HOPE Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2336 To authorize the establishment of HOPE Account Pilot Projects, HOPE Action Plans Pilot Projects, and competitive grants for pilot projects. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 1, 2021 Mr. MORELLE (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. ESPAILLAT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Serv- ices, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Agri- culture, Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, 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 com- mittee concerned A BILL To authorize the establishment of HOPE Account Pilot Projects, HOPE Action Plans Pilot Projects, and com- petitive grants for pilot projects. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health, Opportunity, 4 and Personal Empowerment Act of 2021’’ or ‘‘HOPE Act 5 of 2021’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2336 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 The Congress finds the following: 2 (1) In 2018, according to the Department of 3 Agriculture, 37,200,000 individuals in the United 4 States (including 11,100,000 children) lived in food 5 insecure households. That equals 1 in 9 individuals 6 and 1 in 7 children. 7 (2) In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 8 food insecurity in the United States soared, with the 9 Census Household Pulse Survey finding that at least 10 22 percent of Americans, and 28 percent of children 11 in the United States, suffered from food insecurity 12 in the height of the pandemic. 13 (3) In 2018, according to the Bureau of the 14 Census, 34,000,000 individuals (including 15 10,500,000 children) lived below the Federal poverty 16 line. The majority of these individuals living in pov- 17 erty were working people, children, older individuals, 18 and individuals with disabilities. 19 (4) Many low-income individuals work multiple 20 jobs and, contrary to common misconceptions, if un- 21 employed, they spend a great deal of time looking 22 for work. They often travel by public transportation, 23 laboriously making multiple connections to shuttle 24 between home, work, social service agencies, houses 25 of worship, and grocery stores. For those living in 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2336 IH rural and suburban areas far from work and without 1 adequate public transportation they rely upon vehi- 2 cles to get to work, but these are often less reliable 3 secondhand vehicles, that often break down. From 4 traveling greater distances between available jobs 5 and livable areas with affordable housing options, 6 seeking out scarce childcare options that fit a tight 7 budget and a constrained travel schedule, and caring 8 for elderly parents or grandparents because a senior 9 living facility is not financially realistic, low-income 10 individuals have little spare time. 11 (5) While government safety net programs help 12 tens of million of individuals avoid starvation, home- 13 lessness, and other outcomes even more dreadful 14 than everyday poverty, there are significant obstacles 15 that those seeking and maintaining government as- 16 sistance face for as long as they are eligible. Quali- 17 fied applicants are often required to travel signifi- 18 cant distances to multiple government offices, pre- 19 paring and submitting piles of nearly identical pa- 20 perwork to access the different government assist- 21 ance programs. Even when the application process 22 begins online, the eligible applicant is typically still 23 required to physically follow up with each govern- 24 ment office with physical copies, for near identical 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2336 IH meetings. As a result, many low-income people are 1 actually unaware of all the government benefits for 2 which they are eligible, reducing the amount of help 3 going to individuals in need by tens of billions of 4 dollars every year. The lines in these offices can 5 seem endless, and sometimes clients need to wait 6 outside, for hours, in the worst kinds of weather. 7 Many offices don’t have weekend or night hours, so 8 an applicant is at risk of losing wages when often 9 their only option is to apply for government help 10 during work hours. 11 (6) Each year, many vital government programs 12 go underutilized because eligible beneficiaries are 13 hindered by obtrusive, time consuming, and repet- 14 itive application barriers. In 2017, according to the 15 Department of Agriculture, 16 percent of all people 16 eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance pro- 17 gram (SNAP), 53 percent of the ‘‘working poor’’ eli- 18 gible for SNAP, and 52 percent of adults over 60 19 who were eligible failed to receive it. 20 (7) The United States has hundreds of thou- 21 sands of nonprofit groups providing high quality and 22 much needed social services, but it is nearly impos- 23 sible for struggling people to determine which of 24 those organizations provides services they need, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 2336 IH whether the organization is conveniently located, and 1 for which services they are eligible. If they do deter- 2 mine that a nonprofit (or multiple nonprofits) could 3 help, they need to take yet more time to visit each 4 one. 5 (8) Since many government and nonprofit pro- 6 grams require frequent reapplications and recertifi- 7 cations, a low-income person often has to repeat the 8 same endless and frustrating process. 9 (9) Technology has fundamentally revamped the 10 lives of most individuals, usually for the better. Ac- 11 cording to the Pew Research Center, 71 percent of 12 low-income individuals have a smart phone as of 13 2019 (not because a smart phone is a luxury but be- 14 cause it is an essential tool of learning and work in 15 modern America) but they rarely can use these de- 16 vices to apply for benefits. Digital technology, com- 17 bined with policy improvements, can simplify the 18 lives and boost the long-term self-sufficiency of our 19 lowest income residents. 20 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 21 (1) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 22 means the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 23 the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 2336 IH Housing and Urban Development, acting collabo- 1 ratively. 2 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible pilot 3 community’’ means a State, unit of general purpose 4 local government, Tribal government, or an entity 5 that represents a smaller geographical area therein 6 (including a neighborhood). 7 (3) TARGET POPULATION.—The term ‘‘target 8 population’’ includes an individual or household 9 that— 10 (A) earns an income below 200 percent of 11 the Federal poverty line, 12 (B) suffers from food insecurity, 13 (C) earns insufficient income to ensure 14 food security or economic security, 15 (D) lives in a rural, suburban, or urban 16 community that suffers from poverty, hunger, 17 or food insecurity, 18 (E) is homeless, 19 (F) receives (or recently received) assist- 20 ance under a State program funded under part 21 A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 22 U.S.C. et seq.), relating to temporary assistance 23 to needy families, 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 2336 IH (G) is eligible for benefits under any Fed- 1 eral nutrition assistance program or Federal 2 antipoverty program, or 3 (H) is formerly a youth in transition from 4 foster care or the juvenile detention facilities. 5 (4) PARTNER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The 6 term ‘‘partner nonprofit organization’’ means any 7 national, regional, State, or local nonprofit group de- 8 scribed in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 9 Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 10 501(a) of such Code. 11 SEC. 4. HOPE ACCOUNTS PILOT PROJECTS. 12 (a) PILOT PROJECTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretaries 13 shall allow eligible entities that apply to do so—based on 14 an application to be created by the Secretaries—to carry 15 out HOPE (Health, Opportunity, and Personal Empower- 16 ment) Accounts Pilot Projects (in this section referred to 17 as Projects) to enable target populations of individuals to 18 establish through banks, credit unions, and any govern- 19 mental or Tribal agencies HOPE accounts that enable 20 such individuals— 21 (1) to have their paychecks deposited directly in 22 such accounts, 23 (2) to use such accounts to increase savings 24 that would be matched with funds provided by gov- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 2336 IH ernment and private sources, including individual de- 1 velopment accounts, 2 (3) to use an account app on a smart phone to 3 easily locate and sign-up for job training and place- 4 ment services online, 5 (4) to enable such individuals to use any smart 6 phone, tablet, or computer— 7 (A) to learn about the public and philan- 8 thropic programs that provide benefits to such 9 individuals, including aid to improve health, nu- 10 trition, job training and placement, housing, in- 11 come and to receive Federal and State tax cred- 12 its, and 13 (B) to apply for, submit eligibility docu- 14 ments for, enroll in, and manage the use of 15 such benefits at once through the convenience 16 of their device if individuals or their households 17 are eligible for 1 or more of such benefits, 18 (5) to receive a basic smart phone, tablet, or 19 computer, along with a subsidized internet Wi-Fi ac- 20 cess plan, if such individuals do not own a smart 21 phone, tablet, or computer, 22 (6) to obtain the access and information de- 23 scribed in paragraph (4) with assistance at libraries, 24 government offices, or nonprofit agencies if such in- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 2336 IH dividuals are uncomfortable using internet tech- 1 nology themselves, 2 (7) to obtain access to the information de- 3 scribed in paragraph (4), with the assistance of gov- 4 ernment or nonprofit employees, AmeriCorps na- 5 tional service participants, or Senior Corps members, 6 to receive home visits if such individuals are elderly 7 or disabled, 8 (8) to access health care information that speci- 9 fies medical benefits, and any out-of-pocket costs, 10 for each of the health plans for which such individ- 11 uals may be eligible, and to empower them to easily 12 select the plan that works best for them, 13 (9) enable such individuals to file directly (and 14 without expending funds to obtain third-party tax 15 filing services) to obtain Federal tax credits and re- 16 funds, and in States and localities with their own 17 supplemental tax credits, to simultaneously file for 18 those, 19 (10) to deposit cash in the account that is set 20 aside for education, job training, starting a business, 21 or buying a home and that would be nontaxable, 22 (11) to easily access and monitor, in 1 central 23 online account— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 2336 IH (A) to be able to check the status, 1 amounts, and recertification deadlines for some 2 or all their benefits and savings, and 3 (B) to pay all bills online, saving high 4 check cashing fees and enormous amounts of 5 time, 6 (12) to budget their resources by using real- 7 time cash flow data and long-term financial planning 8 data, including calculating how much they would 9 lose in interest on credit cards versus how much 10 they would gain in interest by saving more, 11 (13) to access calendar and scheduling func- 12 tions that enable them to keep track of all job 13 search, work, family, and school obligations, as well 14 as any social service filing or appointment dates, 15 (14) to be protected by security and privacy 16 systems so that only such individuals, and not the 17 government, nonprofit, or banking partners would be 18 able to see or track private financial and appoint- 19 ment information, and 20 (15) notwithstanding other provisions of law, to 21 allow program applicants to easily and clearly au- 22 thorize their sharing of personal and financial infor- 23 mation with multiple government agencies, solely for 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 2336 IH the purpose of those government agencies enabling 1 those to apply for and utilize government benefits. 2 (b) FISCAL YEARS.—Pilot projects authorized by 3 subsection (a) shall be carried out for a 1-year period in 4 each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2026. 5 SEC. 5. HOPE ACTION PLANS PILOT PROJECTS. 6 (a) PILOT PROJECTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretaries 7 shall allow eligible entities that apply to do so—based on 8 an application to be created by the Secretaries—to carry 9 out HOPE Action Plans Pilot Projects to enable target 10 populations of individuals to partner with government and 11 nonprofit organizations by entering into voluntary agree- 12 ments to carry out long-term HOPE action plans that— 13 (1) specify exactly how the parties to such plans 14 will help such individuals and their families earn, 15 learn, and save better in order to ensure greater eco- 16 nomic opportunity for themselves and their children 17 by working together in a long-term, positive relation- 18 ship for the purpose of ensuring upward mobility, 19 (2) could empower such individuals and their 20 families to better organize their time and focus their 21 activities on productive endeavors while providing 22 them extra resources to do so, 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jun 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2336.IH H2336 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 2336 IH (3) [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]