Topic Descriptions
Administration and Councils
Legislation in this category addresses the administration and governance of state law and programs. This includes studies, work groups, commissions and other administrative changes.
Assets and Savings
Legislation in this category addresses assets and savings for low-income populations, including individual asset accounts, child savings accounts, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), universal savings accounts, homebuyer savings accounts and educational savings accounts.
Benefits Cliff
Legislation in this category addresses the cliff effect, which is when modest increases in income result in partial or complete loss of benefits leaving the individual or family financially worse off. This includes bills aimed at studying the cliff effect or preventing loss of benefits due to increased income or benefits.
Child and Dependent Tax Credits
Legislation in this category addresses Child and Dependent Tax Credits, including requirements, new credits, expanding credits and access to credits.
Credit, Lending and Banking
Legislation in this category addresses access to credit, lending, and banking, including cash advances, payday loans, predatory lending, credit reporting, usury (high-interest lending) and wealth building access to homeownership.
Cross-Systems Integration
Legislation in this category addresses integration and cooperation between state systems administering benefits.
Drug Testing
Legislation in this category addresses changes to drug testing requirements for those otherwise eligible to receive benefits.
Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC)
Legislation in this category addresses changes to Earned Income Tax Credits, including credit amounts, requirements and access to credits.
Electronics Benefits Transfer (EBT)
Legislation in this category addresses Electronic Benefit Transfer cards and other technological methods of distributing benefits such as direct deposit and smartphone applications.
Eligibility
Legislation in this category addresses eligibility requirements for public assistance programs, including income limits, asset limits, child caps, age, immigration status and other factors.
Emergency Response
Legislation in this category addresses economic mobility efforts in response to COVID-19 and other emergencies, such as natural disasters. This includes legislation related to stimulus payments and other forms of economic relief during times of emergency.
Equity and Economic Opportunity
Legislation in this category addresses economic mobility efforts targeted at certain demographics. This includes efforts to create economic equity between different races and genders, reparations for descendants of enslaved people, and efforts to increase racial equity in housing.
Family Formation/Structure
Legislation in this category addresses economic mobility through policies related to marriage, domestic partnerships, childbearing and child rearing. This includes premarital education, promoting abstinence, tax benefits and penalties, and other fiscal policies.
Financial Literacy
Legislation in this category addresses financial literacy resources or education for students, low-income families and/or incarcerated populations.
Fraud
Legislation in this category addresses fraud prevention and penalties for fraudulent use of public benefits.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Legislation in this category addresses changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including changes in benefit amounts and adjustments to eligibility requirements.
Supplemental Security Income
Legislation in this category addresses Supplemental Security Income, including changes in payment amounts and adjustments to eligibility requirements.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Legislation in this category addresses changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, including changes in payment amounts and adjustments to eligibility requirements.
Tax Credits and Deductions
Legislation in this category addresses changes to income taxes, deductions and credits as an effort to enhance economic mobility.
Time Limits
Legislation in this category addresses the changes to the amount of time someone is eligible to receive benefits.
Universal Basic Income
Legislation in this category addresses direct, unconditional cash payments. This includes cash assistance directed at specific populations such as former foster youth.
Workforce and Training Opportunities
Legislation in this category addresses the development of workforce and training opportunities as a strategy for improving economic mobility.
Other/Miscellaneous
Legislation in this category relates to economic mobility but does not fall under another definition on this page.