Substitute House Bill No. 5369, also known as Special Act No. 24-8, is an act concerning the study of benefits cliffs and their impact on the economic mobility of public assistance program beneficiaries. The act mandates the two-generational initiative, in collaboration with the Departments of Social Services and Housing and the Office of Workforce Strategy, to investigate strategies that could help mitigate the effects of benefits cliffs. A benefits cliff occurs when a beneficiary's income marginally increases, leading to a loss or decrease in public assistance, which can disincentivize work and career advancement due to the sudden reduction in overall resources.
The bill requires that by January 1, 2025, the two-generational initiative must submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly that oversees human services. This report should detail the findings of the study and provide recommendations based on the results. The bill does not include any specific insertions or deletions of legal language into current law, as it primarily directs the conduct of a study and the subsequent reporting of its findings and recommendations. The act was approved on June 5, 2024, and is effective from the date of passage.