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Poverty Line Act of 2025

USA119th CongressHR-1428| House 
| Updated: 2/18/2025
Kevin Mullin

Kevin Mullin

Democratic Representative

California

Cosponsors (14)
Delia C. Ramirez (Democratic)Thomas R. Suozzi (Democratic)Pramila Jayapal (Democratic)Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democratic)Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democratic)Janice D. Schakowsky (Democratic)Summer L. Lee (Democratic)Seth Magaziner (Democratic)Sarah McBride (Democratic)Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican)Seth Moulton (Democratic)Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democratic)Jimmy Gomez (Democratic)Rashida Tlaib (Democratic)

Education and Workforce Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
This bill seeks to update the calculation of the Federal poverty line (FPL) to better reflect the true costs of living. Its purpose is to incorporate more accurate costs of basic needs, keep pace with changing household spending norms, account for regional variations in the cost of living, and reflect minimum expenditures required for social and economic mobility. By doing so, the legislation aims to expand eligibility for and utilization of various federal assistance and benefits. The revised FPL calculation, to be published at least annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in coordination with the Bureau of the Census, will consider household sizes from 1 to 8 members. It will sum a 5-year rolling average of expenditures for food, clothing, telephone, and internet, adjusted for inflation, along with the cost of rental housing based on Fair Market Rents. Additionally, it includes child care costs, out-of-pocket health care expenses for various insurance types, and applies a county-level "other basic goods factor" for unlisted necessities like transportation. The Secretary must use State-level and county-level data to produce poverty line variants for each geographic area and provide a public lookup tool. States will have the flexibility to revise the poverty line up to 125 percent of the official line for community services block grant programs. The bill includes safe harbor provisions, ensuring that a participant's poverty line is not reduced for two years after a geographic move and that no State or county's poverty line falls below the inflation-adjusted pre-2025 level. Furthermore, the Office of Management and Budget must report on federal programs needing updates due to the new FPL, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services will evaluate the new poverty line's efficacy every four years. The Act and its amendments will take effect three years after enactment.
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Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

HR 118-6639
Poverty Line Act of 2023
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced in House
Feb 18, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, 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.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    HR 118-6639
    Poverty Line Act of 2023


  • February 18, 2025
    Introduced in House


  • February 18, 2025
    Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, 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.

Social Welfare

Congressional oversightGovernment information and archivesInflation and pricesInternet, web applications, social mediaPoverty and welfare assistance

Poverty Line Act of 2025

USA119th CongressHR-1428| House 
| Updated: 2/18/2025
This bill seeks to update the calculation of the Federal poverty line (FPL) to better reflect the true costs of living. Its purpose is to incorporate more accurate costs of basic needs, keep pace with changing household spending norms, account for regional variations in the cost of living, and reflect minimum expenditures required for social and economic mobility. By doing so, the legislation aims to expand eligibility for and utilization of various federal assistance and benefits. The revised FPL calculation, to be published at least annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in coordination with the Bureau of the Census, will consider household sizes from 1 to 8 members. It will sum a 5-year rolling average of expenditures for food, clothing, telephone, and internet, adjusted for inflation, along with the cost of rental housing based on Fair Market Rents. Additionally, it includes child care costs, out-of-pocket health care expenses for various insurance types, and applies a county-level "other basic goods factor" for unlisted necessities like transportation. The Secretary must use State-level and county-level data to produce poverty line variants for each geographic area and provide a public lookup tool. States will have the flexibility to revise the poverty line up to 125 percent of the official line for community services block grant programs. The bill includes safe harbor provisions, ensuring that a participant's poverty line is not reduced for two years after a geographic move and that no State or county's poverty line falls below the inflation-adjusted pre-2025 level. Furthermore, the Office of Management and Budget must report on federal programs needing updates due to the new FPL, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services will evaluate the new poverty line's efficacy every four years. The Act and its amendments will take effect three years after enactment.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

HR 118-6639
Poverty Line Act of 2023
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced in House
Feb 18, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, 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.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    HR 118-6639
    Poverty Line Act of 2023


  • February 18, 2025
    Introduced in House


  • February 18, 2025
    Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, 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.
Kevin Mullin

Kevin Mullin

Democratic Representative

California

Cosponsors (14)
Delia C. Ramirez (Democratic)Thomas R. Suozzi (Democratic)Pramila Jayapal (Democratic)Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democratic)Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democratic)Janice D. Schakowsky (Democratic)Summer L. Lee (Democratic)Seth Magaziner (Democratic)Sarah McBride (Democratic)Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican)Seth Moulton (Democratic)Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democratic)Jimmy Gomez (Democratic)Rashida Tlaib (Democratic)

Education and Workforce Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Social Welfare

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Congressional oversightGovernment information and archivesInflation and pricesInternet, web applications, social mediaPoverty and welfare assistance