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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 28, 2024 01:01 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Malcolm Kenyatta and Rep. Morgan Cephas, Rep. G. Roni Green, Rep. La'Tasha D. Mayes |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Studying the Public Assistance Benefits Cliff |
| In Pennsylvania, approximately 12% of Pennsylvanians live in poverty, with 8% of Pennsylvanians falling under the extreme poverty rate. Poverty affects rural, suburban, and urban residents alike, with individuals from each of these areas reporting similar barriers to escaping poverty, including a lack of child-care services, housing, food, transportation, adult education, and job opportunities that pay livable wages. The “benefits cliff” refers to a situation when public benefits programs phase down or out quickly for families as household earnings increase. In many instances, Pennsylvanians living in poverty become constrained to a life of poverty due to the "cliff effect," which perpetuates the poverty cycle, rather than incentivizing individuals to become self-sufficient. For these reasons, we will be introducing a resolution that will direct the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a report on the impact of benefits cliffs in Pennsylvania. Please join us in co-sponsoring this important resolution that will work towards alleviating barriers in public assistance and help all Pennsylvanians achieve self-sufficiency. |
Introduced as HR384