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HR 4731 113th Congress House Social Welfare Abortion Budget process Congressional oversight Employment and training programs Food assistance and relief Government trust funds Health programs administration and funding Income tax credits Performance measurement Poverty and welfare assistance

Welfare Reform Act of 2014

Introduced: May 29, 2014 Introduced by: Jordan, Jim Republican · Ohio See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 17, 2014
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
Jul 7, 2014
Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Nutrition.
May 23, 2014
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
May 22, 2014
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, the Budget, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 22, 2014
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Welfare Reform Act of 2014 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to declare that it should be the purpose of the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program) to increase employment, encourage healthy marriage, and promote prosperous self-sufficiency, which means the ability of households to maintain an income above the poverty level without services and benefits from the federal government.

Declares that food or a food product shall be considered a food under such Act only if it is a bare essential (as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture [USDA]).

Defines "able-bodied, work capable adult" and "physically or mentally incapable of work."

Prescribes additional conditions of participation, denying SNAP eligibility, for instance, to any able-bodied, work-capable adult who: (1) refuses to register for employment or without good cause accept an offer of employment at a certain wage, (2) refuses without good cause to give a state agency sufficient information of his or her employment status or job availability, (3) voluntarily quits a job or reduces work effort below 30 hours a week unless another adult in the same family unit increases employment to make up the difference, or (4) is on strike because of a labor dispute other than a lockout.

Revises SNAP eligibility requirements for students with dependent children.

Denies SNAP eligibility to members of a program-eligible family required by the state agency to participate in work activation unless the relevant one or more adults in such family comply with the work activation standards. Terminates benefits for all family members for failure to participate in work activation during a given month.

Prescribes work activation standards for a family unit with adult members required to participate in work activation. Gives states the option to require greater amounts of work activations for work capable family units.

Requires each state participating in SNAP to carry out a work activation program whose goals are to: (1) encourage and assist able-bodied, work-capable adult SNAP recipients to obtain paid employment; (2) reduce dependence on government assistance; and (3) ensure that able-bodied, work-capable adult SNAP recipients make a contribution to society and the taxpayers in exchange for assistance received.

Sets forth mandatory state work activation participation rates.

Prescribes requirements for: (1) funding reductions as a penalty for inadequate state performance, (2) restoration in funding resulting from improved state performance, and (3) rewards to states for reducing government dependence.

Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to terminate its temporary increase in SNAP benefits.

Requires the President's budget to include the total level of means-tested welfare spending by the federal government as well as the total by all states, local governments, and the federal government for the most recent year for which such data is available, and estimated levels for the fiscal year during which the budget submission is made.

Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to define "means-tested welfare spending" and specifies the federal programs on which welfare spending shall be means-tested, and which federal programs shall not be.

Requires reports to congressional budget committees and the concurrent resolution on the budget to include specified information with respect to means-tested welfare spending, and requires a point of order in both chambers of Congress if the means-tested welfare spending limit is to be exceeded.

Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to states to reward reductions in poverty and government dependence and increases in self-sufficiency.

Restricts funding for health benefits coverage that includes abortion.

What's happening now November 17, 2014

Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 9
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4731: Welfare Reform Act of 2014. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4731/
MLA
"H.R. 4731: Welfare Reform Act of 2014." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4731/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4731, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4731/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4731: Welfare Reform Act of 2014](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4731/)
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