I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3822 
To eliminate asset limits employed by certain federally funded means-tested 
public assistance programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2021 
Mr. GOMEZ (for himself, Ms. SCHRIER, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
KHANNA, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. SE-
WELL, Mr. EVANS, Mr. CARSON, and Ms. LEE of California) 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 de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To eliminate asset limits employed by certain federally fund-
ed means-tested public assistance programs, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Allowing Steady Savings by Eliminating Tests Act’’ or 
the ‘‘ASSET Act’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings; sense of Congress. 
Sec. 3. States prohibited from imposing asset limits on programs funded by 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grants. 
Sec. 4. Eliminating asset limits in the supplemental nutrition assistance pro-
gram (SNAP). 
Sec. 5. Eliminating asset limit in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Pro-
gram (LIHEAP). 
Sec. 6. Updating and indexing the resource limit for supplemental security in-
come (SSI). 
Sec. 7. Effective date. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Many means-tested public assistance pro-
grams limit eligibility for benefits on the basis of the 
assets of a family, such as savings and other re-
sources. Such asset limits impede the ability of 
needy families to improve their financial cir-
cumstances and thereby reduce their dependence on 
public assistance programs. 
(2) Restricting eligibility for public assistance 
programs on the basis of assets negatively affects 
the financial security of low-income families. For ex-
ample, to avoid losing eligibility for public assistance 
under an asset limit, a family may avoid mainstream 
financial services such as bank accounts, or refrain 
from acquiring and saving resources that would en-
able the family to weather an unanticipated expense. 
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(3) The risk that people who don’t need public 
assistance will take advantage of public assistance 
programs in the absence of asset limits is low, in 
part because most applicants for public assistance 
have very few assets, must meet strict work require-
ments, and usually may only participate in a pro-
gram for a limited time. 
(4) Evidence from States that have eliminated 
asset limits suggests that the administrative cost 
savings associated with the elimination of asset lim-
its outweigh any increases in payments made to 
beneficiaries. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that certain federally funded means-tested public as-
sistance programs should not utilize asset limits to restrict 
eligibility for assistance under those programs. 
SEC. 3. STATES PROHIBITED FROM IMPOSING ASSET LIM-
ITS ON PROGRAMS FUNDED BY TEMPORARY 
ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) 
GRANTS. 
(a) NO STATE LIMITATION ON ALLOWABLE FINAN-
CIAL RESOURCES.—Section 408(a) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(13) NO ASSET OR RESOURCE LIMIT.—A State 
to which a grant is made under section 403 shall not 
apply any asset or resource limit for eligibility of a 
family for any benefit, assistance, or service provided 
under the State program funded under this part.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 408(f) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(f)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘or resources’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the paragraph header, by striking 
‘‘AND RESOURCES’’; 
(B) by striking subparagraph (B); 
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
subparagraph (B); and 
(D) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘and resources’’ each place 
it appears. 
(c) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE-
QUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a State to 
which a grant is made under section 403 of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603) that the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services determines requires 
State legislation (other than legislation appro-
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priating funds) to meet the requirements of para-
graph (13) of section 408(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
608(a)), such State shall not be regarded as failing 
to comply with the requirements of such paragraph 
before the first day of the first calendar quarter that 
begins after the close of the first regular session of 
the State legislature that begins after the date of en-
actment of this Act. 
(2) 2-YEAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.—For pur-
poses of paragraph (1), in the case of a State that 
has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the ses-
sion shall be considered to be a separate regular ses-
sion of the State legislature. 
SEC. 4. ELIMINATING ASSET LIMITS IN THE SUPPLE-
MENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
(SNAP). 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.—Section 5 of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) is 
amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), in the first sentence, 
by striking ‘‘and other financial resources’’; 
(B) by striking subsections (g) and (j); 
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(C) by redesignating subsections (h), (i), 
(k), (l), (m), and (n) as subsections (g), (h), (i), 
(j), (k), and (l), respectively; and 
(D) in subsection (h) (as so redesig-
nated)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and 
resources’’ each place it appears; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) by striking subparagraph (B); 
and 
(II) by redesignating subpara-
graphs (C) through (E) as subpara-
graphs (B) through (D), respectively. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY DISQUALIFICATIONS.—Section 
6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015) is amended— 
(A) by striking subsection (h); and 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
subsections 
(i) 
through (s) as subsections (h) through (r), re-
spectively. 
(3) RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATION, AND EVALUA-
TIONS.—Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended— 
(A) by striking subsections (h) and (i); and 
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striking ‘‘subsection (k)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (j)’’; and 
(D) in subsection (r) (as redesignated by 
subsection (a)(2)(B)), in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘allowable financial re-
sources and’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(g), (i), (k), (l), (m), 
and (n)’’ and inserting ‘‘(h), (i), (j), (k), 
and (l)’’. 
(3) Section 7(i)(1) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(i)(1)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘section 6(o)(2) of this Act’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 6(n)(2)’’. 
(4) Section 11(e)(22) of the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)(22)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘section 6(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
6(h)’’. 
(5) Section 16 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(9), by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 17(n)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 17(l)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (h)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)— 
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(I) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by 
striking ‘‘section 6(o)’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 6(n)’’; 
(II) in subparagraph (E)— 
(aa) by striking ‘‘section 
6(o)(3)’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘section 6(n)(3)’’; 
(bb) by striking ‘‘section 
6(o)(2)’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘section 6(n)(2)’’; 
and 
(cc) in clause (ii)— 
(AA) in subclause (III), 
by striking ‘‘section 6(o)(4)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘section 
6(n)(4)’’; and 
(BB) in subclause (IV), 
by striking ‘‘section 6(o)(6)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘section 
6(n)(6)’’; and 
(III) 
in 
subparagraph 
(F)(ii)(III)(ee)(AA), by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 6(o)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
6(n)’’; and 
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(ii) in paragraph (5)(C)(iv)(I), by 
striking ‘‘section 6(o)(2)’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 6(n)(2)’’. 
(6) Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (k) (as redesignated by 
subsection (a)(3)(B))— 
(i) 
by 
striking 
‘‘subsections 
(l) 
through (n)’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘subsections (k) through (m)’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2)(E), by striking 
‘‘section 6(l)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
6(k)(2)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (l) (as redesignated by 
subsection 
(a)(3)(B)), 
in 
paragraph 
(4)(A)(i)(II), by striking ‘‘and financial re-
sources (as described in section 5(g))’’. 
(7) Section 18(g)(2) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2027(g)(2)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘section 5(h)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 5(g)’’. 
(8) Section 103(a)(2)(D) of the Workforce In-
novation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3113(a)(2)(D)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 6(o) 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
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2015(o))’’ and inserting ‘‘section 6(n) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(n))’’. 
(9) Section 121(b)(2)(B)(iv) of the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3151(b)(2)(B)(iv)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2015(o))’’ and inserting ‘‘section 6(n) of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015(n))’’. 
(10) Section 454 of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 654) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (4)(A)(i), by striking 
‘‘section 6(l)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(l)(1))’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 6(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(k)(1))’’; 
(B) in paragraph (6)(B)(i), by striking 
‘‘subsection (l) or (m) of section 6 of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (k) or (l) of section 6 of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015)’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (29)(A)(ii), by striking 
‘‘section 6(l)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(l)(2))’’ and inserting 
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‘‘section 6(k)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(k)(2))’’. 
(c) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE-
QUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a State plan 
under section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) that the Secretary of Agri-
culture determines requires State legislation (other 
than legislation appropriating funds) in order for the 
plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by 
the amendments made by this section, the State 
plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply with 
the requirements of section 11 of the Food and Nu-
trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) solely on the 
basis of the failure of the plan to meet those addi-
tional requirements before the first day of the first 
calendar quarter that begins after the close of the 
first regular session of the State legislature that be-
gins after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.—For purposes of 
paragraph (1), in the case of a State that has a 2- 
year legislative session, each year of the session shall 
be considered a separate regular session of the State 
legislature. 
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SEC. 5. ELIMINATING ASSET LIMIT IN LOW INCOME HOME 
ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP). 
(a) ELIMINATION OF LIMITATIONS ON ALLOWABLE 
FINANCIAL RESOURCES.—Section 2605(b)(2) of the Low- 
Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 
8624(b)(2)) is amended, in the matter following subpara-
graph (B), by inserting ‘‘, and agrees that a State may 
not exclude a household from eligibility in a fiscal year 
solely or partially on the basis of the assets of 1 or more 
members of the household’’ before the semicolon. 
(b) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE-
QUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a State plan 
under section 2605 of the Low-Income Home En-
ergy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8624) that 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services deter-
mines requires State legislation (other than legisla-
tion appropriating funds) in order for the plan to 
meet the additional requirements imposed by the 
amendment made by this section, the State plan 
shall not be regarded as failing to comply with the 
requirements of such section 2605 solely on the 
basis of the failure of the plan to meet those addi-
tional requirements before the first day of the first 
calendar quarter that begins after the close of the 
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first regular session of the State legislature that be-
gins after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) 2-YEAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.—For pur-
poses of paragraph (1), in the case of a State that 
has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the ses-
sion shall be considered to be a separate regular ses-
sion of the State legislature. 
SEC. 6. UPDATING AND INDEXING THE RESOURCE LIMIT 
FOR 
SUPPLEMENTAL 
SECURITY 
INCOME 
(SSI). 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) UPDATE IN RESOURCE LIMIT FOR INDIVID-
UALS AND COUPLES.—Section 1611(a)(3) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘$2,250’’ and all that follows through the end 
of the subparagraph and inserting ‘‘$20,000 in 
calendar year 2021, and shall be increased as 
described in section 1617(d) for each subse-
quent calendar year.’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘$1,500’’ and all that follows through the end 
of the subparagraph and inserting ‘‘$10,000 in 
calendar year 2021, and shall be increased as 
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described in section 1617(d) for each subse-
quent calendar year.’’. 
(2) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Section 1617 of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f) is amended— 
(A) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; 
INFLATION
ADJUSTMENT’’ after ‘‘BENEFITS’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) In the case of any calendar year after 2021, each 
of the amounts specified in section 1611(a)(3) shall be in-
creased by multiplying each such amount by the quotient 
(not less than 1) obtained by dividing— 
‘‘(1) the average of the Consumer Price Index 
for Elderly Consumers (CPI–E, as published by the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of 
Labor) for the 12-month period ending with Sep-
tember of the preceding calendar year, by 
‘‘(2) such average for the 12-month period end-
ing with September 2020.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect as if enacted on January 1, 
2021. 
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Except as otherwise provided, the amendments made 
by this Act shall apply to benefits for calendar months 
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beginning on or after the date that is 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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