Men at work in Washington

LEGISLATORS IN WASHINGTON are working to implement the new thinking on male poverty.

Perhaps the most comprehensive is a bill coauthored by Senator Barack Obama and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh called the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act. It would provide job training, remove marriage penalties from the tax code, and support domestic violence prevention efforts.

The legislation would also address another issue: Currently, single mothers who receive benefits must sign over their child support money to the state. This often diminishes the incentive for poor men to pay, since the payments will not even reach their children. The bill would eliminate that practice, and ensure that all child support money goes directly to families. The bill has been introduced twice, in 2006 and 2007, without passing, but the sponsors plan to introduce it again.

The Second Chance Act, which President Bush signed last April with bipartisan support, provides money to connect nonviolent offenders with community organizations that can help them reintegrate into society.

When the welfare reform law was reauthorized in 2006, up to $50 million was designated for activities promoting fatherhood, such as counseling and initiatives to foster financial stability.