People CARE Act

This bill would set up a new commission to review federal programs that help low‑income people. It focuses on low‑income aid programs, not Social Security, Medicare, or certain veterans’ benefits. It aims to make the safety net easier to use, help families move into steady work, and raise incomes so people can leave government aid over time.

The commission would look across programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF and recommend ways to simplify or combine them where it makes sense. It would also look for fixes to “benefit cliffs,” so benefits taper off more slowly as wages rise. It wants caseworkers to be able to see all the help a person or family could receive. The public could send ideas through a website. Within 18 months of being fully appointed, the commission must publish a report with findings and a plan for changes, which may include a draft bill; it cannot propose brand‑new agencies unless they come from combining existing ones. The commission ends after it sends its plan and either its bill becomes law or that session of Congress ends.

• Who is affected: People and families using federal help for food, health care, housing, child care, education, job training, energy bills, and community development.
• What changes: Possible program mergers and simpler rules; some tasks could shift to states or private groups; benefits would phase out more gradually as pay rises; caseworkers would get better tools; a website would gather public ideas; no new agencies unless formed by merging existing ones.
• When: Report due within 18 months of all members being appointed; the commission then wraps up after its plan is acted on or the session ends.