Govwatch

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9994 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9994

To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security to ensure that child 
 protective services systems do not permit the separation of children 
  from parents solely on the basis of poverty, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2026

    Ms. Moore of Wisconsin introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security to ensure that child 
 protective services systems do not permit the separation of children 
  from parents solely on the basis of poverty, 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 ``Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 422(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (18), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (19)(B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(20) provide assurances that--
                    ``(A) no child is separated from a parent or 
                guardian of the child solely on the basis of poverty; 
                and
                    ``(B) the State will develop or improve services 
                and benefits to keep families in poverty safely 
                together, such as through assistance with respect to 
                housing insecurity or unemployment of parents or 
                guardians in such families.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON CHILD POVERTY AND NEGLECT.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate a report on the following:
            (1) The effect of poverty with respect to--
                    (A) contacts with authorities related to child and 
                family services;
                    (B) investigations carried out related to the 
                welfare of a child;
                    (C) allegations of child neglect, abuse, or other 
                forms of maltreatment;
                    (D) temporary or permanent removals of a child from 
                the home, family, or household of the child;
                    (E) transient, temporary, or permanent placements 
                in foster care, kinship care, or other informal care 
                settings; and
                    (F) and other actions that affect the custody or 
                care of a child.
            (2) Recommendations for legislation to accurately gain 
        information related to paragraph (1).
            (3) Recommendations for legislation to help prevent a 
        family in poverty from experiencing the separation, whether 
        permanent or temporary, of a child from the family.
                                 <all>
Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act

Full Text
