Bill · S. 3756· Senate(119-S-3756)
Poverty Statistics Enhancement Act
- Introduced
- 2/2/2026
- Last activity
- 2/2/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- John Kennedy
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Poverty Statistics Enhancement Act requires the Bureau of the Census to implement a new methodology for measuring poverty. This new method must incorporate the distributional analysis of household income used by the Congressional Budget Office. The calculation will determine individual income by adding earned income and government transfer payments, then subtracting taxes paid. The Director of the Census is tasked with implementing this new approach within one year of the Act's enactment. Additionally, the bill mandates that Federal agencies provide necessary data to the Director to facilitate this process. The Act also requires the submission of detailed reports to Congress regarding the implementation and the resulting data comparisons.
Yes· 3 of 11
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+1
The bill improves how poverty and income inequality are measured for those receiving government transfers.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+1
The new methodology provides a more detailed statistical view of household income and tax impacts.
Would Black Americans be better off under this?+1
Improved poverty metrics can better capture the economic reality of marginalized groups.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Poverty Measurement Accuracy: The bill implements a new methodology that calculates income by summing earned income and government transfer payments and subtracting taxes (Section 3(a)(1)(B)). This is intended to provide a different way to measure poverty alongside existing official measures.
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Enhanced Data Access: Federal agencies are required to make data available to the Director of the Census upon request, provided it is permitted by law (Section 3(b)(1)). This can assist in the accurate carrying out of the new poverty measurement requirements.
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Data Quality Oversight: The Act requires the Director to submit a report to Congress that includes the availability and quality of data obtained from various agencies (Section 3(c)(1)).
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Protection of Privacy: The bill ensures that the security, disclosure, and confidentiality provisions of title 13, United States Code, apply to all personally identifiable information obtained under this Act (Section 3(d)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Criminal Penalties for Data Access: Individuals who knowingly access or disclose personally identifiable information in violation of this section face significant penalties, including fines of up to $300,000 and imprisonment for up to 5 years (Section 3(d)(3)).
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Privacy Restrictions: Access to certain personally identifiable information collected to supplement the Current Population Survey is restricted only to those with specific permissions and in accordance with Federal and State laws (Section 3(d)(2)).
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 African Americans+1Good For Asian Americans+1Good For Hispanic Americans+1Good For Low Income Households+1Good For Middle Class Households+1Good For Native Americans+1Good For White Americans+1
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+1Improves Privacy Rights+1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1Improves Racial Equity+1
- 2/2/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate