The Welfare Reform Bill

Proponents of the House welfare reform bill say it will save $66 billion over five years, primarily by eliminating benefits and restricting growth of current programs. It no longer would be an entitlement.

It would, through block grants, give states more flexibility in designing welfare programs, placing in jeopardy federal guarantees such as school lunches for students from poor families. Some states may choose to continue the lunches and meet the needs of the poor more effectively than the federal government; others may not.

Welfare assistance would be limited to five years, requiring recipients to work after two years. Legal immigrants would no longer receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits, nor would unwed teen-age mothers.

In January, 885,463 families in Los Angeles County were receiving $172.9 million in AFDC. Another 91,580 people were on county General Relief, a cash assistance program for households with no children.