Ending child poverty.

Bill Number

H.Res. 1319

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Social Welfare

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Last Updated

2026-06-02T12:06:06Z

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of H. Res. 1319: Ending Child Poverty

Purpose of the Legislation

This non-binding resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that no child in the United States should experience poverty. It calls for establishing a national child poverty reduction target to encourage investments and policy changes aimed at eliminating child poverty, while highlighting disparities in poverty rates and federal support for children.

Key Provisions Outlined

• Supports a national child poverty reduction target to build political momentum for new investments.
• Affirms that every child deserves access to nutritious meals, safe housing, health care, clean air and water, and other basics, without denial based on race, economic status, location, health, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status.
• Advocates making permanent the scale of 2021 expansions to the Child Tax Credit, which reduced child poverty and narrowed gaps for Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native children.
• Calls for increased federal investments in children, raising the share of federal spending on children beyond the 2025 level of 8.57 percent, and addressing budgetary disadvantages for child programs.
• Supports high-quality, affordable child care, pre-K, Head Start, and Early Head Start through mixed delivery systems.
• Guarantees equitable public education from pre-K through 12th grade, including protections and expansions for students with disabilities.
• Encourages states, territories, and localities to adopt policies aligned with these goals.

Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced

As a resolution rather than a bill, this measure does not amend statutes or create new legal requirements. Instead, it urges making permanent prior temporary expansions like those to the Child Tax Credit in 2021, increasing overall federal spending shares on children, and expanding eligibility and access to programs such as SNAP, TANF, rental assistance, and Head Start for currently underserved groups, including immigrant families and those in Puerto Rico and other territories.

Potential Impacts

• On government agencies: Could influence budgeting and program administration by agencies handling child tax credits, nutrition assistance, education, and child welfare, potentially leading to higher participation rates and reduced administrative barriers.
• On citizens: Aims to lower child poverty rates, improve health and educational outcomes, and reduce material hardships for families, with particular benefits for young children, those with disabilities, and groups facing higher poverty like Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native children.
• On international relations: Notes the U.S. child poverty rate exceeds that of other wealthy nations, potentially affecting perceptions of U.S. social policy but without direct international mandates.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Children and families living in poverty, especially those in deep poverty, immigrant households, territories like Puerto Rico, and racial/ethnic minorities experiencing rates roughly three times higher than White non-Hispanic children.
• Federal, state, and local agencies involved in child-related spending and programs.
• Child welfare systems, early childhood education providers, and public schools.
• Broader society, due to cited long-term costs from lost economic output and higher health care needs.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Politically, the resolution seeks to build support for expanded social investments, emphasizing returns on spending for children and linking poverty to issues like homelessness, food insecurity, and child welfare involvement.
• Constitutionally, it touches on equal access to federal benefits, addressing historical disparities for territories and immigrant families, but introduces no new legal challenges or mandates.
• Legally, it highlights underestimations in current poverty thresholds and calls for better reach of existing programs without altering their statutory frameworks.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]

Cosponsors (8)

Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24], Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]

Recent Actions

• 2026-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• 2026-05-21: Submitted in House

Bill Versions

• Ending child poverty. — issued 2026-05-21 — PDF (6 pages)