§460.4. Educational opportunities to promote self-sufficiency

            A. The legislature hereby finds that an employment-focused program has succeeded in reducing welfare rolls by focusing on the importance of work as a way of escaping poverty; education and employment can give welfare recipients the literacy, knowledge, and aptitudes to obtain and retain private career-path employment; that these programs retain their importance in reducing welfare dependency; that new federal legislation places an increased emphasis on employment and allows the combining of employment-related activities with educational activities; and that to the extent that they can be funded under the new federal welfare reform program without hindering the other federally recognized goals, they should be funded.

            B. Repealed by Acts 2003, No. 58, §2.

            C. Within this Section, "educational activities" refers to the following educational activities funded by the Department of Children and Family Services in the state 1995-96 Fiscal Year, but not countable towards the federal participation requirements of 42 U.S.C. 407 as amended in 1996:

            (1) Courses for obtaining general equivalency degrees.

            (2) Adult basic education and literacy training.

            (3) Vocational-technical training.

            D. The department shall report to the Senate and House committees on health and welfare on or before August 15, 1997, and quarterly thereafter, regarding implementation of the provisions of this Section and to what extent the investment level shall be reached for the fiscal year.

            E.(1) The provisions of this Section shall apply only to the extent permissible from federal TANF funds and uncommitted maintenance of effort funds the state is required to spend under TANF.

            (2) The provisions of this Section shall also apply only to the extent that TANF and maintenance of effort funds are available and uncommitted for expenditure for other purposes by the department or by the legislature.

            (3) Funds that have been received from the federal government shall be considered available and uncommitted provided the requisite approval for the expenditure of such funds under the provisions of R.S. 39:131 et seq. has not been obtained.

            F. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the legislature from appropriating state funds for the educational activities defined in this Section.

            Acts 1997, No. 700, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 2003, No. 58, §§1 and 2; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5.