House approves Young bill to bring evidence-based approach to social, public health services

The House of Representatives approved legislation on Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) introduced to bring the pay-for-performance model into social and public health services.

The Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act, H.R. 5170, would authorize state and local governments, non-profits, and private sector entities to enhance evidence-based interventions that address the nation’s social and public health challenges.

The bill, which was introduced by Young and U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), outlines the establishment of public-private partnerships that use philanthropic and additional investments to expand or replicate social and public health programs with a scientifically proven track record of success.

“For all our best intentions, evidence shows current federal programs aren’t doing enough to address income inequality and meaningfully improve lives,” Young said. “Rather than measure our compassion by how much or how little we spend, social impact partnerships reward what works based on actual evidence. By adopting this bipartisan outcomes-based approach, we help more Americans overcome the root causes of poverty while guaranteeing taxpayers only pay for real results.”  

U.S. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) called for support of the bill in an address on the House floor on Tuesday.

“As we go forward and we deal with extending TANF cash welfare for one year, I think what Mr. Young of Indiana has done is try to put forward innovative ideas that change the dialogue, that change the debate when it comes to our antipoverty measures out of Washington, D.C.,” Reed said. “No longer should we measure the success of a program just by the amount of money we spend on that program, but measure it by the lives that are positively changed.”

U.S. Rep. Bob Dold (R-IL), meanwhile, called the bill “reform-minded” and said that it was important to take a fresh approach to how the federal government assists those who are truly in need.

“The Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act is a bipartisan solution that rewards and promotes programs that actually help individuals achieve positive outcomes,” Dold said. “It actually helps and relieves the taxpayers a tremendous burden. No longer are the taxpayers on the hook for failed programs. This actually is providing the opportunity for entrepreneurs and those who are in the nonprofit sector to also play a role in trying to actually come up with unique solutions in very different ways in State-by-State outcomes. This innovative piece of legislation will give the States more flexibility to be creative with TANF dollars and establish approaches that will uniquely address the problems facing local communities.”