H.R. 150 — People CARE Act

This section states the purposes of the Act, which are to (1) integrate means-tested welfare programs to provide social workers tools for holistic assistance; (2) streamline such programs to enable individuals to transition off benefits through increased self-earned income over time; and (3) promote employment, healthy families, and educational attainment so households achieve income above the poverty level without federal services or benefits.

This section defines "means-tested welfare program" for purposes of the Act as any federal program designed to provide assistance or benefits exclusively to low-income Americans (excluding programs based on earned eligibility, non-need-based programs, Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, or those offering universal or near-universal eligibility to the working population and dependents), including community and economic development programs targeted to low-income communities or populations. Subsection (b) specifies that the definition includes programs in six categories: (1) cash and general assistance (e.g., Supplemental Security Income, earned income tax credit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families); (2) medical (e.g., Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, premium tax credits under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act); (3) food (e.g., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, school lunch and breakfast programs, WIC); (4) housing (e.g., Section 8 rental assistance, public housing, Section 202 supportive housing for the elderly under 12 U.S.C. 1701q, Section 811 supportive housing for persons with disabilities); (5) energy and utilities (e.g., Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, weatherization assistance); and (6) education (e.g., Pell Grants, Title I grants, TRIO programs).

This section establishes in the legislative branch the People-Centered Assistance Reform Effort Commission (CARE Commission) composed of 8 members appointed equally by the Senate majority and minority leaders and the House Speaker and minority leader (2 each), with no appointees registered as lobbyists in the prior 5 years, appointments due within 1 month of enactment, and a chairperson selected by members. The Commission must (1) review all federal means-tested welfare programs to identify legal changes for efficiency, consolidations, repurposing low-performing programs, privatization or state delegation, conversion to discretionary funding, caseworker tools, benefit cliff reductions (e.g., gradual phaseouts), and other reforms achieving purposes in section 2; (2) develop program effectiveness criteria including income and employment outcomes; (3) consult restructuring experts and form employee/contractor working groups; (4) within 18 months of full appointment (upon majority vote), submit to Congress and publicly release a report with findings, a "Commission bill" of legislative language for reforms (barring new programs unless consolidations), and outlay savings estimates from the Congressional Budget Office and Office of Management and Budget; and (5) provide supporting information to Members of Congress upon request.

This section establishes expedited procedures for introduction and consideration of the Commission bill in the Senate and House of Representatives. In both chambers, the bill must be introduced by leadership (or designee) within 5 legislative days of submission under section 4(b)(4), placed immediately on the calendar, and eligible for a motion to proceed within 90 legislative days, with all points of order against the motion waived and no debate permitted on the motion. In the House, consideration is limited to 10 hours of equally divided debate, with no amendments in order, the bill considered as read, and passage requiring a majority of Members present and voting, a quorum being present; in the Senate, consideration is limited to 30 hours of equally divided debate, with no amendments, motions to postpone, or commit in order, and passage likewise requiring a majority vote immediately following debate. The section further coordinates procedures between chambers by directing each to vote on the version received from the other house (bypassing committee referral), applies these procedures to a bill from one chamber if the other fails to act, and entitles companion measures to the same treatment.