Section 15. Federal Social Welfare Programs in Outlying Areas The following table shows the outlying areas in which the major Federal social welfare programs are in effect and those areas in which they are not in effect. The word ``yes'' in the column headed ``covered'' under each outlying area designates that Federal law permits the program to operate in that area. The column headed ``special rules'' notes whether the program operates in that area according to the same rules that apply in the States or according to different rules. The notes to the table explain the nature of any special rules. The programs included in the table are: --Aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) --Aid to the aged, blind, or disabled (AABD) --Supplemental security income (SSI) --Food stamps --Medicaid --Medicare --Old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) --Unemployment compensation --Earned income tax credit (EITC) --Maternal and child health (MCH) block grant --Title IV-B child welfare services --Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance --Title XX social services --School lunch and school breakfast --Special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children (WIC) --Summer food service --Child care food In general, extension of these programs to jurisdictions other than States requires that the law authorizing the program specify the area as eligible to participate. Thus, where the table indicates that the area is not covered (``no'' under the column headed ``covered''), the program cannot be implemented without a change in Federal law. In some cases, a program is available to outlying areas by law, but the jurisdiction has not implemented it (these programs are noted by footnotes ``2'', ``3'' or ``14''). In addition, all programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture may be extended to outlying areas at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture, even though the area is not specifically mentioned in the authorizing legislation. (These programs are noted by footnote ``7''.) Where such programs have not been implemented, they could be if the Secretary were to authorize operation. TABLE 15-1.--FEDERAL SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS IN THE OUTLYING AREAS Marshall Islands and Program Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Guam Northern Marianas American Samoa Micronesia Palau Covered Special Covered Special Covered Special Covered Special Covered Special Covered Special Covered Special rules rules rules rules rules rules rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFDC Yes Yes \1\ Yes Yes \1\ Yes Yes \1\ Yes \2\ Yes \2\ Yes \3\ Yes \3\ No No AABD Yes No Yes No Yes No No \2\ No No No SSI No No No Yes No No No No Food stamps Yes \4\ Yes \4\ Yes Yes \5\ Yes Yes \5\ Yes Yes \6\ No \7\ No No Medicaid Yes Yes \8\ Yes Yes \8\ Yes Yes \8\ Yes Yes \8\ Yes Yes \8\ No No Medicare Yes Yes \9\ Yes Yes \10\ Yes Yes \10 Yes Yes \10\ Yes Yes \10\ No No OASDI Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No \11\ Yes No NA No Unemployment compensation Yes No Yes No No No No No No EITC No \12\ No \12\ No \12\ No \12\ No \12\ No \12\ No \12\ Maternal/child health Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Child welfare Yes Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ No No Foster care/ adoption Yes \14\ Yes \13\ Yes \14\ Yes \13\ Yes \14\ Yes \13\ Yes \14 Yes \13\ Yes \3\ Yes \3\ No No Social services Yes Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ Yes \14 Yes \13\ Yes Yes \13\ No No School lunch/ breakfast Yes \15\ Yes \17\ Yes Yes \17\ Yes Yes \17\ Yes Yes \17\ Yes Yes \16\ No Yes Yes \18\ WIC Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes \14\ No Yes \14\ No No Yes \14\ No Summer food service Yes No Yes No Yes \14\ No Yes \14\ No Yes \14\ No No Yes \14\ Yes Child care food Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes \14\ No Yes \14\ No No Yes \14\ Yes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ The Federal matching rate is 75 percent rather than a rate based on per capita income. However, the Social Security Act sets a dollar maximum on Federal payments for AFDC, Emergency Assistance, AABD, and Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, combined \2\ The Northern Mariana Islands do not operate an AFDC or an AABD program. However, section 502 of P.L. 94 09241 specifies that all Federal services and financial assistance programs applicable to Guam shall be applicable to the Northern Marianas. Nevertheless, this provision is irrelevant with respect to the AABD program because the Northern Marianas operate the SSI program which replaces AABD. \3\ Since October 1, 1988, jurisdiction has been eligible to participate, but has not implemented this program. If the program were implemented, the Federal matching rate would be 75 percent. However, the Social Security Act sets a dollar maximum on Federal payments for both AFDC and Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, combined. \4\ Puerto Rico receives a block grant of Federal funds with which it operates a cash Nutrition Assistance program for needy households under rules similar to food stamps. \5\ The regular Food Stamp program operates in the Virgin Islands and Guam, except that benefit levels differ from those for the 48 contiguous States (recognizing substantially higher food prices), and the degree to which recipients' income is ``disregarded'' for excessively high nonfood living expenses differs from the 48 States (recognizing significant differences in these costs of living). Similar adjustments also are made for Alaska and Hawaii. \6\ Under the terms of the 1976 covenant with the Commonwealth and P.L. 96 09597 a variant of the regular Food Stamp program operates in the Northern Mariana Islands. The four basic differences from the regular Food Stamp program are: (1) Federal funding is limited to $3.7 million; (2) benefit levels are significantly higher than in the 48 contiguous States; (3) income eligibility limits are substantially lower than in the 48 States; and (4) a portion of each recipient's food stamp allotent (25 percent) must be used to purchase locally produced food (coupons for local food are differentiated by color). \7\ P.L. 96 09597 (Sec. 601(c)) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to extend, at his discretion, the Food Stamp program (and other Agriculture Department programs) to American Samoa. If the Secretary chooses to extend the programs to Samoa, he may specify special rules for the program. \8\ The Federal matching rate is 50 percent rather than a rate based on per capita income, and Sec. 1108(c) of the Social Security Act sets a dollar maximum on Federal Medicaid payments to the territories. \9\ Hospital reimbursement rates under the prospective payment system in Puerto Rico are lower than in the States. \10\ Hospital prospective payment system in not applicable. \11\ Currently operating under transitional rules until coverage is complete. \12\ Some U.S. Government employees who are subject to the U.S. income tax while assigned to work in a U.S. territory might be eligible for EITC, but the general population would not be eligible. \13\ Special rules govern how funding allocations are made to these jurisdictions (or would govern if the jurisdiction elected to implement the program), as distinct from the way allocations are made to States. \14\ Jurisdiction is eligible to participate, but has chosen not to implement this program. \15\ Definition of ``school'' includes nonprofit child care centers in Puerto Rico. \16\ American Samoa receives an annual grant to operate its school food service programs. \17\ Different payment rates for meals served apply to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Marianas. \18\ Palau receives an annual grant to operate its school food service programs. Source: Congressional Research Service. Table 15-2 shows the benefit expenditures for the territories for the programs of old-age assistance, aid to the blind, aid to the permanently and totally disabled, aid to families with dependent children (AFDC), supplemental security income (SSI), food stamps, child nutrition, and special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children (WIC) for fiscal years 1970 through 1990. As can be seen in the table, total expenditures for the nutrition programs, including food stamps and programs such as school lunch and school breakfast, overwhelm the amount of money spent on programs such as AFDC. This variation exists because AFDC and other cash assistance programs are capped at significantly lower levels than the nutrition programs. TABLE 15-2.--TOTAL BENEFIT EXPENDITURES ON ADULT PROGRAMS, AFDC, SSI, FOOD STAMPS, CHILD NUTRITION, AND WIC, SELECTED YEARS, FISCAL YEAR 1970-92 [In thousands of dollars] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiscal year-- ----------------------------------------------------------- 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guam: OAA\1\.......................................... $191 $432 $645 $757 $1,425 $1,455 AB\2\........................................... 5 5 13 7 6 3 APTD\3\......................................... 37 113 213 308 323 222 AFDC............................................ 708 1,728 3,324 2,683 5,047 7,800 SSI............................................. NA NA NA NA NA NA Food stamps..................................... NA 3,540 14,581 18,316 14,522 28,230 Child nutrition\4\.............................. \6\380 \6\1,250 2,670 3,680 3,060 3,166 WIC\5\.......................................... NA NA NA 1,270 2,490 3,068 Puerto Rico: OAA\1\.......................................... 3,390 4,000 4,309 6,676 6,446 6,317 AB\2\........................................... 116 73 58 118 135 128 APTD\3\......................................... 2,342 2,738 3,930 9,909 11,399 12,781 AFDC............................................ 25,261 26,434 59,105 62,953 73,162 76,900 SSI............................................. NA NA NA NA NA NA Food stamps..................................... NA 261,006 825,126 789,400 895,474 972,561 Child nutrition\4\.............................. \6\13,34 0 \6\44,14 0 84,200 131,350 137,860 149,609 WIC\5\.......................................... NA \6\2,210 17,140 57,970 87,780 105,903 Virgin Islands: OAA\1\.......................................... 163 186 191 224 303 329 AB\2\........................................... 4 5 4 3 13 6 APTD\3\......................................... 32 73 152 200 434 431 AFDC............................................ 633 1,928 1,397 2,795 2,958 3,500 SSI............................................. NA NA NA NA NA NA Food stamps..................................... NA 5,916 18,951 23,061 18,355 18,517 Child nutrition\4\.............................. \6\380 \6\1,960 3,560 5,330 4,250 4,416 WIC\5\.......................................... NA \6\610 1,120 3,980 4,780 5,223 Northern Marianas: SSI............................................. NA NA 1,379 1,784 1,926 2,045 Food stamps..................................... NA NA NA 2,000 1,585 1,858 Child nutrition\4\.............................. NA NA 270 2,000 2,540 2,746 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\Old-age assistance. \2\Aid to the blind. \3\Aid to the permanently and totally disabled. \4\Child nutrition includes school lunch, school breakfast, child care food, summer service, nutrition education and training, state administrative expenses, and special milk programs. Also includes the value of commodities provided for meal service programs, except where otherwise noted. \5\WIC-Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children--amounts reflect the value of monthly food packages and costs for nutrition services and administration. \6\Cash assistance only. Data not available on commodity donations for those years. Source: Congressional Research Service.