Bill > HR1428

This bill aims to modernize the federal poverty line calculation by updating the methodology used to determine poverty thresholds in the United States. The bill proposes a more comprehensive approach to calculating poverty levels by incorporating a wider range of basic household expenses, including food, clothing, housing, childcare, healthcare, and other essential costs. The new method would use a 5-year rolling average of household expenditures, taking into account regional variations in living costs and adjusting for inflation. The calculation would cover household sizes from 1 to 8 members, with special provisions for additional members, and would utilize data from various government sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. States would have some flexibility to adjust the poverty line up to 125 percent for block grant program purposes, and the bill includes safeguards such as maintaining existing poverty levels for participants who move between geographic locations. The Office of Management and Budget would be required to review and report on federal laws that use the poverty line for eligibility, and the Department of Health and Human Services would conduct periodic evaluations of the new methodology to ensure its effectiveness. The bill's ultimate goal is to create a more accurate and dynamic measure of poverty that reflects the true economic challenges faced by American households.

Education

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1428/all-info