Washington ? No more bed rest, going on errands for a friend or reading the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” to fulfill work requirements for welfare.

The Bush administration will issue new regulations today that clarify what states can count when it comes to work participation under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program.

Under the law, states are supposed to have at least half of their welfare recipients in approved work activities or face cuts in funding of up to 5 percent.

However, states have been on their own in defining those work activities.

Some have gone too far, the administration says.

Congress recently instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to draft regulations that would explicitly define the 12 work categories cited in federal law. For instance, on-the-job training will be defined, as will community service and unsubsidized employment.

In a recent speech, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt signaled that he wanted stricter definitions of work. He questioned Wisconsin’s use of bed rest as a work activity. He also questioned other activities, such as motivational reading.

“Needless to say, I think we can all agree we need to have a better definition of what constitutes work,” Leavitt told officials at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.