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H.R.4856 / 108th Congress

Child Safety, Adoption, and Family Enhancement (Child SAFE) Act of 2004

Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jul 19, 2004

Child Safety, Adoption, and Family Enhancement (Child SAFE) Act of 2004 - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise eligibility for adoption assistance and foster care maintenance payments by eliminating certain income requirements, reducing Federal matching rates, allowing separate standards for relative foster family homes, modifying provisions for foster children's Medicaid eligibility, and including Indian tribes as eligible for such payments.

Provides for Safe Children, Strong Families Programs, which revise and combine currently separate part B title IV SSA programs for child and family services and for promoting safe and stable families. Provides such part B grant allotment funds for States and Indian tribes to improve protection for children and strengthen families. Continues grants for State court improvement of adoption and foster care proceedings, and for programs mentoring children of prisoners. Establishes challenge grants to reward efforts to move children safely from foster care and prevent the removal of children from their homes.

Revises child welfare waiver authority to eliminate various limitations, and to extend such authority to approve demonstration projects.

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Extends and increases amounts of high performance bonuses, under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Directs the Commissioner of Social Security to review State agency determinations of blindness and disability, under Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Read the summary on Congress.gov
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Who introduced it

Rep. Herger, Wally [R-CA-2] · R–CA

Committees

  • Ways and Means Committee
8 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.

  2. Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

  3. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1417-1418)

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Aug 18, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Objective

Analyze H.R.4856 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

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Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

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Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

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