PRINTER'S NO. 2917
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
384
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY KENYATTA, CEPHAS, GREEN, MAYES, CERRATO,
N. NELSON, GIRAL, SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, HANBIDGE, KHAN,
DELLOSO, PARKER, KINSEY, WAXMAN, CIRESI, KIM, KAZEEM, SCOTT
AND BOYD, APRIL 10, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, APRIL 10, 2024
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
study and issue a report on benefits cliffs in this
Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, A benefits cliff refers to a situation when public
benefits programs phase down or run out quickly for families as
household earnings increase; and
WHEREAS, Unfortunately, household earnings have typically not
increased enough for self-sufficiency to be reached, and
families may suffer an abrupt reduction or loss of some or all
of their benefits; and
WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, approximately 12% of residents
live in poverty, with 8% of those falling under the extreme
poverty rate; and
WHEREAS, Among households experiencing poverty, 27% of
working families are under 200% of the poverty line; and
WHEREAS, Individuals receiving multiple benefits may
experience multiple benefits cliffs due to the variance in
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income requirements by program; and
WHEREAS, Poverty affects rural, suburban and urban residents
alike, with individuals from each of these areas reporting
similar barriers to escaping poverty, including a lack of child-
care services, housing, food, transportation, adult education
and job opportunities that pay livable wages; and
WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, there are 165,000 Black or
African-American children living in families where neither
parent has full-time, year-round employment; and
WHEREAS, The barriers of escaping poverty entrap individuals
living in poverty and prevents them from improving their
circumstances; and
WHEREAS, Benefits cliffs negatively impact employers,
individuals receiving benefits and their families; and
WHEREAS, In the United States, the average minimum wage
worker would need to work about 86 hours per week in order to
afford a one-bedroom rental home; and
WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, roughly 403,600 residents are
paying more than 50% of income on housing; and
WHEREAS, Although 1.9 million residents in this Commonwealth
receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
benefits, approximately 10% of households still face food
insecurity; and
WHEREAS, The unavailability of quality, affordable child care
in this Commonwealth can leave families with a hard choice to
make, with the average annual cost of child care being $11,300;
and
WHEREAS, Children are the most likely of all populations to
live in poverty, with 17% of children in this Commonwealth
living in poverty; and
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WHEREAS, Several states, including Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and
organizations, including the National Conference of State
Legislatures and the Administration for Children and Families
within the United States Department of Health and Human
Services, are working to develop new solutions to address
benefits cliffs; and
WHEREAS, The two-generational approach of providing public
benefits to assist adults and children of low-income families is
being explored by other states as a preferred method for
reducing poverty and benefits cliffs; and
WHEREAS, In many instances, residents of this Commonwealth
living in poverty become constrained to a life of poverty due to
the "cliff effect," which perpetuates the poverty cycle, rather
than incentivizing individuals to become self-sufficient;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a
report on benefits cliffs in this Commonwealth; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the report include:
(1) The impact of benefits cliffs in this Commonwealth.
(2) Models for overcoming the cliff effect in this
Commonwealth, including successful programs implemented in
other states.
(3) Policies that would mitigate barriers to overcoming
poverty, such as child care, housing, food, health care and
transportation.
(4) Best practices for alleviating poverty and
addressing benefits cliffs in this Commonwealth, including
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two-generational approaches and strategies for incorporating
such approaches into current programming;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission issue a
report with its findings and recommendations no later than one
year after the adoption of this resolution to all of the
following:
(1) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
(2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(3) The Majority Leader of the Senate.
(4) The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(5) The Minority Leader of the Senate.
(6) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(7) The chair and minority chair of the Appropriations
Committee of the Senate.
(8) The chair and minority chair of the Appropriations
Committee of the House of Representatives.
(9) The chair and minority chair of the Health and Human
Services Committee of the Senate.
(10) The chair and minority chair of the Human Services
Committee of the House of Representatives.
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