[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2475 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2475
To establish a pilot program to provide financial and non-financial
housing assistance to certain homeless individuals, to provide for a
study of the effects of the pilot program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2025
Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Garcia of
California, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Norton, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs.
Ramirez, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to
the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 establish a pilot program to provide financial and non-financial
housing assistance to certain homeless individuals, to provide for a
study of the effects of the pilot program, 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 ``Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income
Pilot Program Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Each year, an estimated 4,200,000 youth and young
adults experience homelessness in the United States.
(2) Youth and young adults face many barriers to safe and
stable housing, such as systemic and structural racism, age
discrimination, and a scarce supply of affordable housing
suitable for occupancy.
(3) Black, Indigenous, and other youth and young adults of
color have been systematically excluded from employment
opportunities and access to stable income.
(4) Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 5 young people of
color were living in poverty, as opposed to 1 in 9 young White
people, and the impact of the pandemic has resulted in an
exponential widening of the inequity faced by Black,
Indigenous, and other youth and young adults of color when
seeking safe housing and careers of their choice with stable
income.
(5) Full-time minimum-wage earners cannot afford the
average cost of a 2-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United
States.
(6) The changing nature of the economy--including the
growth of the ``gig economy'' in which workers earn income
providing on-demand work, services, or goods; unemployment
risks posed by automation; and the fluctuating nature of waged
labor--will result in increased income volatility and prevent
upward economic mobility, especially among young adults.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives;
(B) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives;
(C) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs of the Senate; and
(D) the Committee on Finance of the Senate.
(2) Certified community development financial
institution.--The term ``certified community development
financial institution'' means a community development financial
institution, as defined in section 103 of the Community
Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12
U.S.C. 4702), certified by the Community Development Financial
Institutions Fund under section 1805.201 of title 12, Code of
Federal Regulations.
(3) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the National Youth
Economic Advisory Council.
(4) Database.--The term ``database'' means the database
created under section 4(b)(1).
(5) Fair market rent.--The term ``fair market rent'' means
the applicable fair market rental established pursuant to
section 8(c) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(c)).
(6) Historically marginalized communities.--The term
``historically marginalized communities'' includes low-income
communities and minority religious, racial, and ethnic groups.
(7) Homeless.--The term ``homeless'' has the meaning given
that term in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302) and includes homeless children
and youths as defined in section 725 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
11434a).
(8) Low-income geographic area.--The term ``low-income
geographic area'' has the meaning given that term in section
351 of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C.
689).
(9) Payment-receiving group.--The term ``payment-receiving
group'' means the group designated to receive cash payments
pursuant to section 4(c)(3).
(10) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program.
(11) Program payment.--The term ``program payment'' means a
payment made under section 4(c)(3).
(12) Racial and ethnic minority group.--The term ``racial
and ethnic minority group'' has the meaning given the term in
section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300u-6(g)).
(13) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(14) Socially disadvantaged group.--The term ``socially
disadvantaged group'' means a group whose members have been
subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of
their identity as members of a group without regard to their
individual qualities.
SEC. 4. THE YOUTH HOMELESSNESS GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program, entitled
the ``Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program'', to provide
housing assistance to certain eligible individuals in accordance with
this section.
(b) Preparation.--Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of
this Act:
(1) Database of homeless individuals.--
(A) Creation of database.--The Secretary shall
create a database of individuals who are homeless while
living in the United States containing the information
described in section 6(b)(1).
(B) Eligible participants.--Based on the
recommendations issued by the Council under section
6(b)(1), the Secretary--
(i) shall make reasonable efforts using
reliable sources to identify homeless
individuals for inclusion in the database; and
(ii) may communicate recommendations to the
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of
Education, or the Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development with respect to the
prescription of regulations described in
subparagraph (C).
(C) Authority to prescribe regulations.--The
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Education,
and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may
each prescribe regulations requiring a recipient of
funds or other assistance under the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301-11435)--
(i) to make reasonable efforts to identify
homeless individuals who receive benefits or
assistance provided through the funds; and
(ii) to submit sufficient information to
the Secretary for the homeless individuals to
be listed in the database.
(D) Requirements for database information.--The
Secretary--
(i) shall verify the accuracy of the
information in the database;
(ii) shall include in the database, with
respect to each individual listed in the
database, only the information necessary to--
(I) determine the eligibility of
the individual to participate in the
pilot program; or
(II) administer the pilot program
with the individual as a participant;
and
(iii) may not include in the database any
information about the citizenship status,
immigration status, or Social Security number
of any individual listed in the database.
(E) Report to congress on the database.--The
Secretary shall submit a written report to the
appropriate congressional committees describing the
process used to create the database.
(2) Selection of pilot program participants.--
(A) Criteria.--The Secretary, in coordination with
the External Partner and the Council, shall develop
criteria for the selection of pilot program
participants that are--
(i) consistent with the objectives of the
study described in section 5;
(ii) inclusive of low-income geographic
areas; and
(iii) representative of the demographics of
the population of homeless individuals in the
United States who have not attained 30 years of
age.
(B) Selection.--The Secretary shall select,
consistent with the criteria developed under
subparagraph (A), not more than 105,000 individuals
listed in the database to participate in the pilot
program, each of whom shall be--
(i) an emancipated minor; or
(ii) an individual who has attained 18
years of age but not 30 years of age.
(C) Impermissible factors.--The Secretary may not
use citizenship or immigration status as factors in the
selection of pilot program participants.
(3) Conditions for participation in the pilot program.--An
individual may not participate in the pilot program until the
individual, in a form and manner determined by the Secretary--
(A) consents to the disclosure of Federal and State
income tax return information of the individual to the
Secretary and the External Partner; and
(B) discloses other personal information determined
by the Secretary to be necessary for the administration
of the pilot program and the study described in section
5, including the ZIP Code of the primary place of
residence maintained by the individual.
(c) Provision of Assistance.--
(1) Duration.--The Secretary shall provide the assistance
described in this subsection to the pilot program participants
for 36 consecutive months.
(2) Assistance available to all participants.--Based on the
recommendations issued by the Council under section 6(b)(2),
and in consultation with the External Partner, the Secretary
shall, directly or by contract or cooperative agreement,
provide to each participant, appropriate to the circumstances
of the participant, the following:
(A) Housing navigation services.
(B) Financial coaching courses.
(C) Workforce development services.
(D) Educational attainment services.
(E) Education on the landlord-tenant laws of the
jurisdiction of residence of the participant and the
rights that the participant would have as a tenant.
(F) Additional services recommended by the Council
and the External Partner, at the discretion of the
Secretary.
(G) Assistance in identifying, applying for, and
using any service or assistance available to the
participant that is funded under the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301-11435).
(3) Cash payments to the payment-receiving group.--
(A) Division into 2 groups.--The Secretary shall--
(i) divide the participants randomly into 2
groups, approximately equal in size and equally
representative with respect to the criteria for
the selection of participants; and
(ii) designate 1 group to receive cash
payments pursuant to this paragraph.
(B) Frequency; amount.--
(i) In general.--The Secretary shall make a
payment to each member of the payment-receiving
group every month for the duration described in
paragraph (1), with each monthly payment in the
amount equal to or the greater of $1,400 or the
adjusted fair market rent cost for the member
involved.
(ii) Adjusted fair market rent cost.--The
Secretary shall determine the adjusted fair
market rent cost for such a member based on the
fair market rent cost for a 2-bedroom home in
the ZIP Code designated by the member and any
modifications recommended by the Council under
section 6(b)(4).
(iii) Lump sum payment permitted for the
1st year.--Notwithstanding clause (i), not more
than half of the members of the payment-
receiving group may elect to receive not more
than the first 12 monthly payments under clause
(i) in a single lump sum payment.
(C) Forms of payment.--The Secretary shall make
each program payment by whichever of the following
methods is elected by the participant involved:
(i) Cash.
(ii) Electronic funds transfer.
(iii) Prepaid debit card.
(iv) Any other method offered by the
Secretary.
(D) Day of payment.--Each member of the payment-
receiving group may elect to receive the monthly
payment on the first or last weekday of the month that
is not a legal public holiday.
(d) Privacy Protections.--
(1) Disclosures prohibited.--A person shall not disclose
any information related to the pilot program, except to the
extent permitted by regulations prescribed under paragraph (2).
(2) Regulations for sharing information.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Council and External Partner, may
prescribe regulations to provide for the sharing of information
in the database, without personal identifiers, with nonprofit
organizations and academic institutions for noncommercial
research purposes.
(3) Destruction of database.--The Secretary shall destroy
the database within 30 days after the Council terminates.
(4) Violations.--
(A) Any person who, by virtue of an official
position or affiliation with the Secretary, the
Council, or the External Partner--
(i) has possession of, or access to, any
record containing individually identifiable
information the disclosure of which is
prohibited by or under this Act; and
(ii) knowingly discloses such a record to
any person or agency not entitled to receive
the record,
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more
than $25,000.
(B) Any person who knowingly requests or obtains
any record related to the pilot program from the
Secretary, the Council, or the External Partner under
false pretenses shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
fined not more than $25,000.
(e) Relationship to Other Programs, Benefits, and Laws.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(1) Participation in the pilot program, including the
receipt of program payments, may not be considered for the
purposes of determining--
(A) the eligibility of a participant for, or the
amount or timing of, any benefit or assistance under
any Federal program or under any State or local program
financed, in whole or in part, with Federal funds; or
(B) whether a participant is a public charge under
section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4)) or section 237(a)(5) of such
Act (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(5)).
(2) For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
gross income shall not include any program payment to a
participant.
(3) Section 401 of the Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611) shall
not apply to this Act.
SEC. 5. STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct, in coordination with
the External Partner selected pursuant to this section, a study on the
effects of the pilot program.
(b) Objectives.--The primary objectives of the study shall be--
(1) to analyze the effect of the program payments on--
(A) the housing outcomes of the pilot program
participants;
(B) the microeconomic outcomes of the participants;
(C) the physical and mental health and well-being
of the participants; and
(D) the social cost attributable to income
volatility and homelessness, including through public
expenditures for government-provided services in
health, education, employment, and childcare; and
(2) to evaluate the feasibility of--
(A) expanding the pilot program to include more
participants in the payment-receiving group; and
(B) using direct cash transfers to reduce
homelessness in the United States.
(c) Selection of the External Partner.--
(1) In general.--Within 270 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, and before complying with section
4(b)(2), the Secretary shall choose an organization with
demonstrated experience and expertise in mixed-methods
experimental design and the implementation of cash-transfer
programs and randomized controlled trials to be the External
Partner.
(2) Conditions on selection.--The Secretary may require the
External Partner to employ the services of certain qualified
individuals in carrying out the responsibilities of the
External Partner under this Act.
(3) Compensation for services rendered.--The Secretary may
pay not more than the hourly equivalent of the annual rate of
basic pay for grade GS-12, step 5, of the General Schedule for
each hour (including travel time) during which a person
affiliated with the External Partner is engaged in the
performance of duties of the External Partner under this
section.
(d) Duties of the External Partner.--
(1) Selection of study criteria.--The External Partner
shall make recommendations to the Secretary on--
(A) how to accomplish the primary objectives
described in subsection (b); and
(B) additional objectives for the study.
(2) Data collection.--Under the oversight of the Secretary,
the External Partner shall collect the data required for the
study and may use any information about a pilot program
participant given by the Secretary to the External Partner for
the study.
(e) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
External Partner, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees--
(1) an interim report, within 24 months after the
commencement of pilot program services; and
(2) a final report, within 12 months after the conclusion
of the pilot program services.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL YOUTH ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish the National
Youth Economic Advisory Council.
(b) Duties.--
(1) Recommendations for the database and the selection of
the external partner.--The Council shall issue recommendations
to the Secretary with respect to--
(A) the identification and utilization of reliable
sources of information for identifying homeless
individuals and listing the individuals in the database
with sufficient information for the Secretary to select
any individual listed in the database to participate in
the pilot program;
(B) any regulation that may be prescribed by the
Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Agriculture,
or the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development with
respect to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 11301-11435) to facilitate the
identification of homeless individuals for inclusion in
the database; and
(C) the selection of the External Partner.
(2) Recommendations for the selection criteria.--The
Council shall issue recommendations to the Secretary with
respect to the selection criteria for pilot program
participants that are consistent with the objectives of the
study and with the demographics of the homeless population in
the United States.
(3) Recommendations for forms of assistance.--The Council
shall issue recommendations to the Secretary on the forms of
assistance to be provided to a pilot program participant
pursuant to section 4(c)(2).
(4) Recommendations for the adjusted fair market cost.--The
Council shall issue recommendations to the Secretary on
modifications to the fair market cost in the determination of
the adjusted fair market cost under section 4(c)(3)(B)(ii).
(5) Recommendations for administration of the program.--The
Council may issue recommendations to the Secretary for
improving the performance and administration of the pilot
program.
(6) Recommendations for the study.--The Council may issue
recommendations to the Secretary or the External Partner on
other objectives of the study.
(c) Membership.--
(1) Appointment.--
(A) Regular members.--The Secretary shall appoint
the following regular members of the Council:
(i) A member representing the Secretary,
who shall chair the Council.
(ii) A representative from a national
nonprofit homeless youth organization.
(iii) A representative from a national
nonprofit civil rights organization
representing historically marginalized
communities or socially disadvantaged groups.
(iv) A representative from a national
organization representing LGBTQ+ populations.
(v) A representative from an economic
research organization or academic institution
with expertise in cash-transfer programs.
(vi) A representative from a community
advocacy organization with expertise in cash-
transfer programs.
(vii) A representative from a certified
community development financial institution
whose central demographic is of a racial and
ethnic minority group.
(viii) A member representing the Department
of Housing and Urban Development, nominated by
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(ix) A member representing the Department
of Education, nominated by the Secretary of
Education.
(B) Authorized members.--The Secretary shall
appoint to the Council 3 individuals included in the
database who were not selected as pilot program
participants, after the Secretary begins providing the
services under section 4(c).
(2) Continuation of membership.--If an incumbent member is
appointed to the Council as a representative of an organization
and the incumbent member ceases to be affiliated with the
organization, the incumbent member may continue as a member
until the Secretary appoints a new member in the stead of the
incumbent member.
(3) Removal.--The Secretary may remove a member for
inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.
(d) Pay.--
(1) Rates of pay.--Members of the Council shall each be
entitled to receive the daily equivalent of the annual rate of
basic pay for grade GS-14, step 10, of the General Schedule for
each day (including travel time) during which such members are
engaged in the performance of duties of the Council.
(2) Prohibition of compensation of federal employees.--
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the members of the Council who
are full-time officers or employees of the United States or
Members of Congress for purposes of title 5, United States
Code, may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits
by reason of service on the Council.
(3) Travel expenses.--Each member shall receive travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in
accordance with applicable provisions of subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(e) Staff.--On request of the Council and on a reimbursable basis,
for the purpose of assisting the Council in carrying out the duties of
the Council, the Secretary, the Secretary of Education, and the
Secretary of Health and Human Services may each detail to the Council
any personnel of their respective departments.
(f) Frequency of Meetings.--
(1) In general.--The Council shall meet at least every 3
months.
(2) Discretion of the secretary.--The Secretary may require
the Council to sit for additional meetings at the discretion of
the Secretary.
(3) Discretion of the chair.--The Chair may require the
Council to sit for additional meetings at the discretion of the
Chair or on written request of \1/3\ of the members.
(4) Notice to members.--The Chair shall give each member of
the Council notice of a meeting no fewer than 15 days before
the meeting.
(g) Charter; Quorum.--
(1) Council charter.--The Council shall comply with section
1008(c) of title 5, United States Code, as if--
(A) the Council were an advisory committee but not
a Presidential advisory committee;
(B) the Secretary were the head of the agency to
whom the advisory committee reports; and
(C) the appropriate congressional committees were
the standing committees of the Senate and House of
Representatives having legislative jurisdiction over
the agency to which the advisory committee reports.
(2) Additional contents in council charter.--The charter
filed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall contain provisions to
determine--
(A) quorum;
(B) the information required to be disclosed, in
any notice of a Council meeting, about the matters to
be discussed in the meeting;
(C) when a member has a conflict of interest in a
matter being considered by the Council; and
(D) the circumstances under which a conflict of
interest in a matter may or shall disqualify a member
from participating in considering, or voting on, the
matter.
(3) Quorum.--Until the filing of the charter, a majority of
the members of the Council appointed shall constitute a quorum,
but a lesser number may hold hearings.
(h) Powers.--
(1) Hearings and sessions.--The Council may, for the
purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings, sit and
act at times and places, take testimony, administer oaths or
affirmations to witnesses appearing before the Council, and
receive evidence as the Council considers appropriate.
(2) Obtaining official data.--The Council may secure
directly from any department or agency of the United States
information necessary to enable the Council to carry out the
duties of the Council under this section.
(3) Administrative support services.--On request of the
Council, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to
the Council, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative
support services necessary for the Commission to carry out the
duties of the Council under this section.
(i) Reports.--
(1) Interim reports.--The Council may submit to the
Secretary such interim reports as the Council considers
appropriate.
(2) Final report.--The Council shall submit a final report
to the Secretary containing an assessment of the Council with
respect to--
(A) the pilot program; and
(B) the report submitted by the Secretary pursuant
to section 5(e)(2).
(j) Termination.--The Council shall terminate within 30 days after
the Secretary submits the report pursuant to section 5(e)(2).
(k) Exemption From Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Except as
provided in subsection (g)(1) of this section, chapter 10 of title 5,
United States Code, shall not apply to the Council, but the Secretary
may prescribe regulations directing the Council to comply with sections
1009 through 1111 of such title if the Secretary determines that the
compliance is necessary for the Council to discharge the duties of the
Council.
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