I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8204 

To amend the Social Security Act, the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 

and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to require 

that the value of children’s savings accounts be disregarded for the 

purpose of determining eligibility to receive benefits under such Acts, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 

Means, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and 

Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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 amend the Social Security Act, the Food and Nutrition 

Act of 2008, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to require that the value of children’s 

savings accounts be disregarded for the purpose of determining eligibility to receive benefits under such Acts, 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Children’s Savings Ac3 counts Offer Parents Plenty Of Reasons To Understand 

4 and Invest in Tuition Yearly Act’’ or the ‘‘CSA OPPOR5 TUNITY Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT PRO9 GRAM.—The term ‘‘children’s savings account pro10 gram’’ refers to a program created or organized by 

11 a State, local, or Federal Government, 501(c)(3) 

12 nonprofit organization, a school district, or a college 

13 or university for the purpose of creating children’s 

14 savings accounts. 

15 (2) CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT.—The term 

16 ‘‘children’s savings account’’ means a savings or in17 vestment account or trust created as part of a chil18 dren’s savings account program exclusively for the 

19 purpose of paying the qualified expenses of only in20 dividuals, who, when the account is created, have not 

21 attained 18 years of age, provided that it has the 

22 following requirements: 

23 (A) If a savings or investment account is 

24 created— 

25 (i) the account is held in a federally 

26 insured financial institution, or a State-inVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:29 Sep 17, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8204.IH H8204

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1 sured financial institution if a federally in2 sured financial institution is not available, 

3 or in an investment account by a custodian 

4 or third-party owner on behalf of the indi5 viduals, if the custodian or third-party 

6 owner is a State, local, or Federal Govern7 ment, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a 

8 school district, or a college or university, 

9 (ii) the assets of the account will not 

10 be commingled with other property except 

11 in a common children’s savings account, 

12 trust fund, or other common investment 

13 fund, and 

14 (iii) any amount in the account that is 

15 attributable to a seed deposit, matched de16 posit, or other incentive provided by the 

17 children’s savings account program may be 

18 paid or distributed from the account only 

19 for the purpose of paying qualified ex20 penses of the individual. 

21 (B) If a trust is created or organized, the 

22 written governing instrument creating the trust 

23 contains the following requirements: 

24 (i) The trust is created on behalf of 

25 the individuals, and the trustee is a State, 


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1 local, or Federal Government, 501(c)(3) 

2 nonprofit organization, a school district, or 

3 a college or university. 

4 (ii) The assets of the trust will be in5 vested in accordance with the direction of 

6 the trustee. 

7 (iii) The assets of the trust will not be 

8 commingled with other property except in 

9 a common trust fund or common invest10 ment fund. 

11 (iv) Any amount in the trust that is 

12 attributable to a seed deposit, matched de13 posit, or other children’s savings account 

14 program incentive may be paid or distrib15 uted from the trust only for the purpose of 

16 paying qualified expenses of the individual. 

17 (3) QUALIFIED EXPENSES.—The term ‘‘quali18 fied expenses’’ means, with respect to an individual, 

19 expenses that are— 

20 (A) incurred after the individual receives a 

21 secondary school diploma or its recognized 

22 equivalent, and 

23 (B) for— 


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1 (i) postsecondary educational expenses 

2 (as defined in section 529 of the Internal 

3 Revenue Code of 1986) of the individual, 

4 (ii) the purchase of a first home by 

5 the individual, or 

6 (iii) the capitalization of a business 

7 owned by the individual. 

8 TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO THE 

9 SOCIAL SECURITY ACT 

10 SEC. 101. CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT REQUIRED TO BE 

11 DISREGARDED UNDER THE TANF PROGRAM. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a)(13) of the Social 

13 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as added by section 

14 101(a) of this Act, is amended— 

15 (1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘, and value of 

16 a children’s savings account’’ after ‘‘program’’; and 

17 (2) by inserting after ‘‘1986)’’ the following: 

18 ‘‘and the value of any children’s savings account (as 

19 defined in section 2 of the CSA OPPORTUNITY 

20 Act)’’. 

21 (b) PENALTY FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.—Section 

22 409(a)(17) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(17)), as added 

23 by section 101(b)(1) of this Act, is amended in the para24 graph heading, by inserting ‘‘OR VALUE OF A CHILDREN’S

25 SAVINGS ACCOUNT’’ after ‘‘PROGRAM’’. 


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1 SEC. 102. EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT 

2 FROM RESOURCES UNDER THE SSI PRO3 GRAM. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1613(a) of the Social Se5 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(a)), as amended by section 

6 102 of this Act, is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

8 (17); 

9 (2) by striking the period at the end of para10 graph (18) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (3) by inserting after paragraph (18) the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(19) any children’s savings account (as defined 

14 in section 2 of the CSA OPPORTUNITY Act), in15 cluding accrued interest or other earnings thereon.’’. 

16 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1613(e)(5) 

17 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(e)(5)) is amended by insert18 ing ‘‘of this Act or section 2 of the CSA OPPORTUNITY 

19 Act’’ before the period. 


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1 TITLE II—AMENDMENT TO THE 

2 FOOD AND NUTRITION ACT 

3 OF 2008 

4 SEC. 201. EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNTS 

5 FROM RESOURCES UNDER THE SUPPLE6 MENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

7 Section 5(g) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 

8 (7 U.S.C. 2014(g)) is amended by adding at the end the 

9 following: 

10 ‘‘(9) EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS AC11 COUNTS FROM ALLOWABLE FINANCIAL RE12 SOURCES.— 

13 ‘‘(A) EXCLUSION.—The Secretary shall ex14 clude from financial resources under this sub15 section the value of funds in any children’s sav16 ings account. 

17 ‘‘(B) CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT.— 

18 For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term 

19 ‘children’s savings account’ has the meaning 

20 given such term in section 2 of the CSA OP21 PORTUNITY Act.’’. 


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1 TITLE III—AMENDMENT TO LOW2 INCOME HOME ENERGY AS3 SISTANCE ACT OF 1981 

4 SEC. 301. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS FROM CAL5 CULATION UNDER THE LOW-INCOME HOME 

6 ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

7 Section 2605(f) of the Low-Income Home Energy As8 sistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8624(f)) is amended by 

9 adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(3) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS FROM CAL11 CULATION.— 

12 ‘‘(A) EXCLUSION.—The determination of the 

13 income or assets of a household for purposes of eligi14 bility under this section shall be made without re15 gard to the value of funds in any children’s savings 

16 account. 

17 ‘‘(B) CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT.—For 

18 purposes of subparagraph (A), the term ‘children’s 

19 savings account’ has the meaning given such term in 

20 section 2 of the CSA OPPORTUNITY Act.’’. 

Æ 


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