Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) (Public Law 104-193, 110 Stat. 2168) was signed into law August 22, 1996, by President William Jefferson Clinton.

About the Act
PRWORA was then described as "a comprehensive bipartisan welfare reform plan that will dramatically change the nation's welfare system into one that requires work in exchange for time- limited assistance. The bill contains strong work requirements, a performance bonus to reward states for moving welfare recipients into jobs, state maintenance of effort requirements, comprehensive child support enforcement, and supports for families moving from welfare to work -- including increased funding for child care and guaranteed medical coverage."

Changes
PRWORA replaced the "Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and [made] deep funding cuts in basic programs for low income children, families, the elderly, people with disabilities, and immigrants. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the law [cut] funding for low-income programs by approximately $55 billion over the next six years. Nearly all of the savings [came] from reductions in the Food Stamp program, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for the elderly and disabled poor, and assistance to legal immigrants."

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * illegal immigration
 * qualified alien
 * Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program