S.2416: Economic Mobility, Prosperity, and Opportunity with Waivers that Enable Reforms for States Act of 2019
Overview
The EMPOWERS Act (S. 2416) would give states broad latitude to waive or alter key provisions in 25 federally-funded safety net programs. These programs currently provide over $150 billion in annual benefits and services to millions of low-income families. The proposed waivers in this bill would allow states to significantly cut public assistance programs, with the most vulnerable at the highest risk of being harmed. This could be done by states changing current eligibility standards for assistance programs or diverting federal dollars away from assistance programs and towards other areas of the state budget.