[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7451 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7451

  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

                           February 23, 2024

Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Bush, Ms. 
 Lee of California, and Ms. Schakowsky) 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 2024''.

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 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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