Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act

Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require the Department of the Treasury to publish in the Federal Register a request for proposals from states or local governments for social impact partnership projects which produce one or more measurable, clearly defined outcomes that result in social benefit, such as employment for the unemployed between ages 16 and 24, high school graduation, and reduction of teen and unplanned pregnancies as well as incidences and adverse consequences of child abuse and neglect.

Treasury shall:

• decide whether to enter into an agreement for such a social impact partnership project within six months after receiving an application, and
• reserve certain funds to assist state or local governments with up to 50% of the costs of developing feasibility studies to apply for social impact partnership funding.

This bill requires that not less than 50% of all federal payments made to carry out such agreements be used for initiatives that directly benefit children.

The bill requires an independent evaluation to determine whether the state or local government project has met an outcome specified in the agreement in order for such governments to receive outcome payments.

The bill establishes:

• the Federal Interagency Council on Social Impact Partnerships to coordinate the efforts of social impact partnership projects as well as establish a public website for project information, and
• a Commission on Social Impact Partnerships to assist Treasury and the Federal Interagency Council in reviewing funding applications.

Treasury shall reserve certain funds to carry out projects under this bill.

(Sec. 3) This bill extends at current levels through FY2017: (1) family assistance grants under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program; (2) healthy marriage promotion and responsible fatherhood grants; (3) tribal family assistance grants and grants for Indian tribes that received jobs funds; and (4) the general child care entitlement.

SSAct title XI is amended to extend through FY2017 at current levels additional grants to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.

(Sec. 4) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall research:

• the effect of state TANF programs and any other state program funded with qualified state expenditures on employment, self-sufficiency, child well-being, unmarried births, marriage, poverty, economic mobility, and such other factors as determined by HHS; and
• the effects of the healthy marriage promotion and responsible fatherhood grants on child well-being, marriage, family stability, economic mobility, poverty, and other factors as determined by HHS.

The Bureau of the Census shall implement or enhance household surveys of program participation to allow for assessment of the outcomes of continued welfare reform on the economic and child well-being of low-income families with children.

HHS shall develop a database (called the "What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Projects to Move Welfare Recipients into Work") of those projects that used a proven or promising approach in moving welfare recipients into work, based on independent, rigorous evaluation of the projects.

(Sec. 5) The bill makes technical corrections to data exchange standards to improve program coordination.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov