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Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2023
3/14/2024, 12:01 AM
Summary of Bill S 2906
Some key provisions of the bill include increasing funding for programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Child Tax Credit, which are designed to provide financial assistance to low-income families. The bill also calls for the expansion of access to affordable childcare and early childhood education, as well as investments in programs that support the health and well-being of children.
Additionally, the Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2023 includes measures to address the root causes of child poverty, such as inadequate wages and lack of affordable housing. The bill proposes policies to increase the minimum wage and expand access to affordable housing for low-income families. Overall, the goal of the Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2023 is to reduce the number of children living in poverty in the United States and improve the overall well-being of children and families. The bill is currently being debated in Congress, with supporters arguing that it is a necessary step towards addressing the issue of child poverty, while opponents raise concerns about the cost and potential impact on the economy.
Congressional Summary of S 2906
Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2023
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Census Bureau to take certain actions with respect to poverty measures and data related to child poverty. It also requires the National Academy of Sciences to report annually on child poverty and study other issues, such as policies to reduce intergenerational poverty.
Specifically, HHS must enter into an agreement with the Census Bureau to annually report an anchored supplemental poverty measure for individuals under the age of 18 and must otherwise collaborate with the bureau to, for example, correct income data to account for underreporting.
Currently, the Census Bureau uses the official poverty measure (based on cash resources) and the supplemental poverty measure (based on both cash and certain noncash resources, such as nutrition assistance program benefits) to measure poverty. Anchoring the supplemental poverty measure fixes the poverty threshold at a given point in time and then adjusts it for inflation.
HHS must publish resources on its website related to child poverty, and the Census Bureau must release certain economic and survey data at the same time it releases a specific report related to income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States.
