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119-hr-6949119th CongressWALLET

Upward Mobility Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1]

In Committee

Summary

Consolidates federal antipoverty funding into state-run pilot grants to let States test whether bundling benefits and redesigning eligibility can reduce benefit cliffs and boost employment and stability. The pilots target housing, childcare, nutrition, energy, temporary cash, and workforce supports to promote upward mobility.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Agency transfers, continuity, and metrics

If enacted, the Office of Management and Budget could move certain program functions into the Administration for Children and Families and the Secretary could transfer staff, contracts, records, and unspent funds to run the pilots. The bill would keep existing administrative orders, grants, contracts, and pending cases in effect so services are not disrupted. The bill would also define how to count per-capita direct assistance (total direct benefit dollars divided by State population) and set a Marginal Effective Tax Rate definition to measure how much earned-income gains are offset by lost benefits and higher taxes for designing pilot benefit rules.

State Upward Mobility grants and funding

This bill would let up to five States run five-year pilots that combine specified federal antipoverty funds into a single Upward Mobility Grant. The first-year grant would equal what the State got last year in the listed covered amounts, adjusted by the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price change; later years would grow by the PCE change. A State doing a partial or limited pilot could choose to get 10%–100% of the full grant. Grants would be paid in four equal quarterly payments of 25% each. Agencies would also transfer administrative funding to pilot States based on the State's prior-year share of nonadministrative funds. Pilot States could request contingency or emergency funds (for example SNAP contingency, TANF 403(b), LIHEAP emergency funds, or emergency appropriations) during downturns, disasters, or emergencies as the relevant Secretary decides.

State waiver rules and applications

This bill would let an approved State ask the Secretary for waivers to change eligibility rules, program design, operations, or how pilot funds are used. States must request only the waivers they want in their application and include a plan for privacy, fraud prevention, work requirements, and an independent third-party evaluator. The bill would also list many protections that cannot be waived, such as civil rights, health and safety rules, labor standards, environmental protections, limits on benefits to noncitizens required by law, appropriations limits, maintenance-of-effort rules, and statutory sub-State distribution requirements.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1]

UT • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 1/21/2026

  • Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 1/22/2026

  • Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]

    WI • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15]

    OH • R

    Sponsored 9/8/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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