Welfare reform and American Indians: critical issues for reauthorization

With reauthorization of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (P.L. 104-193) under consideration in Congress, this issue brief examines some key features of the welfare reform legislation as it applies to American Indians and reviews its impact on this population. It looks at the flexibility the act has given American Indian tribes to design and operate their own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs and explores barriers they face in doing so. The paper also examines some of the policy issues and opportunities surrounding welfare reform for American Indians.