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REFERENCE TITLE: poverty; data tracking; commission |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature First Regular Session 2017
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SB 1274 |
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Introduced by Senators Worsley: Bowie, Brophy McGee
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AN ACT
Amending title 46, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding chapter 9; relating to long-term poverty.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 46, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding chapter 9, to read:
CHAPTER 9
INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY MITIGATION ACT
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
46-1001. Definitions
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Cycle of poverty" means the set of factors or events by which the long‑term poverty of a person is likely to continue and be experienced by each child of the person when the child becomes an adult unless there is outside intervention.
2. "Department" means the department of economic security.
3. "Intergenerational poverty":
(a) Means poverty in which two or more successive generations of a family continue in the cycle of poverty and government dependence.
(b) Does not include situational poverty.
4. "Poverty" means the state of a person who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions as demonstrated by the person's income level being at or below the United States poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services in the federal register.
5. "Situational poverty" means temporary poverty that is generally traceable to a specific incident or time period within the lifetime of a person and that is not continued to the next generation.
46-1002. Intergenerational poverty tracking system; data; analysis; annual report
A. The department shall establish and maintain a system to track intergenerational poverty. The tracking system shall:
1. Identify groups that have a high risk of experiencing intergenerational poverty.
2. Identify incidents, patterns and trends that explain or contribute to intergenerational poverty.
3. Assist case workers, social scientists and government officials in the study and development of effective and efficient plans and programs to help individuals and families in this state to break the cycle of poverty.
4. Gather and track available local, state and national data on all of the following:
(a) Official poverty rates.
(b) Child poverty rates.
(c) Years spent by individuals in childhood poverty.
(d) Years spent by individuals in adult poverty.
(e) Related poverty information.
B. The department shall:
1. Use available data in the tracking system, including public assistance data, census data and other data made available to the department.
2. Develop and implement methods to integrate, compare, analyze and validate the data for the purposes described in subsection A of this section.
3. Protect the privacy of individuals living in poverty by using and distributing data within the tracking system in compliance with both federal and state privacy laws.
4. Publish an annual report that includes the data collected pursuant to this section, the findings and the potential uses of the tracking system.
ARTICLE 2. ARIZONA INTERGENERATIONAL WELFARE REFORM COMMISSION
46-1011. Arizona intergenerational welfare reform commission
A. The Arizona intergenerational welfare reform commission is established consisting of the following members:
1. The governor or the governor's designee.
2. The director of the department of economic security or the director's designee.
3. The director of the department of health services or the director's designee.
4. The director of the department of child safety or the director's designee.
5. The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee.
6. The chairperson of the intergenerational poverty advisory committee established by section 46‑1013.
7. The director of the administrative office of the courts or the director's designee.
B. The governor or the governor's designee shall serve as chairperson of the commission. The director of the department of economic security or the director's designee shall serve as vice chairperson of the commission.
C. The chairperson is responsible for the call and conduct of meetings. The chairperson may delegate duties to the vice chairperson. The commission shall Meet at least quarterly, and additional meetings shall be held on request by a majority of the commission members.
D. A majority of the commission members constitutes a quorum, and the action of the majority of the members present is the action of the commission.
E. Members of the commission are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2.
F. The department of economic security shall provide staff support to the commission.
46-1012. Purpose; powers and duties
A. The commission's purpose is to:
1. Collaborate in sharing and analyzing data and information regarding intergenerational poverty in this state with a primary focus on data and information regarding children who are at risk of continuing the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency unless outside intervention is made.
2. Examine and analyze shared data and information regarding intergenerational poverty, including the data that is reported pursuant to section 46‑1014, to identify and develop effective and efficient plans, programs and recommendations to help at‑risk children in this state escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency.
3. Implement data-driven policies and programs addressing poverty, public assistance, education and other areas as needed to measurably reduce the incidence of children in this state who remain in the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency as they become adults.
4. Establish and facilitate improved cooperation between state agencies down to the case worker level in rescuing children from intergenerational poverty and welfare dependency.
5. Encourage participation and input from the intergenerational poverty advisory committee established by section 46‑1013 and other community resources, including academic experts, advocacy groups, nonprofit corporations, local governments and religious institutions in exploring strategies and solutions to help children in this state who are victims of intergenerational poverty escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency.
B. The commission shall do all of the following:
1. Fulfill the commission's purposes as listed in subsection A of this section.
2. Study, evaluate and report on the status and effectiveness of policies, procedures and programs that provide services to children in this state affected by intergenerational poverty and welfare dependency.
3. Study and evaluate the policies, procedures and programs implemented by other states and nongovernmental entities that address the needs of children affected by intergenerational poverty and welfare dependency.
4. Identify policies, procedures and programs, including any lack of interagency data sharing, lack of policy coordination or current federal requirements that are impeding efforts to help children in this state who are affected by intergenerational poverty to escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency. The commission shall implement and recommend changes to those policies and procedures.
5. Create an ongoing five‑year and ten‑year plan that is updated annually and that contains all of the following:
(a) Measurable goals and benchmarks, including future action needed to attain those goals and benchmarks, for decreasing the incidence of intergenerational poverty among this state's children and increasing the number of this state's children who escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency.
(b) Implement policy, procedure and program changes to address the needs of children affected by intergenerational poverty and to help those children escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency, including, as available over time, data to track the effectiveness of each change.
(c) Recommend policy, procedure and program changes to address the needs of children affected by intergeneration poverty and to help those children escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency, including the steps that will be required to make the recommended changes and whether further action is required by the legislature or the federal government.
6. Ensure that each change and recommended change to a policy, procedure or program that is made by the commission is supported by verifiable data.
7. Protect the privacy of individuals living in poverty by using and distributing the data the commission collects or examines in compliance with all state and federal privacy laws.
8. Provide a forum for public comment and participation in efforts to help children in this state escape the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency.
C. To accomplish its duties, the commission may:
1. Request and receive from any state or local governmental agency or institution information relating to poverty in this state, including all of the following:
(a) Reports.
(b) Audits.
(c) Data.
(d) Projections.
(e) Statistics.
2. Appoint special committees, in addition to the intergenerational poverty advisory committee established by section 46‑1013, to advise and assist the commission. Any special committee appointed pursuant to this paragraph shall report to the commission on the progress of that committee's work.
D. Members of a special committee described in subsection C, paragraph 2 of this section:
1. Shall be appointed by the commission.
2. May be members of the commission or individuals from the private or public sector.
3. Notwithstanding section 46‑1011, may not receive reimbursement or pay for work done in relation to the special committee.
46-1013. Intergenerational poverty advisory committee; membership; duties
A. The intergenerational poverty advisory committee is established to assist the commission and consists of not more than eleven members. Members of the advisory committee shall be appointed by the chairperson of the commission, with the approval of the commission, and shall include at least one member from each of the following groups:
1. Advocacy groups that focus on childhood poverty issues.
2. Advocacy groups that focus on education issues.
3. Academic experts in childhood poverty or education issues.
4. Faith-based organizations that address childhood poverty or education issues.
5. Local government representatives that address childhood poverty or education issues.
B. Subject to subsection C of this section, each member of the advisory committee shall be appointed for a four‑year term unless a member is appointed to complete an unexpired term.
C. The commission chairperson may adjust the length of a term at the time of appointment or reappointment so that approximately half of the advisory committee is appointed every two years.
D. The commission chairperson may remove an advisory committee member for either of the following:
1. If the member is unable or unwilling to carry out the member's assigned responsibilities.
2. For good cause.
E. If a vacancy occurs on the advisory committee for any reason, a replacement may be appointed for the unexpired term.
F. The commission chairperson shall select a chairperson of the advisory committee on an annual basis. A majority of the advisory committee constitutes a quorum, and the action of the majority of members present is the action of the advisory committee.
G. The advisory committee shall:
1. Meet at least twice a year at the request of the commission chairperson or the chairperson of the advisory committee.
2. Make recommendations to the commission on how the commission and this state can effectively address the needs of children affected by intergenerational poverty and achieve the purposes and duties of the commission as described in section 46‑1012.
3. Ensure that the advisory committee's recommendations to the commission are supported by verifiable data.
H. The department shall provide staff support to the advisory committee.
46-1014. Annual report
On or before February 1 of each year, the commission shall annually submit a report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state. The report shall:
1. Include the five‑year and ten-year plans described in section 46‑1012, subsection B, paragraph 5.
2. Describe how the commission fulfilled its statutory purposes and duties during the preceding year.
3. Describe policies, procedures and programs that have been implemented or modified to help break the cycle of poverty and end welfare dependency for children in this state affected by intergenerational poverty.
4. Contain recommendations on how this state can address issues relating to breaking the cycle of poverty and ending welfare dependency for children in this state affected by intergenerational poverty.
46-1015. Program termination
The program established by this chapter ends on July 1, 2027 pursuant to section 41‑3102.