{ "id": "R42394", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42394", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 457274, "date": "2016-11-28", "retrieved": "2016-12-09T19:10:36.886369", "title": "Drug Testing and Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance", "summary": "Throughout the history of social assistance programs, administrators have attempted to limit access only to those families considered \u201cworthy\u201d of assistance. Policies about worthiness have included both judgments about need\u2014generally tied to income, demographic characteristics, or family circumstances\u2014and judgments about moral character, often as evidenced by behavior. Past policies evaluating moral character based on family structure have been replaced by today\u2019s policies, which focus on criminal activity, particularly drug-related criminal activity. The existing crime- and drug-related restrictions were established in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, when crime rates, especially drug-related violent crime rates, were at peak levels. While crime rates have since declined, some remain interested in expanding these policies. \nThe three programs examined in this report\u2014the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), and federal housing assistance programs (public housing and Section 8 tenant and project-based assistance)\u2014are similar, in that they are administered at the state or local level. They are different in the forms of assistance they provide. TANF provides cash assistance and other supports to low-income parents and their children, with a specific focus on promoting work. SNAP provides food assistance to a broader set of poor households including families with children, elderly households, and persons with disabilities. The housing assistance programs offer subsidized rental housing to all types of poor families, like SNAP. \nAll three programs feature some form of drug- and other crime-related restrictions and all three leave discretion in applying those restrictions to state and local administrators. Both TANF and SNAP are subject to the statutory \u201cdrug felon ban,\u201d which bars states from providing assistance to persons convicted of a drug-related felony, but also gives states the ability to opt-out of or modify the ban, which most states have done. The 2014 farm bill also added new restrictions for certain ex-offenders seeking SNAP assistance. Housing assistance programs are not subject to the drug felon ban, but they are subject to a set of policies that allows local program administrators to deny or terminate assistance to persons involved in drug-related or other criminal activity. Housing law also includes mandatory restrictions related to specific crimes, including sex offenses and methamphetamine production. All three programs also have specific restrictions related to fugitive felons.\nRecently, the issue of drug testing in federal assistance programs has risen in prominence. In the case of TANF, states are permitted to drug-test recipients; however, state policies involving suspicionless drug testing of TANF applicants and recipients have been successfully challenged in courts. Most state policies on drug testing TANF applicants and recipients require the state to have a \u201creasonable suspicion\u201d that he or she is using illegal drugs. SNAP law does not explicitly address drug testing, but given the way that SNAP and TANF law interact, state TANF drug testing policies may affect SNAP participants. The laws governing housing assistance programs are silent on the topic of drug testing.\nThe current set of crime- and drug-related restrictions in federal assistance programs is not consistent across programs, meaning that similarly situated persons may have different experiences based on where they live and what assistance they are seeking. This variation may be considered important, in that it reflects a stated policy goal of local discretion. However, the variation may also be considered problematic if it leads to confusion among eligible recipients as to what assistance they are eligible for or if the variation is seen as inequitable. Proposals to modify these policies also highlight a tension that exists between the desire to use these policies as a deterrent or punishment and the desire to support the neediest families, including those that have ex-offenders in the household.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42394", "sha1": "c0427006dea95866ad91339874465e98d0ada5a8", "filename": "files/20161128_R42394_c0427006dea95866ad91339874465e98d0ada5a8.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42394", "sha1": "029486d7538909ac4b1410cc8b626218c552b85a", "filename": "files/20161128_R42394_029486d7538909ac4b1410cc8b626218c552b85a.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4797, "name": "Cash Assistance" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4853, "name": "Housing Assistance" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4856, "name": "Nutrition Programs & Policies" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4890, "name": "Poverty" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4917, "name": "Food & Nutrition Assistance" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 454967, "date": "2016-08-09", "retrieved": "2016-10-17T19:37:42.273975", "title": "Drug Testing and Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance", "summary": "Throughout the history of social assistance programs, administrators have attempted to limit access only to those families considered \u201cworthy\u201d of assistance. Policies about worthiness have included both judgments about need\u2014generally tied to income, demographic characteristics, or family circumstances\u2014and judgments about moral character, often as evidenced by behavior. Past policies evaluating moral character based on family structure have been replaced by today\u2019s policies, which focus on criminal activity, particularly drug-related criminal activity. The existing crime- and drug-related restrictions were established in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, when crime rates, especially drug-related violent crime rates, were at peak levels. While crime rates have since declined, some remain interested in expanding these policies. \nThe three programs examined in this report\u2014the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), and federal housing assistance programs (public housing and Section 8 tenant and project-based assistance)\u2014are similar, in that they are administered at the state or local level. They are different in the forms of assistance they provide. TANF provides cash assistance and other supports to low-income parents and their children, with a specific focus on promoting work. SNAP provides food assistance to a broader set of poor households including families with children, elderly households, and persons with disabilities. The housing assistance programs offer subsidized rental housing to all types of poor families, like SNAP. \nAll three programs feature some form of drug- and other crime-related restrictions and all three leave discretion in applying those restrictions to state and local administrators. Both TANF and SNAP are subject to the statutory \u201cdrug felon ban,\u201d which bars states from providing assistance to persons convicted of a drug-related felony, but also gives states the ability to opt-out of or modify the ban, which most states have done. The 2014 farm bill also added new restrictions for certain ex-offenders seeking SNAP assistance. Housing assistance programs are not subject to the drug felon ban, but they are subject to a set of policies that allows local program administrators to deny or terminate assistance to persons involved in drug-related or other criminal activity. Housing law also includes mandatory restrictions related to specific crimes, including sex offenses and methamphetamine production. All three programs also have specific restrictions related to fugitive felons.\nRecently, the issue of drug testing in federal assistance programs has risen in prominence. In the case of TANF, states are permitted to drug-test recipients; however, state policies involving suspicionless drug testing of TANF applicants and recipients have been successfully challenged in courts. Most state policies on drug testing TANF applicants and recipients require the state to have a \u201creasonable suspicion\u201d that he or she is using illegal drugs. SNAP law does not explicitly address drug testing, but given the way that SNAP and TANF law interact, state TANF drug testing policies may affect SNAP participants. The laws governing housing assistance programs are silent on the topic of drug testing.\nThe current set of crime- and drug-related restrictions in federal assistance programs is not consistent across programs, meaning that similarly situated persons may have different experiences based on where they live and what assistance they are seeking. This variation may be considered important, in that it reflects a stated policy goal of local discretion. However, the variation may also be considered problematic if it leads to confusion among eligible recipients as to what assistance they are eligible for or if the variation is seen as inequitable. Proposals to modify these policies also highlight a tension that exists between the desire to use these policies as a deterrent or punishment and the desire to support the neediest families, including those that have ex-offenders in the household.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42394", "sha1": "58a509a1ba8571915721a43bce69b440df010cd7", "filename": "files/20160809_R42394_58a509a1ba8571915721a43bce69b440df010cd7.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42394", "sha1": "fe87c02c0c6aa7d31f6fec499b49d4e8b9a8fff2", "filename": "files/20160809_R42394_fe87c02c0c6aa7d31f6fec499b49d4e8b9a8fff2.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4797, "name": "Cash Assistance" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4853, "name": "Housing Assistance" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4856, "name": "Nutrition Programs & Policies" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4890, "name": "Poverty" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4917, "name": "Food & Nutrition Assistance" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 447478, "date": "2015-11-18", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:54:11.569986", "title": "Drug Testing and Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance", "summary": "Throughout the history of social assistance programs, administrators have attempted to limit access only to those families considered \u201cworthy\u201d of assistance. Policies about worthiness have included both judgments about need\u2014generally tied to income, demographic characteristics, or family circumstances\u2014and judgments about moral character, often as evidenced by behavior. Past policies evaluating moral character based on family structure have been replaced by today\u2019s policies, which focus on criminal activity, particularly drug-related criminal activity. The existing crime and drug-related restrictions were established in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, when crime rates, especially drug-related violent crime rates, were at peak levels. While crime rates have since declined, some remain interested in expanding these policies. \nThe three programs examined in this report\u2014the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), and federal housing assistance programs (public housing and Section 8 tenant and project-based assistance)\u2014are similar, in that they are administered at the state or local level. They are different in the forms of assistance they provide. TANF provides cash assistance and other supports to low-income parents and their children, with a specific focus on promoting work. SNAP provides food assistance to a broader set of poor households including families with children, elderly households, and persons with disabilities. The housing assistance programs offer subsidized rental housing to all types of poor families, like SNAP. \nAll three programs feature some form of drug- and other crime-related restrictions and all three leave discretion in applying those restrictions to state and local administrators. Both TANF and SNAP are subject to the statutory \u201cdrug felon ban,\u201d which bars states from providing assistance to persons convicted of a drug-related felony, but also gives states the ability to opt-out of or modify the ban, which most states have done. The 2014 farm bill also added new restrictions for certain ex-offenders seeking SNAP assistance. Housing assistance programs are not subject to the drug felon ban, but they are subject to a set of policies that allows local program administrators to deny or terminate assistance to persons involved in drug-related or other criminal activity. Housing law also includes mandatory restrictions related to specific crimes, including sex offenses and methamphetamine production. All three programs also have specific restrictions related to fugitive felons.\nRecently, the issue of drug testing in federal assistance programs has risen in prominence. In the case of TANF, states are permitted to drug-test recipients; however, state policies involving suspicionless drug testing of TANF applicants and recipients have been successfully challenged in courts. Most state policies on drug testing TANF applicants and recipients require the state to have a \u201creasonable suspicion\u201d that he or she is using illegal drugs. SNAP law does not explicitly address drug testing, but given the way that SNAP and TANF law interact, state TANF drug testing policies may affect SNAP participants. The laws governing housing assistance programs are silent on the topic of drug testing.\nThe current set of crime- and drug-related restrictions in federal assistance programs is not consistent across programs, meaning that similarly situated persons may have different experiences based on where they live and what assistance they are seeking. This variation may be considered important, in that it reflects a stated policy goal of local discretion. However, the variation may also be considered problematic if it leads to confusion among eligible recipients as to what assistance they are eligible for or if the variation is seen as inequitable. Proposals to modify these policies also highlight a tension that exists between the desire to use these policies as a deterrent or punishment and the desire to support the neediest families, including those that have ex-offenders in the household.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42394", "sha1": "85c4454a333dcd7c9293ddfbf5cf5818fffa50fd", "filename": "files/20151118_R42394_85c4454a333dcd7c9293ddfbf5cf5818fffa50fd.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42394", "sha1": "02edeb231e24307ff94fb168264fa7326cb47e09", "filename": "files/20151118_R42394_02edeb231e24307ff94fb168264fa7326cb47e09.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 2201, "name": "Housing for Low-Income Individuals and Families" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4326, "name": "Benefits and Services for Low-Income Households" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc743626/", "id": "R42394_2015Aug28", "date": "2015-08-28", "retrieved": "2015-10-20T21:35:54", "title": "Drug Testing and Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance", "summary": "This report describes and compares the drug- and crime-related policy restrictions contained in selected federal programs that provide assistance to low-income individuals and families: the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), and the three primary federal housing assistance programs (the public housing program, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, and the project-based Section 8 rental assistance program).", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": 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Testing and Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance", "summary": "This report describes and compares the drug- and crime-related policy restrictions contained in selected federal programs that provide assistance to low-income individuals and families: the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), and the three primary federal housing assistance programs (the public housing program, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, and the project-based Section 8 rental assistance program).", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130730_R42394_5632ed37895798c14570ba6702bf42809c4d311f.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130730_R42394_5632ed37895798c14570ba6702bf42809c4d311f.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Drug policy", "name": "Drug policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": 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restrictions contained in selected federal programs that provide assistance to low-income individuals and families: the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), and the three primary federal housing assistance programs (the public housing program, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, and the project-based Section 8 rental assistance program).", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120906_R42394_f3e1d36addf631558b6ed70acbaf1e93a97af944.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120906_R42394_f3e1d36addf631558b6ed70acbaf1e93a97af944.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Drug testing", "name": "Drug testing" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Drug abuse", "name": "Drug abuse" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Welfare", "name": "Welfare" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Public welfare", "name": "Public welfare" 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