requires significant time and effort, and
WHEREAS, Nancy Clermont and James Reardon, Arrangements Co- Chairpersons, and the entire Arrangements Committee have performed in an outstanding manner in hosting the HSFO 50th Anniversary Conference for 1997.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers expresses its sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Nancy Clermont and James Reardon and to each member of the Arrangements Committee, for their hard work, hospitality, and accomplishments in hosting the 1997 HSFO 50th Anniversary Conference.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-02 EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION TO THE PROGRAM COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the responsibility of developing, coordinating, and delivering a program which challenges, informs, and stimulates the participants requires creativity, dedication, time, effort, and commitment, and
WHEREAS, Patrick Horton, Program Chairperson, and the entire Program Committee have performed :in an outstanding manner in preparing the program for the 1997 HSFO 50th Anniversary Conference, so as to meet or exceed the expectations for that committee,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers expresses its sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Patrick Horton and to each member of the Program Committee, for their efforts in preparing an outstanding program for the 1997 HSFO 50th Anniversary Conference.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-03: EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION TO DON OLIVE
WHEREAS, Don Olive has been an active and dedicated member of the Association for many years, and
WHEREAS, he has served the Association on numerous committees, hosted the 1990 Conference in Mobile, and was elected to the Executive Board and served as the President in 1996, and
WHEREAS, he has retired from state government in the State of Alabama.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers with deep gratitude and sincere appreciation, hereby recognizes Don Olive for his many years of dedication to the organization, and hereby extends wishes of good luck and success in his retirement.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-04: EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION TO DON GERBER
WHEREAS, Don Gerber has been an active and dedicated member of the Association for many years, and
WHEREAS, he has served the Association in various capacities and committees, including President of the organization in 1994, and
WHEREAS, he has retired from state government in the State of Nebraska.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers with deep gratitude and sincere appreciation, hereby recognizes Don Gerber for his many years of dedication to the organization, and hereby extends wishes of good luck and success in his retirement.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-05: EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION TO JIM MURPHY
WHEREAS, Jim Murphy has been an active and dedicated member of the Association for many years, and
WHEREAS, he has served the Association in various capacities and committees, including Regional Director of the organization, and hosted the 1995 Conference in Baltimore, and
WHEREAS, he has retired from state government in the State of Maryland.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers with deep gratitude and sincere appreciation, hereby recognizes Jim Murphy for his many years of dedication to the organization, and hereby extends wishes of good luck and success in his retirement.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-06: OPPOSE U.S. TREASURY CMIA POLICY STATEMENT NUMBER 19 RELATED TO THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) AND THE MANDATORY AND MATCHING CHILD CARE DEVELOPMENT (CCDF) FUNDS
WHEREAS, Section 103 of Title I of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 created a Block Grant for TANF and Section 603 of Title VI of the same Act created the Child Care Development Fund with Mandatory and Matching components, and
WHEREAS, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 eliminated any matching relationship for the federal funds provided under this Act except for the Matching component of the Child Care Development Fund, and
WHEREAS, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 only required that a state maintain a certain level of historic state expenditures by the end of the federal fiscal year and not for any shorter time period, and
WHEREAS, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was intended to provide states the maximum latitude in developing their programs, and
WHEREAS, the United States Treasury has issued a policy which required the draw down of federal cash in accordance with the federally-funded portion of TANF program expenditures taking into account the state MOE accounts (100% of historical expenditures as shown in TANF-ACF-PI-96-02) in any time period, and
WHEREAS, the United States Treasury has issued a policy which imposes an audit penalty of 5% of the state's TANF grant for drawing down funds outside the parameters of CMIA Memo Number 19 in addition to any interest penalty of the CMIA agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers opposes any attempt by the United States Treasury to alter the intent of Congress to create a Block Grant by issuing a CMIA Policy Memo without specific authority in federal statute, or in federal regulations, affording adequate input from the members of this organization.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The Human Services Finance Officers will seek the support of this resolution from other interested organizations such as the National Governors Association, APWA and NASACT and will transmit this resolution to OMB and DHHS urging them to take the steps outlined above.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-07: FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT
WHEREAS, the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program provides training programs and not employment, and
WHEREAS, private industry and labor unions provide training programs not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, and
WHEREAS, Work Experience and Community Service Programs under the previous Aid to Families with Dependent Children were exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, and
WHEREAS, Fair Labor Standards Act coverage could imply that Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits would be covered under state and federal income tax, and
WHEREAS, Fair Labor Standards Act coverage could imply additional federal due process requirements which could inhibit state flexibility in developing the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program, and
WHEREAS, Fair Labor Standards Act coverage provides an unfunded mandate on the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Programs which states can develop, and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Service Finance Officers recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor not apply the Fair Labor Standards Act to Community Work Experience under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families programs of the states.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-08: TO URGE DHHS - DCA TO APPROVE COST ALLOCATION PLAN AMENDMENTS PROMPTLY
WHEREAS, States are required to claim costs for federal programs only in accordance with approved cost allocation plans, and principles contained in OMB Circular A-87, and
WHEREAS, States are required to promptly amend cost allocation plans when significant changes occur in the administration of federal programs, and
WHEREAS, many states have submitted cost allocation plan amendments to describe changes related to their respective plans to implement welfare reform, and no action has been taken by DHHS, Division of Cost Allocation to approve these plan amendments.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers urge the DHHS Division of Cost Allocation to promptly approve the cost allocation plan amendments that have been submitted by States to implement welfare reform.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-09: TO URGE THE EXTENSION OF ENHANCED FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS FOR STATEWIDE AUTOMATED CHILD WELFARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS (SACWIS)
WHEREAS, the 1993 creation by Congress of enhanced federal matching funds over three years for the design, development, and implementation of Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information Systems (SACWIS) stimulated extensive state activity to introduce information technology to child welfare programs and staff where there was virtually none; and
WHEREAS, a one-year extension of the enhanced funding, enacted in the 1996 welfare-reform law, promoted the continued development of many state SACWIS projects and gave states much-needed additional resources to ensure successful completion of these projects;
WHEREAS, by October 1, 1996, the end of the originat three- year enhanced funding period, seven states had implemented child welfare information systems statewide using the enhanced funding, and
WHEREAS, by October 1, 1997, the end of the one-year enhanced funding extension, an additional 10 states will have implemented their systems statewide, and some of the original seven will have used additional enhanced funding to add important components to their SACWIS, and
WHEREAS, an additional 32 states reported to APWA plans to build SACWIS, and these states are in varying stages of SACWIS development or implementation, and would continue to benefit from federal support to complete these projects, and
WHEREAS, the 1996 welfare-reform law may create a need for many state child welfare agencies to take on eligibility determination for Title IV-E funding, and therefore requires that states consider alternatives for eligibility determination, including adding eligibility components to their SACWIS, and
WHEREAS, states that have fully or partially implemented SACWIS are beginning to see the benefits of automation, including improved and more complete case files and more efficient workload and information management, but also are finding that these systems require extensive financial and staff resources to maintain effectively, and
WHEREAS, any new data reporting and tracking requirements, including those that will help determine financial incentives to states for improved outcomes for children, such as permanency, will depend on well- designed and effectively implemented information systems throughout the states.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers supports an additional extension of 75 percent enhanced federal funding for SACWIS.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-10: PROPOSAL FOR IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSING FAILURE TO MEET OCTOBER 1, 1997 CHILD SUPPORT SYSTEMS DEADLINE
WHEREAS, some states believe they will not meet the October 1, 1997 certification deadline for implementing statewide child support information systems, and
WHEREAS, these states have worked in good faith to meet this deadline but have faced delays due to multiple causes including:
o federal barriers such as the transfer requirement and unrealistic certification criteria,
o a shortage of talented and experienced technical staff and project and executive managers among states, the federal government, and vendors,
o the slow process for approving vendor contracts,
o vendor lack of performance,
o moving targets, including changing regulations and federal requirements (i.e., the transfer requirement made optional too late, changes in the certification guide and regulations), congressional mandates, technologies, and management,
o length of time to convert large caseloads to a new system, and
WHEREAS, no certified system to handle the child support caseloads and program complexity of large states currently exists according to APWA, and
WHEREAS, the high-risk nature of systems development in both the private and public sectors has proven the difficulty of implementing major information system projects, and
WHEREAS, according to APWA all states, regardless of certification status, will continue to make dramatic improvements in their child support programs and are lauded by HHS in its recent Annual Report to Congress and its HHS Press Release of July 2, 1997 touting record child support collections, and
WHEREAS, the federal funding disallowance process prescribed in federal regulations does not allow a corrective action process and, if implemented, would cripple state child support programs and render them unable to serve the families and children they benefit.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers calls on the Administration and Congress to: 1. Change the child support information systems State Plan disallowance process to allow for a corrective action plan (CAP) process that permits for continued federal funding during the CAP period,
2. Review the current state system certification requirements with a focus on changes required by PRWORA and on the business results expected from child support enforcement to develop a new method of assuring the best results from state and federal investments in technology, and
3. Allow a state to link a limited number of local systems if such linkage is requested by the state agency in which the child support agency is housed, is warranted by the state's caseload size, and results in a seamless, uniform system that meets the current program requirements.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-11 URGING DHHS TO PROVIDE POLICY AND FINANCIAL REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO TANF
WHEREAS, PRWORA was enacted August 22, 1996, and
WHEREAS, this Act fundamentally changes the financial funding mechanism states use in assisting families and individuals to self-sufficiency, and
WHEREAS, the Act specifies significant penalties for states who do not meet various provisions of the law, and
WHEREAS, states need to understand the interpretation and expectations of the administration of the provisions of Act in order to comply with its provisions.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: HSFO urges DHHS to provide regulations outlining the expectations involved in the implementation of the Act without further delay.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE OFFICERS
RESOLUTION 1997-12: EBT SETTLEMENT LIABILlTY
WHEREAS, FCS regulations improperly place liability on states for the successful settlement of EBT food benefit transactions through to posting into retailers accounts, and
WHEREAS, after initial expectations, it is not now believed by FCS, the Federal Reserve and others that the Asset Management Account features of the ASAP system are capable of or appropriate for addressing the liability issues, and
WHEREAS, settlement liability continues to present significant problems and concerns for States, and
WHEREAS, alternative approaches have been identified to address the settlement liability issue, and
WHEREAS, a cooperative approach involving staff from FCS, US Treasury, PCIE, as well as States and other appropriate parties is needed to identify and implement a satisfactory resolution to the settlement liability issue.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The National Association of State Human Services Finance Officers requests staff from the entities mentioned above meet to complete the identification and subsequent implementation of a process that will eliminate state liability in all State EBT systems for the successful transfer and settlement of federal funds for properly authorized EBT food benefit transactions and that FCS change its regulations to reflect the elimination of state liability for these transactions.
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