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ON MOBILE DEVICES
The Federal Poverty Guidelines Modernization Act
🗣️ Legislative Messaging Summary
Framing: This is a Cost of Living Floor ($3,000/month, not a ceiling).
Counter-Argument 1 (Moral/Societal): The cost of inaction is guaranteed generational failure and a $1 Trillion annual drain on the U.S. economy.
Counter-Argument 2 (Administrative/Efficiency): The bill reduces bureaucratic waste and unlocks billions in taxable earnings by using the 5% phase-down (generating revenue) and abolishing asset-tracking (saving administrative cost).
Counter-Argument 3 (Fiscal/ROI): This is an investment that yields a proven $7-to-$1 return by reducing societal costs related to crime, health, and reduced productivity.
📜 Complete Table of Contents
TITLE I: THE FEDERAL STABILITY BASELINE ACT
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.
TITLE I—FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
SEC. 102. PURPOSE.
TITLE II—ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL STABILITY BASELINE
SEC. 201. FEDERAL STABILITY BASELINE ($3,000/$5,000 FLOOR).
SEC. 202. UNIVERSAL APPLICABILITY.
TITLE III—THE SAFE HARBOR
SEC. 301. ZERO REDUCTION UP TO BASELINE.
SEC. 302. CONTINUOUS ELIGIBILITY.
TITLE IV—ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENFORCEMENT
SEC. 401. COMPLIANCE MANDATE.
SEC. 402. ENFORCEMENT—THE TITLE IV HAMMER.
SEC. 403. PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.
TITLE V—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SEC. 501. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
SEC. 502. SEVERABILITY.
TITLE II: THE WORKING FAMILIES DIGNITY ACT
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.
TITLE I—FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
SEC. 102. PURPOSE.
TITLE II—NATIONAL 5% PHASE-DOWN STANDARD
SEC. 201. FEDERAL PHASE-DOWN STANDARD.
SEC. 202. INCOME STABILITY REQUIREMENT.
SEC. 203. FEDERAL PREEMPTION.
TITLE III—ABOLITION OF ASSET LIMITS
SEC. 301. PROTECTED ASSETS ($100,000 SAFE HARBOR).
SEC. 302. SAFE CLIMB ASSET TRANSITION ZONE.
SEC. 303. ASSETS OVER $100,000.
SEC. 304. FEDERAL PREEMPTION.
TITLE IV—SAFE CLIMB TRANSITION ZONE
SEC. 401. AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT.
SEC. 402. DURATION OF PROTECTION (36 MONTHS).
SEC. 403. PROTECTIONS DURING THE TRANSITION ZONE.
SEC. 404. GRACEFUL EXIT AND RE-ENTRY.
TITLE V—GUARANTEED TOTAL INCOME FLOOR FOR DISABLED WORKERS
SEC. 501. TOTAL INCOME PROTECTION AND ELIMINATION OF LIMITS.
SEC. 502. NO LOSS OF BENEFITS.
TITLE VI—IMPLEMENTATION, FUNDING, AND STATE FLEXIBILITY
SEC. 601. EFFECTIVE DATES.
SEC. 602. FUNDING AND INCENTIVES.
SEC. 603. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
SEC. 604. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
SEC. 605. SEVERABILITY.
LEGISLATIVE TEXT
TITLE I: The Federal Stability Baseline Act
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Federal Stability Baseline Act of 2027”.
TITLE I—FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
SEC. 102. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a unified, inflation-adjusted, and universally protected economic floor that ensures all Americans can meet the minimum cost of living.
TITLE II—ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL STABILITY BASELINE
SEC. 201. FEDERAL STABILITY BASELINE.
(a) Establishment.—...a new Federal Stability Baseline (FSB) shall be established at $3,000 per month for individuals and $5,000 per month for households with two or more dependents.
SEC. 202. UNIVERSAL APPLICABILITY.
The FSB shall replace the Federal Poverty Level and all other similar thresholds... in determining eligibility for all federal and federally funded state means-tested programs...
TITLE III—THE SAFE HARBOR
SEC. 301. ZERO REDUCTION UP TO BASELINE.
No benefit may be reduced, suspended, or terminated while total income remains below the FSB.
TITLE IV—ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENFORCEMENT
SEC. 402. ENFORCEMENT—THE TITLE IV HAMMER.
(b) Penalty for Non-Compliance (Title IV Suspension).—The Secretary of Education shall suspend the entity's eligibility to participate in Title IV Federal student loan and grant programs...
TITLE V—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SEC. 502. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Act is held invalid, the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.
TITLE II: The Working Families Dignity Act
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Working Families Dignity Act of 2027”.
TITLE II—NATIONAL 5% PHASE-DOWN STANDARD
SEC. 201. FEDERAL PHASE-DOWN STANDARD.
(a) In General.—...no benefit may be reduced by more than 5 percent for every additional dollar of countable income above the program's baseline eligibility threshold.
TITLE III—ABOLITION OF ASSET LIMITS
SEC. 301. PROTECTED ASSETS.
...the first $50,000 in countable personal assets per individual (or $100,000 per household) shall be fully disregarded...
TITLE IV—SAFE CLIMB TRANSITION ZONE
SEC. 402. DURATION OF PROTECTION.
(b) Extended Period.—36 consecutive months for individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions.
TITLE V—GUARANTEED TOTAL INCOME FLOOR FOR DISABLED WORKERS
SEC. 501. TOTAL INCOME PROTECTION AND ELIMINATION OF LIMITS.
(a) Total Income Protection. For any individual receiving SSDI or SSI, no benefit, including cash benefits, Medicaid, SNAP, and Child Care Assistance, shall be reduced, suspended, or terminated if the individual’s Total Combined Income... is at or below the Federal Stability Baseline of $36,000 annually ($3,000 per month).
(b) Elimination of Existing Limits. The punitive Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit... and all other prior earnings tests for cash benefits, Medicaid, SNAP, and Child Care Assistance eligibility are hereby eliminated and replaced by the FSB as the sole earnings threshold.
TITLE VI—IMPLEMENTATION, FUNDING, AND STATE FLEXIBILITY
SEC. 605. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Act is held invalid, the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.