I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5468 

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 certain benefits under such 

Acts, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, and 

Energy and Commerce, 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 certain 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, a 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 00:59 Sep 16, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5468.IH H5468

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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, a 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, a 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. INTEREST IN, AND DISTRIBUTION FROM CHIL11 DREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNTS REQUIRED TO 

12 BE DISREGARDED UNDER THE TANF PRO13 GRAM. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a) of the Social Secu15 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at the 

16 end the following: 

17 ‘‘(13) REQUIREMENT TO DISREGARD VALUE OF

18 CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.—A State to which 

19 a grant is made under section 403 shall disregard 

20 the value of funds in any children’s savings account 

21 (as defined in section 2 of the CSA OPPOR22 TUNITY Act), including accrued interest or other 

23 earnings thereon, in determining the eligibility of, 

24 and the amount or type of assistance to be provided 


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1 to an individual or family under the State program 

2 funded under this part.’’. 

3 (b) PENALTY FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 409(a) of such Act 

5 (42 U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by adding at the end 

6 the following: 

7 ‘‘(17) PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO DISREGARD

8 VALUE OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary finds 

10 that a State to which a grant is made under 

11 section 403 for a fiscal year has failed to com12 ply with section 408(a)(13) during the fiscal 

13 year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant oth14 erwise payable to the State under section 

15 403(a)(1) for the succeeding fiscal year by the 

16 percentage specified in subparagraph (B) of 

17 this paragraph. 

18 ‘‘(B) AMOUNT OF REDUCTION.—The re19 duction required under subparagraph (A) shall 

20 be— 

21 ‘‘(i) not less than 1 nor more than 2 

22 percent; 

23 ‘‘(ii) not less than 2 nor more than 3 

24 percent, if the finding is the second conVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:59 Sep 16, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5468.IH H5468

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1 secutive finding made pursuant to sub2 paragraph (A); or 

3 ‘‘(iii) not less than 3 nor more than 5 

4 percent, if the finding is the third or a 

5 subsequent consecutive such finding.’’. 

6 (2) NO EXCEPTION FOR REASONABLE CAUSE.— 

7 Section 409(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(b)(2)) 

8 is amended by striking ‘‘or (13)’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘(13), or (17)’’. 

10 SEC. 102. EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNTS 

11 FROM RESOURCES UNDER THE SSI PRO12 GRAM. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1613(a) of the Social Se14 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(a)) is amended— 

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

16 (16); 

17 (2) by striking the period at the end of para18 graph (17) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

19 (3) by inserting after paragraph (17) the fol20 lowing: 

21 ‘‘(18) the value of funds in any children’s sav22 ings account (as defined in section 2 of the CSA 

23 OPPORTUNITY Act), including accrued interest or 

24 other earnings thereon.’’. 


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

2 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382b(e)(5)) is amended by insert3 ing ‘‘of this Act or section 2 of the CSA OPPORTUNITY 

4 Act’’ before the period. 

5 TITLE II—AMENDMENT TO THE 

6 FOOD AND NUTRITION ACT 

7 OF 2008 

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

9 FROM RESOURCES UNDER THE SUPPLE10 MENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

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

12 (7 U.S.C. 2014(g)) is amended by adding at the end the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(9) EXCLUSION OF CHILDREN’S SAVINGS AC15 COUNTS FROM ALLOWABLE FINANCIAL RE16 SOURCES.— 

17 ‘‘(A) EXCLUSION.—The Secretary shall ex18 clude from financial resources under this sub19 section the value of funds in any children’s sav20 ings account, including accrued interest or 

21 other earnings thereon. 

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

23 For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term 

24 ‘children’s savings account’ has the meaning 


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1 given such term in section 2 of the CSA OP2 PORTUNITY Act.’’. 

3 TITLE III—AMENDMENT TO LOW4 INCOME HOME ENERGY AS5 SISTANCE ACT OF 1981 

6 SEC. 301. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS FROM CAL7 CULATION UNDER THE LOW-INCOME HOME 

8 ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 

9 Section 2605(f) of the Low-Income Home Energy As10 sistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8624(f)) is amended by 

11 adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(3) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN ACCOUNTS FROM CAL13 CULATION.— 

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

15 income or assets of a household for purposes of eligi16 bility under this section shall be made without re17 gard to the value of funds in any children’s savings 

18 account, including accrued interest or other earnings 

19 thereon. 

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

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

22 savings account’ has the meaning given such term in 

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

Æ 


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