Welfare Reform Act
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
§ LEGISLATIONsafety net· 1996
What It Did
Replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) entitlement with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants to states. Imposed work requirements and a five-year lifetime limit on federal cash assistance. Welfare caseloads dropped sharply in the years following.
The Vote
House · 328–101 (passage)
D
98 YEA · 98 NAY
R
230 YEA · 2 NAY
Senate · 78–21 (passage)
D
25 YEA · 21 NAY
R
53 YEA · 0 NAY
Key Sponsors
→ John Kasich (R-OH) · House
→ E. Clay Shaw Jr. (R-FL) · House
Sources: Congress.gov · VoteView · FRED
In the Years Following
Economic indicators related to this law, showing 5 years before through 10 years after.
Real Median Household Income
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Gini Index (Inequality)
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Labor Force Participation
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Unemployment Rate
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Many factors influence economic outcomes. This chart shows trends in the years surrounding this legislation — not necessarily caused by it.