I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2349 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants 

to improve access to dependable, affordable automobiles by low-income 

families. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 12, 2005 

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to make grants to improve access to dependable, affordable automobiles by low-income families. 

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 ‘‘Creating Access to 

5 Rides Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR LOW-INCOME CAR OWNERSHIP PRO2 GRAMS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(a) of the Social Secu4 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)) is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following: 

6 ‘‘(6) GRANTS FOR LOW-INCOME CAR OWNER7 SHIP PROGRAMS.— 

8 ‘‘(A) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this 

9 paragraph are to— 

10 ‘‘(i) assist low-income families obtain 

11 dependable, affordable automobiles to im12 prove their employment opportunities and 

13 access to training; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) provide incentives to States, In15 dian tribes or tribal organizations, local16 ities, and nonprofit entities to develop and 

17 administer programs that provide assist18 ance with automobile ownership for low-in19 come families. 

20 ‘‘(B) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 

21 ‘‘(i) LOCALITY.—The term ‘locality’ 

22 means a municipality that does not admin23 ister a State program funded under this 

24 part. 

25 ‘‘(ii) LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.—The 

26 term ‘low-income families’ means families 
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1 with total income of not more than 200 

2 percent of the poverty line (as defined in 

3 section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget 

4 Reconciliation Act of 1981, including any 

5 revision required by such section applicable 

6 to a family of the size involved). 

7 ‘‘(iii) NONPROFIT ENTITY.—The term 

8 ‘nonprofit entity’ means a school, local 

9 agency, organization, or institution owned 

10 and operated by 1 or more nonprofit cor11 porations or associations, no part of the 

12 net earnings of which inures, or may law13 fully inure, to the benefit of any private 

14 shareholder or individual. 

15 ‘‘(C) AUTHORITY TO AWARD GRANTS.— 

16 The Secretary may award grants to States, 

17 counties, localities, Indian tribes or tribal orga18 nizations, and nonprofit entities to promote im19 proving access to dependable, affordable auto20 mobiles by low-income families. 

21 ‘‘(D) GRANT APPROVAL CRITERIA.—The 

22 Secretary shall establish criteria for approval of 

23 an application for a grant under this paragraph 

24 that include consideration of— 
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1 ‘‘(i) the extent to which the proposal, 

2 if funded, is likely to improve access to 

3 training and employment opportunities and 

4 child care services by low-income families 

5 by means of car ownership; 

6 ‘‘(ii) the level of innovation in the ap7 plicant’s grant proposal; and 

8 ‘‘(iii) any partnerships between the 

9 public and private sector in the applicant’s 

10 grant proposal. 

11 ‘‘(E) USE OF FUNDS.— 

12 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded 

13 under this paragraph shall be used to ad14 minister programs that assist low-income 

15 families with dependable automobile owner16 ship, and maintenance of, or insurance for, 

17 the purchased automobile. 

18 ‘‘(ii) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.— 

19 Funds provided to a State, Indian tribe or 

20 tribal organization, county, or locality 

21 under a grant awarded under this para22 graph shall be used to supplement and not 

23 supplant other State, county, or local pub24 lic funds expended for car ownership pro25 grams. 
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1 ‘‘(iii) GENERAL RULES GOVERNING

2 USE OF FUNDS.—The rules of section 404, 

3 other than subsection (b) of that section, 

4 shall not apply to a grant made under this 

5 paragraph. 

6 ‘‘(iv) RULE OF INTERPRETATION.— 

7 For purposes of any requirement, limita8 tion, or prohibition imposed on an indi9 vidual or family by or pursuant to this 

10 part, assistance provided to a low-income 

11 family pursuant to a program referred to 

12 in clause (i) shall not be considered assist13 ance under a State program funded under 

14 this part. 

15 ‘‘(F) APPLICATION.—Each applicant desir16 ing a grant under this paragraph shall submit 

17 an application to the Secretary at such time, in 

18 such manner, and accompanied by such infor19 mation as the Secretary may reasonably re20 quire. 

21 ‘‘(G) REVERSION OF FUNDS.—Any funds 

22 paid from to a grant made under this para23 graph that are not expended within 3 years 

24 after the date the grant is awarded shall be 

25 available for redistribution among other grant-
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1 ees in such manner and amount as the Sec2 retary may determine, unless the Secretary ex3 tends by regulation the time period to expend 

4 the funds. 

5 ‘‘(H) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE

6 COSTS OF THE SECRETARY.—Not more than an 

7 amount equal to 5 percent of the funds appro8 priated to make grants under this paragraph 

9 for a fiscal year shall be expended for adminis10 trative costs of the Secretary in carrying out 

11 this paragraph. 

12 ‘‘(I) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall, 

13 by grant, contract, or interagency agreement, 

14 conduct an evaluation of the programs adminis15 tered with grants awarded under this para16 graph. 

17 ‘‘(J) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF

18 APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be 

19 appropriated to the Secretary for grants under 

20 this paragraph $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 

21 years 2006 through 2010.’’. 

22 (b) AUTHORITY TO USE FUNDS IN INDIVIDUAL DE23 VELOPMENT ACCOUNTS FOR CAR OWNERSHIP, MAINTE24 NANCE, AND INSURANCE.— 
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1 (1) ACCOUNTS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE TANF

2 PROGRAM.— 

3 (A) ADDITIONAL QUALIFIED PURPOSE FOR

4 USE OF FUNDS.—Section 404(h)(2)(B) of the 

5 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 604(h)(2)(B)) is 

6 amended by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(iv) QUALIFIED AUTOMOTIVE EX8 PENDITURES.—Qualified automotive ex9 penditures paid from an individual develop10 ment account directly to the persons to 

11 whom the amounts are due.’’. 

12 (B) DEFINITION.—Section 404(h)(5) of 

13 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 604(h)(5)) 

14 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(J) QUALIFIED AUTOMOTIVE EXPENDI16 TURES.—The term ‘qualified automotive ex17 penditures’ means expenditures for the pur18 chase or maintenance of an automobile, or for 

19 insurance for an automobile.’’. 

20 (2) ACCOUNTS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE AS21 SETS FOR INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM.—Section 

22 404(8) of the Assets for Independence Act (42 

23 U.S.C. 604 note) is amended by adding at the end 

24 the following: 
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1 ‘‘(E) QUALIFIED AUTOMOTIVE EXPENDI2 TURES.— 

3 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Qualified auto4 motive expenditures paid from an indi5 vidual development account directly to the 

6 persons to whom the amounts are due. 

7 ‘‘(ii) DEFINITION.—In clause (i), the 

8 term ‘qualified automotive expenditures’ 

9 means expenditures for the purchase or 

10 maintenance of an automobile, or for in11 surance for an automobile.’’. 

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