A Republican bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Upward Mobility Act of 2026 establishes a pilot program that allows up to five States to receive Upward Mobility Grants. These grants enable States to consolidate various antipoverty program funds to carry out specific pilot projects. The program aims to reduce benefit cliffs and improve employment outcomes, such as increased earnings and job retention. States can apply for these grants to implement new benefit structures and service delivery methods. The pilot projects are intended to run for a single period of five years.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +5
Is this likely to lift people out of poverty?
The bill creates a grant program specifically designed to achieve antipoverty objectives and increase earnings.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill's primary purpose is to promote upward mobility and increase earnings for those in antipoverty programs.
- Scored +3
Does this make child care cost less?
The bill includes provisions for increasing the affordability of child care through pilot projects.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Streamlined Service Delivery: The bill aims to achieve goals by streamlining service delivery and reducing inconsistent eligibility requirements and benefit cliffs through pilot projects (Section 2(b)(1)(A)).
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Improved Employment and Earnings: The program promotes upward mobility by seeking improved employment outcomes, including increased employment and earnings among participants (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Reduced Benefit Cliffs: The Act provides for benefit structures that limit Marginal Effective Tax Rates, which can help prevent individuals from losing more in benefits than they gain in wages (Section 2(b)(2)(A)).
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Increased Access to Essentials: Pilot projects can focus on increasing levels of employment, skills acquisition, housing affordability, access to nutrition, reduced home energy costs, and affordable child care (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Loss of Access to Traditional Funding: During a pilot project, a State is not eligible to receive Federal funding for antipoverty programs outside of the pilot project (Section 2(e)(4)(A)(i)).
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Restrictions on Additional Benefits: Individuals receiving per-capita direct assistance through a pilot project are not eligible for additional benefits under those antipoverty programs outside of the pilot project (Section 2(e)(4)(A)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill creates a grant program specifically designed to achieve antipoverty objectives and increase earnings. Does this make housing cost less? — The bill enables pilot projects to focus on increasing housing affordability. Does this make child care cost less? — The bill includes provisions for increasing the affordability of child care through pilot projects.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill's primary purpose is to promote upward mobility and increase earnings for those in antipoverty programs. Would children be better off under this? — The bill facilitates affordable child care and improved family stability through antipoverty programs. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill aims to reduce the impact of marginal effective tax rates on earnings increases.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill aims to increase employment levels among participants in the pilot projects. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill seeks to promote upward mobility and increased earnings through streamlined service delivery.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires independent third-party evaluations and public notice of grant applications.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Is this likely to lower the price at the pump? — The bill includes reducing home energy costs as a potential objective of the pilot projects.
- 6/3/2026
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
- 1/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/8/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Joni ErnstRepublican · Iowa
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana