The legislature may be out of its formal session, but there is still work to be done to prepare for next year.  I am still spending a considerable amount of time in Hartford to draft new legislation and conduct public hearings on critical issues.   

The nonpartisan Program Review & Investigations Committee (PRI), which I co-chair, recently met to discuss the progress of studies underway this year.  This watchdog committee conducts comprehensive studies that result in recommendations for proposed legislation.  These proposals can greatly impact state agencies, state policy, or state law. 

Among our current studies is a review of  the effectiveness of  Connecticut’s welfare reform initiative. You may remember that the 1996 federal welfare reform act transformed the nation’s welfare system into a time-limited, temporary program that includes new work requirements. Connecticut had already begun transitioning the state’s old welfare program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, to the new Jobs First Program in 1995.

Connecticut’s new welfare system was the subject of a comprehensive independent study in 2002, and has been evaluated in several smaller studies. Our legislative committee believes that it is time to conduct a full and comprehensive examination of Connecticut’s welfare reform initiative.

            The PRI study is intended to:

• Describe the exempt and non-exempt families currently enrolled in the Jobs First program – Connecticut’s welfare to work program financed by state and federal funds- by comparing barriers to employment, financial conditions, and the services received by each group.

•  Evaluate the implementation and success of the Jobs First Employment Services (JFES) program including measuring the level of economic change experienced by participants. This program is administered by the state Department of Labor in partnership with the state Department of Social Services and the Regional Workforce Investment Boards.

• Describe how Connecticut has allocated its federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant and related state funds.

This comprehensive study will require an analysis of a great deal of data, along with interviews of legislators, state officials and others knowledgeable about our welfare system, and representatives of advocacy organizations.  

Our recommendations will be presented to the full legislature and public hearings will offer an opportunity for you to comment on the findings.  I will keep you informed of our progress. Meanwhile, you can find a great deal of information about this and other PRI studies on our committee’s website at www.cga.ct.gov/pri.

I am proud to remain your Senator until my term ends in January and my office will remain open to assist you.  As always, I am interested in your thoughts and concerns.  I can be reached at the Capitol at 1-800-842-1421 or you can send me an e-mail at Catherine.Cook@cga.ct.gov.  I look forward to hearing from you.