H.R. 3243, The Poverty Measurement Improvement Act

• This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.

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H.R. 3243 would direct the Bureau of the Census to publish improved annual measures of family income for use in more accurately determining the extent of poverty in the United States and the anti-poverty effectiveness of means-tested benefit and tax programs.

Detailed Summary

Poverty Measurement Improvement Act - Requires the Bureau of the Census to publish, annually, statistics on levels of family income in the United States in order to more accurately determine the extent of poverty and the antipoverty effectiveness of means-tested benefit and tax programs.

Requires such statistics to be based on the following measures of income: (1) full benefits poverty income (equal to the sum of partial benefits poverty income and noncash benefits attributable to the members of a household); and (2) full benefits and taxes poverty income (equal to full benefits poverty income increased by state and federal earned income tax credits, refundable child credits, and any other refundable tax credit and decreased by state and federal income and payroll taxes attributable to the members of a household).

Requires the Bureau to use such measures to produce corresponding tables and graphs showing for each year: (1) the partial benefits poverty rate; (2) the full benefits poverty rate; and (3) the full benefits and taxes poverty rate.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 9/7/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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