Bill · H.R. 9994· House(119-HR-9994)
Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act
- Introduced
- 7/30/2026
- Last activity
- 7/30/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Sponsored by
- Gwen Moore
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act," aims to amend the Social Security Act. It seeks to ensure that child protective services do not separate children from their parents or guardians strictly because of poverty. The legislation requires states to provide assurances that such separations will not occur solely due to financial status. Additionally, states must work on improving services and benefits to keep families together safely. Finally, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must submit a report to Congress regarding the effects of poverty on child welfare and custody.
Yes· 3 of 7
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+8
The bill specifically protects low-income families from losing custody due to their financial status.
Would children be better off under this?+7
The bill protects children from being separated from their families due to financial circumstances.
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+5
By prohibiting separation based solely on poverty, it protects the parental rights of low-income families.
The opposite
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-2
The bill imposes new federal requirements and mandates on state-run child protective services.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Prevention of Unjust Separations: The bill requires assurances that no child is separated from a parent or guardian solely because of poverty (Section 2, paragraph 20, sub-paragraph A). This could prevent families from being broken up due to financial hardship.
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Increased Family Stability: States would be required to develop or improve services and benefits, such as assistance with housing insecurity or unemployment, to keep families in poverty together safely (Section 2, paragraph 20, sub-paragraph B).
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Improved Data and Recommendations: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must provide a report that includes recommendations for legislation to help prevent families in poverty from experiencing the separation of a child from the family (Section 3).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+8Good For Children+7
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+5Improves Government Transparency+4Increases Federal Power+3Increase States Rights-2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+5Reduces Homelessness+3
- 7/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Introduced in House