[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2407 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2407
To help individuals receiving assistance under the supplemental
nutrition assistance program in obtaining self-sufficiency, to provide
information on total spending on means-tested welfare programs, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2025
Mr. Brecheen (for himself, Mr. Kennedy of Utah, and Mr. Grothman)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To help individuals receiving assistance under the supplemental
nutrition assistance program in obtaining self-sufficiency, to provide
information on total spending on means-tested welfare programs, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I--POVERTY MEASUREMENT IMPROVEMENT
Sec. 101. Improving the measurement of poverty in the United States.
Sec. 102. Commission on valuation of government benefits.
Sec. 103. GAO reports on effect of supplementary data on calculation of
poverty rates and related measures.
Sec. 104. Rule of construction.
TITLE II--MODIFICATIONS TO SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Sec. 201. Work requirements.
Sec. 202. Employment and training program outcomes reporting.
Sec. 203. State matching funds.
Sec. 204. Eligibility.
Sec. 205. Compliance with fraud investigations.
Sec. 206. Authorized users of electronic benefit transfer cards.
Sec. 207. Reauthorization of medium- or high-risk retail food stores
and wholesale food concerns.
Sec. 208. State activity reports.
Sec. 209. Disqualification by State agency.
Sec. 210. Retention of recaptured funds by States.
TITLE I--POVERTY MEASUREMENT IMPROVEMENT
SEC. 101. IMPROVING THE MEASUREMENT OF POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Federal benefit.--The term ``Federal benefit'' means a
benefit, refundable tax credit, or other form of assistance
provided under any of the following programs:
(A) Earned Income Tax Credit (refundable portion).
(B) Child Tax Credit (refundable portion).
(C) Supplemental Security Income.
(D) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
(E) Title IV-E Foster Care.
(F) Title IV-E Adoption Assistance.
(G) Medicaid.
(H) SCHIP.
(I) Indian Health Services.
(J) PPACA refundable premium assistance and cost
sharing tax credit.
(K) Assets for Independence program.
(L) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Food Program.
(M) School Breakfast.
(N) School Lunch.
(O) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Food
Program.
(P) Child and Adult Care Food Program.
(Q) The Food Distribution Program on Indian
Reservations (FDPIR).
(R) Nutrition Program for the Elderly.
(S) Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.
(T) Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
(U) Section 8 Housing.
(V) Public Housing.
(W) Housing for Persons with Disabilities.
(X) Home Investment Partnership Program.
(Y) Rural Housing Service.
(Z) Rural Housing Insurance Fund.
(AA) Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
(BB) Universal Service Fund Low Income Support
Mechanism (subsidized phone services).
(CC) Pell Grants.
(DD) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.
(EE) American Opportunity Tax Credit (refundable
portion).
(FF) Healthy Start.
(GG) Job Corps.
(HH) Head Start (including Early Head Start).
(II) Weatherization Assistance.
(JJ) Chafee Foster Care Independence Program.
(KK) Child Care Subsidies from the Child Care and
Development Fund.
(LL) Child Care from the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families Block Grant.
(MM) Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with
Children.
(NN) Senior Community Service Employment Program.
(OO) Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers Training
Program.
(PP) Indian and Native American Employment and
Training Program.
(QQ) Independent Living Education and Training
Vouchers.
(2) Resource unit.--The term ``resource unit'' means all
co-resident individuals who are related by birth, marriage, or
adoption, plus any co-resident unrelated children, foster
children, and unmarried partners and their relatives.
(3) Market income.--The term ``market income'' means
individual income from the following:
(A) Earnings.
(B) Interest.
(C) Dividends.
(D) Rents, royalties, and estates and trusts.
(E) The monetary value of employer-sponsored health
insurance benefits.
(F) Other forms of income, as determined by the
Director.
(4) Entitlement and other income.--The term ``entitlement
and other income'' means income from the following:
(A) Unemployment (insurance) compensation.
(B) Workers' compensation.
(C) Social Security.
(D) Veterans' payments and benefits.
(E) Survivor benefits.
(F) Disability benefits (not including benefits
under the Supplemental Security Income program).
(G) Pension or retirement income.
(H) Alimony.
(I) Child support.
(J) Financial assistance from outside of the
household.
(K) Medicare.
(5) Entitlement and earned unit income.--The term
``entitlement and earned unit income'' means the sum of all
market income and entitlement and other income.
(6) Income tax data.--The term ``income tax data'' means
return information, as such term is defined under section
6103(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
(7) Administering agency.--The term ``administering
agency'' means a State or Federal agency responsible for
administering a Federal benefit.
(8) Total resource unit income.--The term ``total resource
unit income'' means, with respect to a resource unit, an amount
equal to--
(A) the sum of--
(i) all market income attributable to
members of the unit;
(ii) all entitlement and other income
attributable to members of the unit; and
(iii) an amount, or cash equivalent, of all
Federal benefits received by members of the
unit; minus
(B) all State and Federal income and payroll taxes
attributable to members of the unit.
(9) Earned resource unit income.--The term ``earned
resource unit income'' means, with respect to a resource unit,
all market income attributable to members of the unit.
(10) Personally identifiable information.--The term
``personally identifiable information'' means any information
that identifies an individual or could reasonably be used to
identify an individual that is--
(A) collected pursuant to a survey conducted by the
Bureau of the Census; or
(B) disclosed to the Bureau of the Census by an
administering agency for the purpose of carrying out
subsection (b).
(11) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Bureau of the Census.
(b) Verification of Data Collected in the Annual Social and
Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey.--
(1) In general.--Beginning in fiscal year 2025, in order to
more accurately determine the extent of poverty in the United
States and the anti-poverty effectiveness of Federal benefit
programs, the Director shall collect, in addition to the data
collected under the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to
the Current Population Survey, data from the appropriate
administering agencies related to the following:
(A) Participation in any Federal benefit program
and the monetary or cash equivalent value of such
benefit for an individual, where possible, and
otherwise for resource units or households.
(B) The total amount of market income for
individuals.
(C) The total amount of entitlement and other
income for individuals.
(D) Payment of income taxes and payroll taxes for
individuals.
(E) Total resource unit income.
(F) Total earned resource unit income.
(G) Any other information about benefits or income
received by individuals that the Director determines
necessary to carry out this section and that is not
included in the data relating to participation in
Federal benefit programs or market income for
individuals.
(2) Administering agency data.--Not later than 6 months
after receiving a request from the Director, the head of each
administering agency shall make available to the Director such
data (including income tax data) as the Director shall require
for the purpose of carrying out this subsection and for the
purposes outlined in section 6 of title 13, United States Code.
(3) Publication of data.--
(A) Rates and other data.--
(i) Report.--The Director shall submit to
Congress, not later than January 1, 2026, a
report detailing the implementation of this
section, including--
(I) the availability of related
data;
(II) the quality of the data; and
(III) the methodology proposed for
assigning dollar values to the receipt
of noncash Federal benefits.
(ii) Tables and graphs.--The Director shall
produce tables and graphs showing for each year
the poverty rates and related data calculated
using data collected under paragraph (1),
including--
(I) the total resource unit income
for survey respondents;
(II) the total earned resource unit
income for survey respondents;
(III) the total of all amounts
described in subparagraphs (A) through
(G) of paragraph (1) that are received
by survey respondents;
(IV) a breakdown of the amount of
income taxes and payroll taxes
attributable to survey respondents; and
(V) for 2027 and subsequent years,
poverty rates calculated using updated
poverty thresholds as described in
clause (iii).
(iii) Updated poverty thresholds.--For 2027
and subsequent years, the Director shall, in
addition to the official poverty line (as
defined by the Office of Management and Budget)
and the supplemental poverty measure, provide
an alternative poverty measure that uses the
personal consumption expenditure price index
(as published by the Bureau of Economic
Analysis) and accounts for the data collected
under paragraph (1). The Director shall provide
a comparison of the official poverty line (as
defined by the Office of Management and
Budget), the supplemental poverty measure rate
as defined by the Bureau of the Census, and the
alternative poverty rate created using the
alternative poverty measure under this section.
(iv) Rule of construction.--The Office of
Management and Budget shall not use the
additional data collected by the Director
pursuant to paragraph (1) for purposes of
defining the official poverty line.
(B) Confidentiality.--Consistent with the
provisions of sections 8, 9, and 23(c) of title 13,
United States Code, the Director shall ensure the
confidentiality of information furnished to the
Director under this subsection.
(c) Protection and Disclosure of Personally Identifiable
Information.--
(1) In general.--The security, disclosure, and
confidentiality provisions set forth in sections 9 and 23 of
title 13, United States Code, shall apply to personally
identifiable information obtained by the Bureau of the Census
pursuant to this section.
(2) Restricted access to personally identifiable
information.--Access to personally identifiable information
collected to supplement the restricted-use Current Population
Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements in accordance
with subsection (b)(1) shall be available only to those who
have access to the Current Population Survey data with the
permission of the Bureau of the Census and in accordance with
any other applicable provision of law.
(3) Penalties.--Any individual who knowingly accesses or
discloses personally identifiable information in violation of
this section shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction
thereof shall be fined in an amount of not more than $300,000
under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for not more
than five years, or both.
(d) State Reporting of Federal Data.--Beginning with the first full
calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of this Act, with
respect to any Federal benefit that is administered at the State level
by a State administering agency, such State administering agency shall
submit each year to the Federal administering agency responsible for
administering the benefit at the Federal level a report that identifies
each resource unit that received such benefits during such year by the
personally identifiable information of the head of the resource unit
and the amount, or cash equivalent, of such benefit received by such
resource unit.
SEC. 102. COMMISSION ON VALUATION OF GOVERNMENT BENEFITS.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the United States
Census Bureau a commission, to be known as the ``Commission on
Valuation of Federal Benefits'' (referred to in this section as the
``Commission'').
(b) Composition.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 8
members, of whom--
(A) 2 members shall be appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate;
(B) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate;
(C) 2 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives; and
(D) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives.
(2) Co-chairs.--Of the members of the Commission--
(A) 1 co-chair shall be designated by the majority
leader of the Senate; and
(B) 1 co-chair shall be designated by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives.
(3) Qualifications.--Each member appointed to the
Commission shall have experience in--
(A) quantitative policy research; and
(B) welfare or poverty studies.
(c) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the date on
which the last member is appointed under subsection (b), the Commission
shall hold an initial meeting.
(d) Quorum.--Six members of the Commission shall constitute a
quorum.
(e) No Proxy Voting.--Proxy voting by members of the Commission
shall be prohibited.
(f) Staff.--The Director of the Census Bureau shall appoint an
executive director of the Commission.
(g) Travel Expenses.--Members of the Commission shall serve without
pay, but shall receive travel expenses in accordance with sections 5702
and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
(h) Duties of Commission.--
(1) Recommendations.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall produce
recommendations for the valuation of Federal benefits
listed under section 101(a)(1) for the purpose of
United States Census Bureau estimates of the Federal
Poverty Level, including non-cash benefits.
(2) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the
date of enactment