II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3904 

To establish a pilot program to improve the family self-sufficiency program, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 11, 2024 

Mr. REED (for himself and Mrs. BRITT) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program to improve the family selfsufficiency program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping More Families 

5 Save Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY ESCROW EXPANSION 

7 PILOT PROGRAM. 

8 Section 23 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 

9 (42 U.S.C. 1437u) is amended by adding at the end the 

10 following: 


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1 ‘‘(p) ESCROW EXPANSION PILOT PROGRAM.— 

2 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

3 ‘‘(A) COVERED FAMILY.—The term ‘cov4 ered family’ means an eligible family enrolled in 

5 the pilot program established under this sub6 section. 

7 ‘‘(B) ESCROW ALLOCATION.—The term 

8 ‘escrow allocation’ means an account awarded 

9 under this subsection for which the awarded eli10 gible entity shall use to create escrow accounts 

11 in accordance with paragraph (3). 

12 ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es13 tablish a pilot program under which the Secretary, 

14 through a competitive process, awards escrow alloca15 tions to eligible entities to establish and fund escrow 

16 accounts in accordance with this subsection. 

17 ‘‘(3) ESCROW ACCOUNTS.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity 

19 awarded an escrow allocation under this sub20 section— 

21 ‘‘(i) shall establish, on behalf of each 

22 covered family, an interest-bearing escrow 

23 account and place into the account an 

24 amount equal to any increase in the 

25 amount of rent paid by the family in acVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:16 Mar 18, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3904.IS S3904

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1 cordance with the provisions of section 3 or 

2 8(o), as applicable, that is attributable to 

3 increases in earned income by the covered 

4 family; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) notwithstanding any other provi6 sion of law, may use funds it controls 

7 under section 8 or 9 for purposes of mak8 ing the escrow deposit for covered families 

9 assisted under, or residing in units assisted 

10 under, section 8 or 9 of this title, respec11 tively, provided such funds are offset by 

12 the increase in the amount of rent paid by 

13 the covered family. 

14 ‘‘(B) INCOME LIMITATION.—The Secretary 

15 shall not escrow any amounts for any covered 

16 family whose adjusted income exceeds 80 per17 cent of the area median income. 

18 ‘‘(C) WITHDRAWALS.—Amounts in an es19 crow account established for a covered family 

20 under this paragraph may be withdrawn by the 

21 covered family after the covered family ceases 

22 to receive income assistance under Federal or 

23 State welfare programs, after 5 years from the 

24 date of the establishment of the escrow account, 

25 and under other circumstances in which the 


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1 Secretary determines an exception for good 

2 cause is warranted. 

3 ‘‘(4) EFFECT OF INCREASES IN FAMILY IN4 COME.—Any increase in the earned income of a cov5 ered family during the enrollment of the family in 

6 the pilot program established under this subsection 

7 may not be considered as income or a resource for 

8 purposes of eligibility of the family for other bene9 fits, or amount of benefits payable to the family, 

10 under any program administered by the Secretary. 

11 ‘‘(5) APPLICATION.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity 

13 seeking an award under this subsection shall 

14 submit to the Secretary an application— 

15 ‘‘(i) at such time, in such manner, 

16 and containing such information as the 

17 Secretary may require; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) that includes the number of pro19 posed covered families to be served by the 

20 eligible entity under this subsection. 

21 ‘‘(B) GEOGRAPHIC AND ENTITY VARI22 ETY.—The Secretary shall ensure that eligible 

23 entities awarded escrow allocations under this 

24 subsection— 


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1 ‘‘(i) are located across various regions 

2 of the United States and in both urban 

3 and rural areas; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) vary by size and type, including 

5 both public housing agencies and private 

6 owners of projects receiving project-based 

7 rental assistance under section 8. 

8 ‘‘(6) NOTIFICATION AND OPT-OUT.—An eligible 

9 entity receiving an award under this subsection 

10 shall— 

11 ‘‘(A) notify covered families of their enroll12 ment in the pilot program under this sub13 section; 

14 ‘‘(B) provide covered families with a de15 tailed description of the pilot program, includ16 ing how the pilot program will impact their rent 

17 and finances; and 

18 ‘‘(C) provide those covered families with 

19 the ability to elect not to participate in the pilot 

20 program— 

21 ‘‘(i) not less than 1 month before the 

22 date on which the escrow account is estab23 lished under paragraph (3); and 

24 ‘‘(ii) at any point during the duration 

25 of the pilot program. 


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1 ‘‘(7) NUMBER OF ESCROW ALLOCATIONS.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

3 award not more than 5,000 escrow allocations. 

4 ‘‘(B) NUMBER OF ENTITIES.—The Sec5 retary shall seek to award escrow allocations to 

6 not less than 25 eligible entities. 

7 ‘‘(8) MAXIMUM RENTS.—During the term of 

8 participation by a covered family in the pilot pro9 gram under this subsection, the amount of rent paid 

10 by the enrolled family shall be calculated under the 

11 rental provisions of section 3 or 8(o), as applicable. 

12 ‘‘(9) PILOT PROGRAM TIMELINE.— 

13 ‘‘(A) AWARDS.—Not later than 18 months 

14 after the date of enactment of this subsection, 

15 the Secretary shall award escrow allocations. 

16 ‘‘(B) ESTABLISHMENT OF ACCOUNTS.—An 

17 eligible entity awarded an escrow allocation 

18 under this subsection shall— 

19 ‘‘(i) not later than 6 months after re20 ceiving the escrow allocation, establish es21 crow accounts under paragraph (3) for 

22 covered families; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) maintain those escrow accounts 

24 for not less than 5 years and not more 


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1 than 7 years after the date on which the 

2 escrow account is established. 

3 ‘‘(C) ACCESS TO FUNDS.—A covered fam4 ily shall be able to access funds in an escrow 

5 account established under paragraph (3)— 

6 ‘‘(i) not earlier than the date that is 

7 5 years after, and not later than the date 

8 that is 7 years after, the date on which the 

9 escrow account is established; or 

10 ‘‘(ii) on the date the covered family 

11 ceases to receive housing assistance under 

12 Federal or State programs, if that date is 

13 less than 5 years after the date on which 

14 the escrow account is established. 

15 ‘‘(10) NONPARTICIPATION AND HOUSING AS16 SISTANCE.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Assistance under sec18 tion 8 or 9 for a family that elects not to par19 ticipate in the pilot program shall not be de20 layed by reason of such election. 

21 ‘‘(B) NO TERMINATION.—Housing assist22 ance may not be terminated as a consequence 

23 of participating in the pilot program for any pe24 riod of time. 


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1 ‘‘(11) STUDY.—Not later than 7 years after the 

2 date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 

3 shall conduct a study and submit to the Committee 

4 on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Sen5 ate and the Committee on Financial Services of the 

6 House of Representatives a report on outcomes for 

7 covered families under the pilot program under this 

8 subsection, which shall evaluate the effectiveness of 

9 the pilot program in assisting families to achieve 

10 economic independence and self-sufficiency, and the 

11 impact supportive services, or the lack thereof, had 

12 on individual incomes. 

13 ‘‘(12) TERMINATION.—The pilot program under 

14 this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 10 

15 years after the date of enactment of this subsection. 

16 ‘‘(13) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to 

18 appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal year 

19 2025 $2,000,000 to carry out this subsection. 

20 ‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY.—Any amounts appro21 priated under this subsection shall remain avail22 able until expended.’’. 

Æ 


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