,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfgi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bc1 #bjbj,mr4 ,lee introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,bureau of the ,census to determine income and poverty levels in the ,united ,states in a manner that accounts for the receipt of ,federal benefits1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,poverty ,measurement ,improvement ,act4 #b4 ,improving the measurement of poverty in the ,united ,states 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,federal benefit ,the term ,federal benefit means a benefit1 refundable tax credit1 or other form of assistance provided under any of the following programs3 7,a7 ,earned ,income ,tax ,credit 7refundable portion74 7,b7 ,child ,tax ,credit 7refundable portion74 7,c7 ,supplemental ,security ,income4 7,d7 ,temporary ,assistance for ,needy ,families4 7,e7 ,title ,,iv-,e ,foster ,care4 7,f7 ,title ,,iv-,e ,adoption ,assistance4 7,g7 ,medicaid4 7,h7 ,,schip4 7,i7 ,indian ,health ,services4 7,j7 ,,ppaca refundable premium assistance and cost sharing tax credit4 7,k7 ,assets for ,independence program4 7,l7 ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,food ,program4 7,m7 ,school ,breakfast4 7,n7 ,school ,lunch4 7,o7 ,women1 ,infants1 and ,children 7,,wic7 ,food ,program4 7,p7 ,child and ,adult ,care ,food ,program4 7,q7 ,the ,food ,distribution ,program on ,indian ,reservations 7,,fdpir74 7,r7 ,nutrition ,program for the ,elderly4 7,s7 ,seniors ,farmers' ,market ,nutrition ,program4 7,t7 ,commodity ,supplemental ,food ,program4 7,u7 ,section #h ,housing4 7,v7 ,public ,housing4 7,w7 ,housing for ,persons with ,disabilities4 7,x7 ,home ,investment ,partnership ,program4 7,y7 ,rural ,housing ,service4 7,z7 ,rural ,housing ,insurance ,fund4 7,,aa7 ,low-,income ,home ,energy ,assistance ,program4 7,,bb7 ,universal ,service ,fund ,low ,income ,support ,mechanism 7subsidized phone services74 7,,cc7 ,pell ,grants4 7,,dd7 ,supplemental ,educational ,opportunity ,grants4 7,,ee7 ,american ,opportunity ,tax ,credit 7refundable portion74 7,,ff7 ,healthy ,start4 7,,gg7 ,job ,corps4 7,,hh7 ,head ,start 7including ,early ,head ,start74 7,,ii7 ,weatherization ,assistance4 7,,jj7 ,chafee ,foster ,care ,independence ,program4 7,,kk7 ,child ,care ,subsidies from the ,child ,care and ,development ,fund4 7,,ll7 ,child ,care from the ,temporary ,assistance for ,needy ,families ,block ,grant4 7,,mm7 ,emergency ,assistance to ,needy ,families with ,children4 7,,nn7 ,senior ,community ,service ,employment ,program4 7,,oo7 ,migrant and ,seasonal ,farm ,workers ,training ,program4 7,,pp7 ,indian and ,native ,american ,employment and ,training ,program4 7,,qq7 ,independent ,living ,education and ,training ,vouchers4 7#b7 ,resource unit ,the term resource unit means all co-resident individuals who are related by birth1 marriage1 or adoption1 plus any co-resident unrelated children1 foster children1 and unmarried partners and their relatives4 7#c7 ,earned income ,the term earned income means individual income from the following3 7,a7 ,earnings4 7,b7 ,interest4 7,c7 ,dividends4 7,d7 ,rents1 royalties1 and estates and trusts4 7,e7 ,the monetary value of employer-sponsored health insurance benefits4 7,f7 ,other forms of income1 as determined by the ,director4 7#d7 ,entitlement and other income ,the term entitlement and other income means income from the following3 7,a7 ,unemployment 7insurance7 compensation4 7,b7 ,workers' compensation4 7,c7 ,social ,security4 7,d7 ,veterans' payments and benefits4 7,e7 ,survivor benefits4 7,f7 ,disability benefits 7not including benefits under the ,supplemental ,security ,income program74 7,g7 ,pension or retirement income4 7,h7 ,alimony4 7,i7 ,child support4 7,j7 ,financial assistance from outside of the household4 7,k7 ,medicare4 7#e7 ,entitlement and earned unit income ,the term entitlement and earned unit income means the sum of all earned income and entitlement and other income4 7#f7 ,income tax data ,the term income tax data means return information1 as such term is defined under section #fajc7;b77#b7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf4 7#g7 ,administering agency ,the term administering agency means a ,state or ,federal agency responsible for administering a ,federal benefit4 7#h7 ,total resource unit income ,the term total resource unit income means1 with respect to a resource unit1 an amount equal to-- 7,a7 the sum of-- 7i7 all earned income attributable to members of the unit2 7ii7 all entitlement and other income attributable to members of the unit2 and 7iii7 an amount1 or cash equivalent1 of all ,federal benefits received by members of the unit2 minus 7,b7 all ,state and ,federal income and payroll taxes attributable to members of the unit4 7#i7 ,earned resource unit income ,the term earned resource unit income means1 with respect to a resource unit1 all earned income attributable to members of the unit4 7#aj7 ,personally identifiable information ,the term personally identifiable information means any information that identifies an individual or could reasonably be used to identify an individual that is-- 7,a7 collected pursuant to a survey conducted by the ,bureau of the ,census2 or 7,b7 disclosed to the ,bureau of the ,census by an administering agency for the purpose of carrying out subsection 7b74 7#aa7 ,director ,the term ,director means the ,director of the ,bureau of the ,census4 7b7 ,verification of data collected in the ,annual ,social and ,economic ,supplement to the ,current ,population ,survey 7#a7 ,in general ,beginning in fiscal year #bjba1 in order to more accurately determine the extent of poverty in the ,united ,states and the anti-poverty effectiveness of ,federal benefit programs1 the ,director shall supplement the data collected under the ,annual ,social and ,economic ,supplement to the ,current ,population ,survey with data from the appropriate administering agencies related to the following3 7,a7 ,participation in any ,federal benefit program and the monetary or cash equivalent value of such benefit for an individual1 where possible1 and otherwise for resource units or households4 7,b7 ,the total amount of earned income for individuals4 7,c7 ,the total amount of entitlement and other income for individuals4 7,d7 ,payment of income taxes and payroll taxes for individuals4 7,e7 ,total resource unit income4 7,f7 ,total earned resource unit income4 7#b7 ,administering agency data ,not later than #f months after receiving a request from the ,director1 the head of each administering agency shall make available to the ,director such data 7including income tax data7 as the ,director shall require for the purpose of carrying out this subsection and for the purposes outlined in section #f of title #ac1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#c7 ,publication of data 7,a7 ,rates and other data 7i7 ,report ,the ,director shall submit to ,congress1 not later than ,january #a1 #bjbc1 a report detailing the implementation of this ,act1 including-- 7,i7 the availability of related data2 7,,ii7 the quality of the data2 and 7,,iii7 the methodology proposed for assigning dollar values to the receipt of noncash ,federal benefits4 7ii7 ,tables and graphs ,the ,director shall produce tables and graphs showing for each year the poverty rates and related data calculated using data collected under paragraph 7#a71 including-- 7,i7 the total resource unit income for survey respondents2 7,,ii7 the total earned resource unit income for survey respondents2 7,,iii7 a breakdown of the amount of income taxes and payroll taxes attributable to survey respondents2 and 7,,iv7 for #bjbd and subsequent years1 poverty rates calculated using updated poverty thresholds as described in clause 7iii74 7iii7 ,updated poverty thresholds ,for #bjbd and subsequent years1 the ,director shall adjust the poverty thresholds used for determining poverty rates by using the personal consumption expenditure price index 7as published by the ,bureau of ,economic ,analysis74 7,b7 ,confidentiality ,consistent with the provisions of sections #h1 #i1 and #bc7;c7 of title #ac1 ,united ,states ,code1 the ,director shall ensure the confidentiality of information furnished to the ,director under this subsection4 7c7 ,protection and disclosure of personally identifiable information 7#a7 ,in general ,the security1 disclosure1 and confidentiality provisions set forth in sections #i and #bc of title #ac1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall apply to personally identifiable information obtained by the ,bureau of the ,census pursuant to this ,act4 7#b7 ,restricted access to personally identifiable information ,access to personally identifiable information collected to supplement the restricted-use ,current ,population ,survey ,annual ,social and ,economic ,supplements in accordance with subsection 7b77#a7 shall be available only to those who have access to the ,current ,population ,survey data with the permission of the ,bureau of the ,census and in accordance with any other applicable provision of law4 7#c7 ,penalties ,any individual who knowingly accesses or discloses personally identifiable information in violation of this section shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in an amount of not more than #cjj1jjj under title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 or imprisoned for not more than five years1 or both4 7d7 ,state reporting of ,federal data ,beginning with the first full calendar year that begins after the date of enactment of this ,act1 with respect to any ,federal benefit that is administered at the ,state level by a ,state administering agency1 such ,state administering agency shall submit each year to the ,federal administering agency responsible for administering the benefit at the ,federal level a report that identifies each resource unit that received such benefits during such year by the personally identifiable information of the head of the resource unit and the amount1 or cash equivalent1 of such benefit received by such resource unit4 #c4 ,commission on valuation of government benefits 7a7 ,establishment ,there is established within the ,united ,states ,census ,bureau a commission1 to be known as the ,commission on ,valuation of ,federal ,benefits 7referred to in this section as the ,commission74 7b7 ,composition 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall be composed of #h members1 of whom-- 7,a7 #b members shall be appointed by the majority leader of the ,senate2 7,b7 #b members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the ,senate2 7,c7 #b members shall be appointed by the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7,d7 #b members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,co-chairs ,of the members of the ,commission-- 7,a7 #a co-chair shall be designated by the majority leader of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 #a co-chair shall be designated by the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,qualifications ,each member appointed to the ,commission shall have experience in-- 7,a7 quantitative policy research2 and 7,b7 welfare or poverty studies4 7c7 ,initial meeting ,not later than #fj days after the date on which the last member is appointed under subsection 7b71 the ,commission shall hold an initial meeting4 7d7 ,quorum ,six members of the ,commission shall constitute a quorum4 7e7 ,no proxy voting ,proxy voting by members of the ,commission shall be prohibited4 7f7 ,staff ,the ,director of the ,census ,bureau shall appoint an executive director of the ,commission4 7g7 ,travel expenses ,members of the ,commission shall serve without pay1 but shall receive travel expenses in accordance with sections #egjb and #egjc of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7h7 ,duties of commission 7#a7 ,recommendations 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,commission shall produce recommendations for the valuation of ,federal benefits listed under section #b7;a77#a7 for the purpose of ,united ,states ,census ,bureau estimates of the ,federal ,poverty ,level1 including non-cash benefits4 7#b7 ,report 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #bgj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,commission shall submit to ,congress a report of the recommendations required under paragraph 7#a71 including a detailed statement of methodology and reasoning behind recommendations4 7,b7 ,public availability ,the report required by subparagraph 7,a7 shall be made available on an internet website of the ,united ,states ,government that is available to the public4 7i7 ,powers of commission ,on request by the executive director of the ,commission1 the head of a ,federal agency shall furnish information to the ,commission4 7j7 ,termination of commission ,the ,commission shall terminate #ij days after the date on which the ,commission submits the report under subsection 7h77#b74 7k7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated #a1jjj1jjj to carry out this section4 #d4 ,,gao reports on effect of supplementary data on calculation of poverty rates and related measures ,not later than ,january #a1 #bjbe1 and every #b years thereafter1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to ,congress a report that compares the poverty rates and related measures calculated under the ,annual ,social and ,economic ,supplement to the ,current ,population ,survey with the poverty rates and related measures calculated using the data collected under section #b7;b77#a74