[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 271 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 271

  To reauthorize the Assets for Independence Act, to provide for the 
 approval of applications to operate new demonstration programs and to 
renew existing programs, to enhance program flexibility, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2017

Mr. Lewis of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reauthorize the Assets for Independence Act, to provide for the 
 approval of applications to operate new demonstration programs and to 
renew existing programs, to enhance program flexibility, 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; REFERENCE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Stephanie Tubbs 
Jones Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act of 2017''.
    (b) Reference.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 
this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment to a 
section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 
made to that section or other provision of the Assets for Independence 
Act (42 U.S.C. 604 note).
    (c) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; reference; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. Applications.
Sec. 6. Demonstration authority; annual grants.
Sec. 7. Reserve Fund.
Sec. 8. Eligibility for participation.
Sec. 9. Deposits by qualified entities.
Sec. 10. Regulations.
Sec. 11. Annual progress reports.
Sec. 12. Sanctions.
Sec. 13. Evaluations.
Sec. 14. Costs of training qualified entities.
Sec. 15. Waiver authority.
Sec. 16. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 17. Conforming amendments.
Sec. 18. General effective date.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Section 402 is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Fully \1/2\'' and 
        inserting ``Almost \1/4\''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the first sentence and 
        inserting the following: ``Traditional public assistance 
        programs concentrate on income and consumption and have lacked 
        an asset-building component to promote and support the 
        transition to increased economic self-sufficiency.''.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that a qualified entity conducting a 
demonstration project under the Assets for Independence Act (42 U.S.C. 
604 note) should, to the maximum extent practicable, increase--
            (1) the rate at which the entity matches contributions by 
        individuals participating in the project under section 
        410(a)(1) of such Act; or
            (2) the number of individuals participating in the project.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 404 is amended--
            (1) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
            ``(4) Household.--The term `household' means an individual 
        or group of individuals who live in a single residence. 
        Multiple households may share a single residence.'';
            (2) in paragraph (5)(A)--
                    (A) by striking clause (iii);
                    (B) by redesignating clauses (iv) through (vi) as 
                clauses (iii) through (v), respectively; and
                    (C) in clause (iv), as redesignated by subparagraph 
                (B), by striking ``clause (vi)'' and inserting ``clause 
                (v)'';
            (3) in paragraph (7)(A)--
                    (A) by amending clause (ii) to read as follows:
                            ``(ii) a State or local government agency 
                        (or a public housing agency, as defined in 
                        section 3(b)(6) of the United States Housing 
                        Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(6))) or a 
                        tribal government (or a tribally designated 
                        housing entity, as defined in section 4(22) of 
                        the Native American Housing Assistance and 
                        Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
                        4103(22)));''; and
                    (B) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the 
                following:
                            ``(iii) a credit union designated as a low-
                        income credit union by the National Credit 
                        Union Administration (NCUA); or
                            ``(iv) an organization designated as a 
                        community development financial institution by 
                        the Secretary of the Treasury (or the Community 
                        Development Financial Institutions Fund).''; 
                        and
            (4) in paragraph (8)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in the first sentence--
                                    (I) by inserting ``of an eligible 
                                individual or the dependent of an 
                                eligible individual (as such term is 
                                used in subparagraph (E)(ii))'' after 
                                ``expenses''; and
                                    (II) by inserting ``, or to a 
                                vendor pursuant to an education 
                                purchase plan approved by a qualified 
                                entity'' before the period;
                            (ii) in clause (i)--
                                    (I) in subclause (II), by inserting 
                                ``or for courses described in subclause 
                                (III)'' after ``eligible educational 
                                institution''; and
                                    (II) by adding at the end the 
                                following new subclauses:
                                    ``(III) Preparatory courses.--
                                Preparatory courses for an examination 
                                required for admission to an eligible 
                                educational institution, for successful 
                                performance at an eligible educational 
                                institution, or for a professional 
                                licensing or certification examination.
                                    ``(IV) Room and board and 
                                transportation.--Room and board and 
                                transportation, including commuting 
                                expenses, necessary to enable 
                                attendance at courses of instruction at 
                                an eligible educational institution or 
                                attendance at courses described in 
                                subclause (III).'';
                            (iii) by amending clause (ii) to read as 
                        follows:
                            ``(ii) Eligible educational institution.--
                        The term `eligible educational institution' 
                        means--
                                    ``(I) an institution described in 
                                section 101 or 102 of the Higher 
                                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 
                                1002); or
                                    ``(II) an area career and technical 
                                education school, as defined in section 
                                3(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                                Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
                                U.S.C. 2302(3)).''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following new 
                        clause:
                            ``(iii) Education purchase plan.--The term 
                        `education purchase plan' means a plan--
                                    ``(I) for the purchase of items or 
                                services described in subclauses (II) 
                                through (IV) of clause (i) from 
                                entities other than eligible 
                                educational institutions;
                                    ``(II) that includes a description 
                                of the items or services to be 
                                purchased; and
                                    ``(III) that includes such 
                                information as a qualified entity may 
                                request from the eligible individual 
                                involved regarding the necessity of the 
                                items or services to a course of study 
                                at an eligible educational institution 
                                or a course described in clause 
                                (i)(III).'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by amending clause (i) to read as 
                        follows:
                            ``(i) Principal residence.--The term 
                        `principal residence' means a main residence 
                        the qualified acquisition costs of which do not 
                        exceed 120 percent of the median house price in 
                        the area, as determined by the Secretary of 
                        Housing and Urban Development for purposes of 
                        section 203(b) of the National Housing Act (12 
                        U.S.C. 1709(b)) for a residence occupied by a 
                        number of families that corresponds to the 
                        number of households occupying the residence 
                        involved.''; and
                            (ii) in clause (iii)--
                                    (I) by amending subclause (I) to 
                                read as follows:
                                    ``(I) In general.--Subject to 
                                subclause (II), the term `qualified 
                                first-time homebuyer' means an 
                                individual participating in the project 
                                involved who--
                                            ``(aa) has no sole present 
                                        ownership interest in a 
                                        principal residence during the 
                                        3-year period ending on the 
                                        date of acquisition of the 
                                        principal residence to which 
                                        this subparagraph applies 
                                        (except for an interest in such 
                                        principal residence); and
                                            ``(bb) has no co-ownership 
                                        interest in a principal 
                                        residence on the date of 
                                        acquisition of the principal 
                                        residence to which this 
                                        subparagraph applies (except 
                                        for an interest in such 
                                        principal residence).'';
                                    (II) by redesignating subclause 
                                (II) as subclause (III); and
                                    (III) by inserting after subclause 
                                (I) the following new subclause:
                                    ``(II) Exception for victims of 
                                domestic violence.--An individual 
                                participating in the project involved 
                                who is a recent or current victim of 
                                domestic violence (as defined in 
                                section 40002(a)(8) of the Violence 
                                Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 
                                13925(a)(8))) shall not be considered 
                                to fail to be a qualified first-time 
                                homebuyer by reason of having a co-
                                ownership interest in a principal 
                                residence with a person who committed 
                                domestic violence against the 
                                victim.'';
                    (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as 
                subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively;
                    (D) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the 
                following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Home replacement, repair, or improvement.--
                Qualified replacement costs or qualified repair or 
                improvement costs with respect to a principal 
                residence, if paid from an individual development 
                account directly to the persons to whom the amounts are 
                due. In this subparagraph:
                            ``(i) Principal residence.--The term 
                        `principal residence' means--
                                    ``(I) with respect to payment of 
                                qualified replacement costs, a main 
                                residence the qualified replacement 
                                costs of which do not exceed 120 
                                percent of the median house price in 
                                the area, as determined by the 
                                Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                                Development for purposes of section 
                                203(b) of the National Housing Act (12 
                                U.S.C. 1709(b)) for a residence 
                                occupied by a number of families that 
                                corresponds to the number of households 
                                occupying the residence involved; or
                                    ``(II) with respect to qualified 
                                repair or improvement costs, a main 
                                residence the value of which does not 
                                exceed, on the day before the 
                                commencement of the repairs or 
                                improvements, 120 percent of such 
                                median house price.
                            ``(ii) Qualified replacement costs.--The 
                        term `qualified replacement costs' means the 
                        costs (including any usual or reasonable 
                        settlement, financing, or other closing costs) 
                        of replacing--
                                    ``(I) a manufactured home that was 
                                manufactured, assembled, or imported 
                                for resale before the initial 
                                effectiveness of any Federal 
                                manufactured home construction and 
                                safety standards established pursuant 
                                to section 604 of the National 
                                Manufactured Housing Construction and 
                                Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
                                5403); or
                                    ``(II) a residence that fails to 
                                meet local building codes or is not 
                                legally habitable.
                            ``(iii) Qualified repair or improvement 
                        costs.--The term `qualified repair or 
                        improvement costs' means the costs of making 
                        repairs or improvements (including any usual or 
                        reasonable financing costs) that will enhance 
                        the habitability or long-term value of a 
                        residence.''; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(F) Qualified tuition programs.--Contributions 
                paid from an individual development account of an 
                eligible individual directly to a qualified tuition 
                program (as defined in subsection (b) of section 529 of 
                the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), for the purpose of 
                covering qualified higher education expenses (as 
                defined in subsection (e)(3) of such section) of a 
                dependent of such individual (as such term is used in 
                clause (ii) of subparagraph (E)).''.

SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.

    Section 405 is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(4), by adding at the end the 
        following: ``Such funds include funds received under the 
        Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.), 
        the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
        U.S.C. 450b et seq.), the Native American Housing Assistance 
        and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.), or 
        title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
        (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) (including Community Development Block 
        Grant Act funds and Indian Community Development Block Grant 
        Act funds), that are formally committed to the project.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) Applications for New Projects and Renewals of Existing 
Projects.--For project years beginning on or after the date of the 
enactment of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Assets for Independence 
Reauthorization Act of 2017, the preceding provisions of this section 
shall only apply as follows:
            ``(1) Announcement of procedures.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the date of the enactment of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
        Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act of 2017, the 
        Secretary shall publicly announce the procedures by which a 
        qualified entity may submit an application--
                    ``(A) to conduct a demonstration project under this 
                title; or
                    ``(B) for renewal of authority to conduct a 
                demonstration project under this title.
            ``(2) Approval.--The Secretary shall, on a competitive 
        basis, approve applications submitted pursuant to the 
        procedures announced under paragraph (1), taking into account 
        the assessments required by subsection (c) and giving special 
        consideration to the applications described in paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Special consideration.--The applications described in 
        this paragraph are the following:
                    ``(A) Applications submitted by qualified entities 
                proposing to conduct demonstration projects under this 
                title that will target the following populations:
                            ``(i) Individuals who are or have been in 
                        foster care.
                            ``(ii) Victims of domestic violence (as 
                        defined in section 40002(a)(8) of the Violence 
                        Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 
                        13925(a)(8))).
                            ``(iii) Victims of--
                                    ``(I) a major disaster declared to 
                                exist by the President under section 
                                401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
                                Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
                                U.S.C. 5170) or an emergency declared 
                                to exist by the President under section 
                                501 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5191); or
                                    ``(II) a situation similar to a 
                                major disaster or emergency described 
                                in subclause (I) declared to exist by 
                                the Governor of a State.
                            ``(iv) Formerly incarcerated individuals.
                            ``(v) Individuals who are unemployed or 
                        underemployed.
                    ``(B) Applications described in subsection (d).
            ``(4) Contracts with nonprofit entities.--Subsection (f) 
        shall continue to apply.
            ``(5) Grandfathering of existing statewide programs.--
        Subsection (g) shall continue to apply, except that any 
        reference in such subsection to the date of enactment of this 
        Act or to $1,000,000 shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
        date of the enactment of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Assets for 
        Independence Reauthorization Act of 2017 or to $250,000, 
        respectively.''.

SEC. 6. DEMONSTRATION AUTHORITY; ANNUAL GRANTS.

    Section 406(a) is amended by inserting ``(or, in the case of an 
application approved under section 405(h)(2), not later than 30 days 
after the date of the approval of such application)'' after ``the date 
of enactment of this title''.

SEC. 7. RESERVE FUND.

    Section 407(c) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by inserting ``or organizations'' 
        after ``organization''; and
            (2) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
            ``(3) Limitation on uses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Of the amount provided to a 
                qualified entity under section 406(b)--
                            ``(i) not more than 5.5 percent shall be 
                        used for the purpose described in subparagraph 
                        (A) of paragraph (1);
                            ``(ii) not less than 80 percent shall be 
                        used for the purpose described in subparagraph 
                        (B) of such paragraph; and
                            ``(iii) not more than 14.5 percent shall be 
                        used for the purposes described in 
                        subparagraphs (C) and (D) of such paragraph.
                    ``(B) Joint administration of project.--If two or 
                more qualified entities are jointly administering a 
                demonstration project, no one such entity shall use 
                more than its proportional share of the percentage 
                indicated in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph for the 
                purposes described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 
                paragraph (1).''.

SEC. 8. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION.

    Section 408 is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) Income tests.--The household meets either of the 
        following income tests:
                    ``(A) Adjusted gross income test.--The adjusted 
                gross income of the household for the last taxable year 
                ending in or with the preceding calendar year does not 
                exceed the greater of--
                            ``(i) 200 percent of the Federal poverty 
                        line, as defined in section 673(2) of the 
                        Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        9902(2)), including any revision required by 
                        such section, for a family composed of the 
                        number of persons in the household at the end 
                        of such taxable year; or
                            ``(ii) 80 percent of the median income for 
                        the area for such taxable year, as determined 
                        by the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                        Development for purposes of section 3(b)(2) of 
                        the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
                        U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2)), taking into account any 
                        family-size adjustment by the Secretary under 
                        such section that corresponds to the size of 
                        the household at the end of such taxable year.
                    ``(B) Modified adjusted gross income test.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The modified adjusted 
                        gross income of the household for the last 
                        taxable year ending in or with the preceding 
                        calendar year does not exceed the amount 
                        described in clause (ii) for the individual 
                        whose eligibility is being determined under 
                        this section.
                            ``(ii) Amount described.--The amount 
                        described in this clause for an individual is 
                        as follows:
                                    ``(I) Married filing jointly.--
                                $40,000 for an individual described in 
                                subsection (a)(1) of section 1 of the 
                                Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
                                    ``(II) Surviving spouse.--$40,000 
                                for an individual described in 
                                subsection (a)(2) of such section.
                                    ``(III) Head of household.--$30,000 
                                for an individual described in 
                                subsection (b) of such section.
                                    ``(IV) Single or married filing 
                                separately.--$20,000 for an individual 
                                described in subsection (c) or (d) of 
                                such section.
                            ``(iii) Adjustment for inflation.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--In the case of a 
                                calendar year described in clause (i) 
                                that is after 2018, the dollar amounts 
                                in clause (ii) shall be the dollar 
                                amounts determined under this clause 
                                (or clause (ii)) for the previous year 
                                increased by the annual percentage 
                                increase (if any) in the consumer price 
                                index (all items; U.S. city average) as 
                                of September of the calendar year 
                                described in clause (i).
                                    ``(II) Rounding.--Any dollar amount 
                                determined under subclause (I) that is 
                                not a multiple of $100 shall be rounded 
                                to the next greatest multiple of 
                                $100.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
                following new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) Adjustment for inflation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In the case of a 
                        calendar year described in subparagraph (A) 
                        that is after 2018, the dollar amount in such 
                        subparagraph shall be the dollar amount 
                        determined under this clause (or such 
                        subparagraph) for the previous year increased 
                        by the annual percentage increase (if any) in 
                        the consumer price index (all items; U.S. city 
                        average) as of September of the calendar year 
                        described in such subparagraph.
                            ``(ii) Rounding.--Any dollar amount 
                        determined under clause (i) that is not a 
                        multiple of $100 shall be rounded to the next 
                        greatest multiple of $100.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(b) Calculating Income of Household.--
            ``(1) Adjusted gross income.--For purposes of subsection 
        (a)(1)(A), the adjusted gross income of a household for a 
        taxable year is the sum of the adjusted gross incomes of the 
        individuals who are members of the household at the end of such 
        year.
            ``(2) Modified adjusted gross income.--For purposes of 
        subsection (a)(1)(B), the modified adjusted gross income of a 
        household for a taxable year is the sum of the modified 
        adjusted gross incomes of the individuals who are members of 
        the household at the end of such year.''; and
            (4) in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``, including'' and all that 
                follows and inserting a period;
                    (B) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraphs:
            ``(2) Individuals who move because of major disasters or 
        emergencies or to find employment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The regulations promulgated 
                under paragraph (1) shall establish procedures under 
                which an individual described in subparagraph (B) may 
                transfer from one demonstration project under this 
                title to another demonstration project under this title 
                that is being conducted in another community by a 
                qualified entity that agrees to accept the individual 
                into the project. Such regulations shall not permit 
                such a transfer unless such qualified entity has 
                sufficient amounts in its Reserve Fund to make the 
                deposits required by section 410 with respect to the 
                individual.
                    ``(B) Individual described.--An individual 
                described in this subparagraph is an individual 
                participating in a demonstration project under this 
                title who moves from the community in which the project 
                is being conducted--
                            ``(i) because of--
                                    ``(I) a major disaster declared to 
                                exist in such community by the 
                                President under section 401 of the 
                                Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
                                Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                5170) or an emergency declared to exist 
                                in such community by the President 
                                under section 501 of such Act (42 
                                U.S.C. 5191);
                                    ``(II) a situation similar to a 
                                major disaster or emergency described 
                                in subclause (I) declared to exist in 
                                such community by the Governor of a 
                                State; or
                                    ``(III) a qualifying life event 
                                experienced by such individual; or
                            ``(ii) in order to secure employment.
                    ``(C) Qualifying life event defined.--For purposes 
                of subparagraph (B)(i)(III), the term `qualifying life 
                event'--
                            ``(i) means an event determined by the 
                        Secretary to be similar to an event that would 
                        permit the individual to make an election 
                        change with respect to a cafeteria plan under 
                        section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
                        1986; and
                            ``(ii) includes--
                                    ``(I) a change in the legal marital 
                                status of the individual;
                                    ``(II) a change in the number of 
                                dependents of the individual (as such 
                                term is used in section 404(8)(E)(ii));
                                    ``(III) the birth or death of a 
                                child of the individual;
                                    ``(IV) the adoption or placement 
                                for adoption of a child by the 
                                individual;
                                    ``(V) a change in the provider of 
                                daycare for a child of the individual, 
                                or a significant increase in the cost 
                                of such daycare; and
                                    ``(VI) a change in employment 
                                status of the individual, the 
                                individual's spouse, or a dependent of 
                                the individual (as such term is used in 
                                section 404(8)(E)(ii)).
            ``(3) Relocation to community where no project is 
        available.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An individual described in 
                subparagraph (B) shall be permitted to withdraw funds 
                from the individual development account of the 
                individual during the 1-year period following the date 
                such individual moves to another community in the same 
                manner that an individual is permitted under section 
                410(d)(2) to withdraw funds during the 1-year period 
                following the end of a demonstration project.
                    ``(B) Individual described.--An individual 
                described in this subparagraph is an individual who--
                            ``(i) moves to a community where no 
                        demonstration project under this title is being 
                        conducted; or
                            ``(ii) after moving to another community 
                        and making such efforts as the Secretary may 
                        require to transfer to another demonstration 
                        project under this title, is, for any reason 
                        other than a violation of the requirements of 
                        this title or regulations promulgated by the 
                        Secretary under this title, not accepted into 
                        another demonstration project under this title.
                    ``(C) Funds remaining in ida.--Any funds remaining 
                in an individual development account after the end of 
                the 1-year period described in subparagraph (A) shall 
                be treated in the same manner as funds remaining in an 
                individual development account after the end of the 1-
                year period described in subsection (d)(2)(A) of 
                section 410 are treated under subsection (f) of such 
                section.
            ``(4) Relocation by other individuals.--The regulations 
        promulgated under paragraph (1) shall prohibit any individual 
        who is unable to continue participating in a demonstration 
        project under this title for any reason, except for an 
        individual described in paragraph (2)(B) or (3)(B), from being 
        eligible to participate in any other demonstration project 
        conducted under this title.''.

SEC. 9. DEPOSITS BY QUALIFIED ENTITIES.

    Section 410 is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``2 times'' after 
        ``an amount equal to'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``$2,000'' and inserting 
        ``$5,000'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by striking ``$4,000'' and inserting 
        ``$10,000'';
            (4) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Secretary shall'' and 
                inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), as amended by subparagraph 
                (A), by adding at the end the following: ``The 
                Secretary may waive the application of the preceding 
                sentence in the case of an individual who has 
                participated in another demonstration project under 
                this title (including successful completion after 
                transferring from one project to another project as 
                described in section 408(c)(2)) or an asset-building 
                project similar to the demonstration projects conducted 
                under this title.''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(2) Access for 1 year after end of project.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
                an eligible individual is able to withdraw funds from 
                an individual development account of the individual 
                during the 1-year period following the end of the 
                demonstration project with respect to which deposits 
                were made into such account (whether such project ends 
                by reason of expiration of the authority under section 
                406(a) of the qualified entity to conduct the 
                demonstration project, termination of such authority 
                under section 413 without transfer to another qualified 
                entity, or otherwise).
                    ``(B) Approval of withdrawals.--During the period 
                described in subparagraph (A), an eligible individual 
                may only make a withdrawal if the withdrawal is 
                approved in writing--
                            ``(i) by a responsible official of the 
                        qualified entity; or
                            ``(ii) by the Secretary, if the Secretary 
                        terminated the authority of the qualified 
                        entity to conduct the demonstration project 
                        under section 413 or the Secretary determines 
                        that the qualified entity is otherwise unable 
                        or unwilling to participate in the approval 
                        process.''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) Unused Funds in IDA.--If funds remain in an individual 
development account after the end of the 1-year period described in 
subsection (d)(2)(A), such funds shall be disposed of as considered 
appropriate by the Secretary or a nonprofit entity (as such term is 
used in section 404(7)(A)(i)) designated by the Secretary.''.

SEC. 10. REGULATIONS.

    Section 411 is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by inserting ``; regulations'' after 
        ``projects'';
            (2) by striking ``A qualified entity'' and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) Local Control Over Demonstration Projects.--A qualified 
entity''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Regulations.--Subject to subsection (a), not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act of 2017, the Secretary 
shall promulgate such regulations as the Secretary considers necessary 
to implement this title. The Secretary may provide that any such 
regulation takes effect on the date of promulgation, but the Secretary 
shall accept and consider public comments for 60 days after such 
date.''.

SEC. 11. ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 412(b) is amended by striking ``subsection 
(a) to'' and all that follows and inserting ``subsection (a) to the 
Secretary.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to reports submitted on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 12. SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 413 is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (b)(5) to read as follows:
            ``(5) if, by the end of the 90-day period beginning on the 
        date of the termination, the Secretary has not found a 
        qualified entity (or entities) described in paragraph (3), 
        shall--
                    ``(A) make every effort to identify, without 
                conducting a competition (unless the Secretary 
                determines that conducting a competition would be 
                feasible and appropriate), another qualified entity (or 
                entities), in the same or a different community, 
                willing and able to conduct one or more demonstration 
                projects under this title that may differ from the 
                project being terminated;
                    ``(B) in identifying a qualified entity (or 
                entities) under subparagraph (A), give priority to 
                qualified entities that--
                            ``(i) are participating in demonstration 
                        projects conducted under this title;
                            ``(ii) have waiting lists for participants 
                        in such demonstration projects; and
                            ``(iii) can demonstrate the availability of 
                        non-Federal funds described in section 
                        405(c)(4), in addition to any such funds 
                        committed to any demonstration projects being 
                        conducted by the qualified entity at the time 
                        the Secretary considers identifying the entity 
                        under subparagraph (A), to be committed to the 
                        demonstration project (or projects) described 
                        in subparagraph (A) as matching contributions; 
                        and
                    ``(C) if the Secretary identifies a qualified 
                entity (or entities) under subparagraph (A)--
                            ``(i) transfer to the entity (or entities) 
                        control over the Reserve Fund established 
                        pursuant to section 407 with respect to the 
                        project being terminated; and
                            ``(ii) authorize the entity (or entities) 
                        to use such Reserve Fund to conduct a 
                        demonstration project (or projects) in 
                        accordance with an application approved under 
                        subsection (e) or (h)(2) of section 405 and the 
                        requirements of this title.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Focus on Community of Terminated Project.--In identifying 
another qualified entity (or entities) under paragraph (3) or (5) of 
subsection (b), the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, select 
a qualified entity (or entities) in the community served by the 
demonstration project being terminated.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
        apply to terminations occurring on or after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
            (2) Discretionary application to previous terminations.--
        The Secretary of Health and Human Services may apply such 
        amendment to terminations occurring within the 1-year period 
        ending on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act. 
        In the case of such an application, any reference in such 
        amendment to the date of the termination is deemed a reference 
        to such date of enactment.

SEC. 13. EVALUATIONS.

    Section 414 is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may enter into one or more 
contracts with one or more independent research organizations to 
evaluate the demonstration projects conducted under this title, 
individually and as a group, including all qualified entities 
participating in and sources providing funds for the demonstration 
projects conducted under this title. Such contract or contracts may 
also provide for the evaluation of other asset-building programs and 
policies targeted to low-income individuals.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (3);
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``, and how such 
                effects vary among different populations or 
                communities'';
                    (C) by striking paragraphs (5) and (6); and
                    (D) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (7) as 
                paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and
            (3) in subsections (b) and (c), by inserting ``(or 
        organizations)'' after ``research organization'' each place it 
        appears.

SEC. 14. COSTS OF TRAINING QUALIFIED ENTITIES.

    The Assets for Independence Act (42 U.S.C. 604 note) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 416 as section 417; and
            (2) by inserting after section 415 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 416. COSTS OF TRAINING QUALIFIED ENTITIES.

    ``If the Secretary determines that a qualified entity conducting a 
demonstration project under this title should receive training in order 
to conduct the project in accordance with an application approved under 
subsection (e) or (h)(2) of section 405 or the requirements of this 
title, or to otherwise successfully conduct the project, the Secretary 
may use funds appropriated under section 418 to cover the necessary 
costs of such training, including the costs of travel, accommodations, 
and meals.''.

SEC. 15. WAIVER AUTHORITY.

    The Assets for Independence Act (42 U.S.C. 604 note) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 417, as redesignated by 
        section 14(1) of this Act, as section 418; and
            (2) by inserting after section 416 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 417. WAIVER AUTHORITY.

    ``In order to carry out the purposes of this title, the Secretary 
may waive any requirement of this title--
            ``(1) relating to--
                    ``(A) the definition of a qualified entity;
                    ``(B) the approval of a qualified entity to conduct 
                a demonstration project under this title or to receive 
                a grant under this title;
                    ``(C) eligibility criteria for individuals to 
                participate in a demonstration project under this 
                title;
                    ``(D) amounts or limitations with respect to--
                            ``(i) the matching by a qualified entity of 
                        amounts deposited by an eligible individual in 
                        the individual development account of the 
                        individual;
                            ``(ii) the amount of funds that may be 
                        granted to a qualified entity by the Secretary; 
                        or
                            ``(iii) uses by a qualified entity of the 
                        funds granted to the qualified entity by the 
                        Secretary; or
                    ``(E) the withdrawal of funds from an individual 
                development account only for qualified expenses or as 
                an emergency withdrawal; or
            ``(2) the waiver of which is necessary to--
                    ``(A) permit the Secretary to enter into an 
                agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security;
                    ``(B) allow individuals to be placed on a waiting 
                list to participate in a demonstration project under 
                this title; or
                    ``(C) allow demonstration projects under this title 
                to be targeted to populations described in section 
                405(h)(3)(A) and to successfully recruit individuals 
                from such populations for participation.''.

SEC. 16. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 418, as redesignated by section 15(1) of this Act, is 
amended by inserting after ``2003'' the following: ``and $75,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022''.

SEC. 17. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 414(e) is amended by striking ``section 
416'' and inserting ``section 418''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the 
Community Opportunities, Accountability, and Training and Educational 
Services Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-285) is amended as follows:
            (1) By striking the item relating to section 411 and 
        inserting the following new item:

``Sec. 411. Local control over demonstration projects; regulations.''.
            (2) By striking the items relating to sections 415 and 416 
        and inserting the following new items:

``Sec. 415. No reduction in benefits.
``Sec. 416. Costs of training qualified entities.
``Sec. 417. Waiver authority.
``Sec. 418. Authorization of appropriations.''.

SEC. 18. GENERAL EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by sections 4 through 9 of this Act shall apply 
to project years beginning on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
                                 <all>