I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4385 
To establish a pilot program to improve the family self-sufficiency program, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 14, 2025 
Mr. TORRES of New York (for himself and Mr. TIMMONS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To establish a pilot program to improve the family self- 
sufficiency program, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping More Families 
Save Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY ESCROW EXPANSION 
PILOT PROGRAM. 
Section 23 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437u) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
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‘‘(p) ESCROW EXPANSION PILOT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) COVERED FAMILY.—The term ‘cov-
ered family’ means a family that receives assist-
ance under section 8 or 9 of this Act and is en-
rolled in the pilot program. 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligi-
ble entity’ means an entity described in sub-
section (c)(2). 
‘‘(C) PILOT
PROGRAM.—The term ‘pilot 
program’ means the pilot program established 
under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(D) WELFARE
ASSISTANCE.—The term 
‘welfare assistance’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 984.103 of title 24, Code of 
Federal Regulations, or any successor regula-
tion. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a pilot program under which the Secretary 
shall select not more than 25 eligible entities to es-
tablish and manage escrow accounts for not more 
than 5,000 covered families, in accordance with this 
subsection. 
‘‘(3) ESCROW ACCOUNTS.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity se-
lected to participate in the pilot program— 
‘‘(i) shall establish an interest-bearing 
escrow account and place into the account 
an amount equal to any increase in the 
amount of rent paid by each covered family 
in accordance with the provisions of section 
3, 8(o), or 8(y), as applicable, that is at-
tributable to increases in earned income by 
the covered families during the participa-
tion of each covered family in the pilot pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(ii) notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, may use funds it controls 
under section 8 or 9 for purposes of mak-
ing the escrow deposit for covered families 
assisted under, or residing in units assisted 
under, section 8 or 9 of this title, respec-
tively, provided such funds are offset by 
the increase in the amount of rent paid by 
the covered family. 
‘‘(B) INCOME LIMITATION.—An eligible en-
tity may not escrow any amounts for any cov-
ered family whose adjusted income exceeds 80 
percent of the area median income. 
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‘‘(C) WITHDRAWALS.—A covered family 
shall be able to withdraw funds, including inter-
est earned, from an escrow account established 
by an eligible entity under the pilot program— 
‘‘(i) after the covered family ceases to 
receive welfare assistance; and 
‘‘(ii)(I) not earlier than the date that 
is 5 years after the date on which the eligi-
ble entity establishes the escrow account 
under this subsection; 
‘‘(II) not later than the date that is 7 
years after the date on which the eligible 
entity establishes the escrow account under 
this subsection, if the covered family choos-
es to continue to participate in the pilot 
program after the date that is 5 years 
after the date on which the eligible entity 
establishes the escrow account; 
‘‘(III) on the date the covered family 
ceases to receive housing assistance under 
section 8 or 9, if such date is earlier than 
5 years after the date on which the eligible 
entity establishes the escrow account; 
‘‘(IV) earlier than 5 years after the 
date on which the eligible entity establishes 
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the escrow account, if the covered family is 
using the funds to advance a self-suffi-
ciency goal as approved by the eligible enti-
ty; or 
‘‘(V) under other circumstances in 
which the Secretary determines an exemp-
tion for good cause is warranted. 
‘‘(D) 
INTERIM
RECERTIFICATION.—For 
purposes of the pilot program, a covered family 
may recertify the income of the covered family 
multiple times per year, as determined by the 
Secretary, and not fewer than once per year. 
‘‘(E) CONTRACT
OR
PLAN.—A covered 
family is not required to complete a standard 
contract of participation or an individual train-
ing and services plan in order to participate in 
the pilot program. 
‘‘(4) EFFECT
OF
INCREASES
IN
FAMILY
IN-
COME.—Any increase in the earned income of a cov-
ered family during the enrollment of the family in 
the pilot program may not be considered as income 
or a resource for purposes of eligibility of the family 
for other benefits, or amount of benefits payable to 
the family, under any program administered by the 
Secretary. 
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