109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4600
To require poverty impact statements for certain legislation.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 16, 2005
Ms. LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 committee concerned
A BILL
To require poverty impact statements for certain legislation.
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 `Poverty Impact Trigger Act of 2005'.
SEC. 2. CERTAIN POVERTY IMPACT LEGISLATION SUBJECT TO POINT OF ORDER.
Rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding
at the end the following new clause:
`SEC. 7. CERTAIN LEGISLATION REPORTED BY COMMITTEES.
`7. It shall not be in order to consider a bill or joint resolution of a
public nature authorizing an appropriation of $10,000,000 or more, unless--
`(1) the committee report accompanying the bill or joint resolution includes
a CBO Poverty Index Division impact statement; or
`(2) the chairman of the committee reporting the bill or joint resolution
submits such statement to be published in the Congressional Record before
consideration of the bill or joint resolution.'.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE POVERTY IMPACT DIVISION.
(a) In General- Section 202 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C.
602) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
`(h) CBO Poverty Impact Division-
`(1) CREATION- There is established within the Office the CBO Poverty
Impact Division (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the `Division').
`(2) DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS-
`(A) PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF IMPACT STATEMENT- When a chairman
of a committee of the House of Representatives submits a written request
to the Division to prepare and submit to the committee a CBO Poverty
Index Division impact statement, the Division shall prepare and submit
such statement to the committee not later than 30 days after such request.
`(B) CONTENT OF IMPACT STATEMENT- A CBO Poverty Index Division impact
statement shall include the following:
`(i) A projected ratio equal to the amount of appropriations authorized
in the bill or joint resolution that will benefit individuals and
families below the poverty threshold over the total amount of appropriations
authorized by the bill or joint resolution.
`(ii) A projection of the number of individual and family incomes--
`(I) that may decrease below the poverty threshhold because of the
bill or joint resolution; and
`(II) that may increase above the poverty threshhold because of
the bill or joint resolution.
`(iii) A projection as to how the legislation improves access to basic
human services, including health care, housing, and education.
`(C) POVERTY THRESHOLD DEFINED- In this subsection, the term `poverty
threshold' means an income level below 200 percent of the poverty line
(as defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant
Act).'.
SEC. 4. EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWERS.
Section 2 of this Act is enacted by the House of Representatives--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives
and as such it shall be considered as part of the rules of the House of
Representatives and such rules shall supersede other rules only to the
extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
(2) with the full recognition of the constitutional right of the House
of Representatives to change such rules at any time, in the same manner,
and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall apply to any bill or joint resolution reported by a committee
after the 90-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act.
END
