Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2021
Bill: S.643 | Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D-PA)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Child Poverty Reduction Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Census Bureau to take certain actions with respect to poverty measures and data related to child poverty. It also requires the National Academy of Sciences to report annually on child poverty and study other issues, such as policies to reduce intergenerational poverty.
Specifically, HHS must enter into an agreement with the Census Bureau to annually report an anchored supplemental poverty measure for individuals under the age of 18 and must otherwise collaborate with the bureau to, for example, correct income data to account for underreporting.
Currently, the Census Bureau uses the official poverty measure (based on cash resources) and the supplemental poverty measure (based on both cash and certain noncash resources, such as nutrition assistance program benefits) to measure poverty. Anchoring the supplemental poverty measure fixes the poverty threshold at a given point in time and then adjusts it for inflation.
HHS must publish resources on its website related to child poverty, and the Census Bureau must release certain economic and survey data at the same time it releases a specific report related to income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States.

To reduce child poverty in the United States, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Child Poverty Reduction Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. CHILD POVERTY GOAL AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

    Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after part B the following:

             ``PART C--CHILD POVERTY ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE

``SEC. 441. NATIONAL GOAL TO CUT CHILD POVERTY BY HALF.

    ``(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States 
to reduce the number of children living in poverty in the United States 
by half in 10 years.
    ``(b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
an effort to reach the goal described in subsection (a) shall include 
reducing the number of children in deep poverty as well as reducing 
child poverty among racial or ethnic groups with disparate poverty 
rates.

``SEC. 442. ESTABLISHMENT OF ANNUAL REPORTING.

    ``(a) Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure.--The Secretary shall 
enter into an agreement with the Bureau of the Census to report an 
anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure for individuals who have not 
attained 18 years of age, annually beginning with calendar year 2021. 
Beginning with the report for calendar year 2022, the report shall be 
based on poverty thresholds which are adjusted for inflation using the 
Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers (as published by the 
Department of Labor). This subsection shall not be interpreted to 
require or authorize the replacement of any other calculation or 
measure reported by the Bureau of the Census.
    ``(b) Timing of Release of Current Population Survey Annual Social 
and Economic Supplement Microdata.--The Bureau of the Census shall 
release the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic 
Supplement microdata for each year as a single file containing the 
anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure and any other poverty rates the 
Bureau of the Census reports. The file shall be released at the same 
time as the Bureau of the Census report on Income, Poverty, and Health 
Insurance Coverage in the United States. That report, or companion 
reports, should include poverty statistics and thresholds for the 
anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure and any other measures the Bureau 
of the Census reports.
    ``(c) Reporting in Relation to the Territories.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into an 
        agreement with the Bureau of the Census to develop data to 
        report an anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure for Puerto 
        Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, as part of the annual 
        report required by subsection (a), not later than the close of 
        fiscal year 2023.
            ``(2) Report required if compliance is not feasible.--If 
        the Secretary determines that it will not be feasible to comply 
        with all or part of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit 
        to the Congress, not later than 6 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this section, a report that explains what is not 
        feasible, why it is not feasible, and includes details on what, 
        if anything, would be needed to enable such compliance and by 
        what date compliance could be achieved.
            ``(3) Limitations on authorization of appropriations.--To 
        carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be 
        appropriated to the Secretary a total of not more than 
        $2,000,000 for fiscal years 2021 through 2023.
    ``(d) Improving Income Data for Use in Annual Reporting.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into an 
        agreement with the Bureau of the Census to develop income data 
        with corrections for under-reporting of income data for 
        calculating an anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure as part of 
        the annual report required by subsection (a), not later than 
        the close of fiscal year 2023.
            ``(2) Report required if compliance is not feasible.--If 
        the Secretary determines that it will not be feasible to comply 
        with all or part of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit 
        to the Congress, not later than 6 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this section, a report that explains what is not 
        feasible, why it is not feasible, and includes details on what, 
        if anything, would be needed to enable such compliance and by 
        what date compliance could be achieved.

``SEC. 443. CHILD POVERTY REPORTS.

    ``(a) Annual Reports on the Effect of Federal Policies on Child 
Poverty in the United States.--Within 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement 
with the National Academy of Sciences to submit to the Congress annual 
reports providing an evidence-based, non-partisan analysis of how 
Federal policies or programs have contributed to meeting the goal set 
forth in section 441(a), based on their effect on the anchored 
Supplemental Poverty Measure for children as reported by the Bureau of 
the Census pursuant to section 442.
    ``(b) Contents of Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each such report--
                    ``(A) shall analyze how, and the extent to which, 
                Federal policies and programs contribute to meeting the 
                goal referred to in subsection (a) of this section;
                    ``(B) shall take into account the number of 
                children in deep poverty and child poverty among racial 
                or ethnic groups with disparate poverty rates;
                    ``(C) shall attempt to ascertain whether each 
                studied policy or program reduces or increases the 
                number of children living in poverty, why the policy or 
                program does so, and the extent to which the policy or 
                program does so; and
                    ``(D) shall include, to the extent feasible, 
                projections on how such policies or programs would 
                affect the number of children living in poverty in 
                future years, which shall be made on the basis of 
                previously released Current Population Survey Annual 
                Social and Economic Supplement data, and adjusted 
                periodically as new estimates from the Bureau of the 
                Census become available.
            ``(2) Data corrections.--Where feasible, each such report 
        shall correct the underlying Current Population Survey Annual 
        Social and Economic Supplement data, for under-reporting of 
        income and in-kind benefits and shall include estimates using 
        both uncorrected and corrected income data. Because available 
        information with which to produce corrected income data is 
        currently limited and not timely, each such report shall 
        indicate the year to which the corrected income data pertain 
        and other limitations of the data. As soon as corrected income 
        data from the Census Bureau become available under section 
        442(d), each such report shall use those data.
    ``(c) Feasibility Review of State and Local Evidence-Based 
Policies.--The 1st report under subsection (a) shall include a review 
of the feasibility of including consideration of State and local 
evidence-based policies or programs in subsequent such reports, and if 
the review determines that including the consideration is feasible, 
then each such report shall include an analysis of the additional 
policies.
    ``(d) Timing.--Each report for a year under subsection (a) shall be 
made after the report of the United States Census Bureau on Income, 
Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States for the 
year is released, and--
            ``(1) in the case of the 1st such report, before the 
        beginning of the 1st calendar year that begins more than 6 
        months after the date of the enactment of this section; or
            ``(2) in the case of each subsequent such report, before 
        the end of the year.
    ``(e) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out 
this section, there are authorized to be appropriated not more than--
            ``(1) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2021; and
            ``(2) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
        2030.

``SEC. 444. CHILD POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY CLEARINGHOUSE.

    ``The Secretary shall establish, and annually update, on a website 
of the Department of Health and Human Services, an online collection of 
resources related to the national child poverty reduction goal 
established in section 441 of this Act, including--
            ``(1) the anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure published 
        under section 442 of this Act;
            ``(2) the reports required by section 443 of this Act;
            ``(3) the report required by section 3 of the Child Poverty 
        Reduction Act of 2021;
            ``(4) the report required by section 4 of the Child Poverty 
        Reduction Act of 2021; and
            ``(5) links to other relevant Federal reports, analyses, 
        evaluations, and resources related to child poverty as 
        determined by the Secretary.

``SEC. 445. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Anchored.--The term `anchored' means fixed at a given 
        point in time, and annually adjusted by a measure reflecting 
        only changes in prices.
            ``(2) Poverty.--The term `poverty' means, with respect to 
        an individual or family, that the individual or family has a 
        total annual income that is less than the anchored Supplemental 
        Poverty threshold for the individual or family, as provided in 
        the Bureau of the Census report under section 442.
            ``(3) Deep poverty.--The term `deep poverty' means, with 
        respect to an individual or family, that the individual or 
        family has a total annual income that is less than 50 percent 
        of the anchored Supplemental Poverty threshold for the 
        individual or family, as provided in the Bureau of the Census 
        report under section 442.''.

SEC. 3. UPDATE OF ``A ROADMAP TO REDUCE CHILD POVERTY''.

    (a) In General.--Within 36 months after the date of the enactment 
of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter 
into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to revise and 
update the National Academies report entitled ``A Roadmap to Reduce 
Child Poverty'' within 72 months after the date of entry into the 
agreement.
    (b) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out 
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated not more than 
$2,200,000.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON REDUCING LONG-TERM, INTERGENERATIONAL CHILD POVERTY.

    (a) In General.--Within 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter 
into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to publish, 
within 36 months after the date of entry into the agreement, a report 
on evidence-based policies to reduce long-term, intergenerational child 
poverty, which report shall build on the National Academies report 
entitled ``A Roadmap to Reduce Child Poverty''.
    (b) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out 
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated not more than 
$2,200,000.
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