S.Amdt. 2978

1. Adds SEC. __. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING THE POVERTY LINE wherever appropriate

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. __. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING THE POVERTY LINE.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--The Senate finds that--

   Inserted: (1) the official United States poverty line is used in determining eligibility for many Federal and State public assistance programs and in determining the allocation of Federal funds to States and localities;

   Inserted: (2) the official poverty line is based on the cost of a minimum diet of an average family in 1955 multiplied by three to allow for expenditures on other goods and services and is adjusted each year for estimated price changes;

   Inserted: (3) the current measure of the poverty line has remained virtually unchanged over the past 40 years, yet during that time, there have been marked changes in the nation's economy and society and in public policies that have affected families' economic wellbeing;

   Inserted: (4) in 1990 Congress commissioned a study by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council to provide a basis for a possible revision of the poverty measure;

   Inserted: (5) in 1995 the National Research Council released a report that called for the Office of Management and Budget to revise the measure of poverty used by the Federal Government, citing that the current measure no longer provides an accurate picture of the differences in the extent of economic poverty among population groups or geographic areas of the country;

   Inserted: (6) the National Research Council proposed that the new poverty measure be based on costs comprised within a basic family budget including food, clothing, shelter, utilities, and a small additional amount to allow for other needs;

   Inserted: (7) while the current poverty measure counts only pre-tax income, the National Research Council proposed that the new poverty measure count disposable after-tax income, including in-kind benefits and deducting expenses such as child care and out-of-pocket medical costs;

   Inserted: (8) while the current poverty measure is the same for all areas of the country, the National Research Council proposed that the new poverty measure be adjusted for geographic differences in the cost of living;

   Inserted: (9) Federal agencies, including the Census Bureau, have carried out substantial research to evaluate and determine the feasibility of implementing the recommendations in the National Research Council's report; and

   Inserted: (10) the Census Bureau publishes alternative measures of poverty that incorporate many of the recommendations of the National Research Council.

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   Inserted: (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--

   Inserted: (1) the improvement of the current measure of income poverty is an important goal;

   Inserted: (2) the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the National Research Council and other related agencies, should work to implement an improved poverty measure as expeditiously as possible;

   Inserted: (3) any action taken by the Office of Management and Budget to implement an improved poverty measure should be cognizant of the recommendations and review provided by the National Research Council; and

   Inserted: (4) before taking action to implement a new poverty measure, the Office of Management and Budget should consider the impact of alternative poverty measures on federally funded programs.

   The amendment doesn't say where this goes; the clerk decides.

   Original wording

   At the appropriate place, insert the following:

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As printed