Washington, DC – Millions of Americans are struggling to afford basic needs like food, housing and health care, but they are prevented from accessing important resources because of the outdated way the federal government calculates eligibility for safety net programs. Today, Rep. Kevin Mullin (CA-15) and a group of bipartisan lawmakers reintroduced the Poverty Line Act to modernize this impactful calculation and account for regional cost of living differences across the country.
The method for calculating the Federal Poverty Line has not been updated in over 60 years. It is based only on the cost of food and does not factor in other household expenses like housing, health care, and utilities. Furthermore, while the cost of living varies across the United States, the Poverty Line is the same regardless of location, with the exception of slight differences in Alaska and Hawaii. In 2025, the Poverty Line is just $32,150 for family of four.
“If we really want to get serious about addressing poverty in America and if Congress truly cares about helping hardworking families, then we need to pass the Poverty Line Act. The current Federal Poverty Line is outdated and doesn’t take into account the fact that the cost of living can vary greatly throughout the country,” Rep. Mullin said. “Home prices, a gallon of milk, and child care costs fluctuates depending on where someone lives – the poverty line should reflect the realities of what families in America face.”
Modernizing the Federal Poverty Line is critical to helping millions of hard-working families who earn too little to make ends meet but for whom safety net programs have been out of reach. This bill would help those who are actually living in poverty and need access to Medicaid, food assistance, LIHEAP (heating assistance), and other critical support. Updating the federal calculation would also help low-income families achieve social and economic mobility.
“Whether you live in a red, blue or purple state, updating the Poverty Line to account for regional differences is a crucial step in helping families across America who are struggling with rising costs. I am excited to work with my colleagues across the aisle to advocate for this common-sense bill that will help hardworking Americans,” Rep. Mullin said.
Specifically, the Poverty Line Act would:
- Replace the outdated federal poverty line so that, for the first time, it is regionally adjusted and more accurately reflects the cost of living, including housing, food, clothing, phone, internet, health care, and child care costs;
- Prevent any individual from losing eligibility for a program based on the new calculation methodology if they were eligible under the old one;
- Ensure the poverty line is no lower than it is today anywhere in the country;
- Ensure that the new methodology is reviewed at least once every four years to determine whether it is still reflective of what households need to meet their basic needs and to identify additional changes needed in the future.
Since the Poverty Line Act was first introduced in the 118th Congress, the list of endorsements has grown to more than 50 organizations, including Children’s Defense Fund, Feeding America, Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, and United Way Worldwide, as well a range of state-based groups from across the U.S., including in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas. The New Jersey State Legislature passed a resolution in 2024 urging Congress to pass Mullin’s Poverty Line Act,and it has been endorsed by the Congressional Dads Caucus. The full list of endorsements is below.
“United Way Worldwide is proud to again support the Poverty Line Act,” said Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide. “Every day the working poor struggle to maintain access to basic needs like housing, food, and utilities. Too often individuals are forced to make the difficult decision of whether to pay electric bills, buy groceries, or pick up medication. This bill helps to ensure people, especially working families who are struggling, have access to critical programs that provide the necessary short- and long-term support and stability they need. We are pleased to join Rep. Mullin and many others in this effort to modernize the formula for calculating the federal poverty line.”
“We are encouraged by the reintroduction of the Poverty Line Act and urge Congress to advance this critical legislation,” said Children’s Defense Fund President and CEO Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson. “An estimated 11 million children in America are experiencing poverty and do not have the financial support they need to thrive. The way we define poverty shapes the resources available to our nation’s young people, yet the federal poverty measure has remained unchanged for nearly 60 years, even as the cost of living has soared. As a result, countless young families in need have been left unseen and unsupported. It’s time to update this outdated measure and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.”
“The federal poverty measure has been outdated for decades, preventing many needy families from accessing critical benefits,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. “Food banks witness this regularly when people unable to meet basic needs show up in our lines, but do not qualify for federal assistance programs like SNAP. As the cost of essentials like housing, healthcare, and food continue to increase, we need a formula that more accurately captures the true cost of living in the U.S. and takes into account regional differences. Every person deserves to live with dignity, be able to put food on the table and pay the rent, and save for a better future — updating the federal poverty measure is a step in the right direction.”
“Florida Impact supports Rep. Mullin’s Poverty Line Act again. Expanding the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) isn’t just a policy shift—it’s a crucial step toward helping families move beyond poverty,” said Kim M. Johnson, President and CEO of Florida Impact to End Hunger. “Through our work connecting individuals to federal nutrition programs across the state, we see firsthand the daily struggles of hardworking people trying to provide for their families. It’s unacceptable that so many are forced to choose between basic necessities like food, rent, and medicine. No one should have to make that choice. A more accurate reflection of financial hardship will ensure that families on the brink receive the support they need to build a more stable future.”
The Poverty Line Act is co-sponsored by Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At large), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Sarah McBride (DE-At large).
The bill has been endorsed by (in alphabetical order): Alliance for a Just Society, California Association of Food Banks, Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, Child Welfare League of America, Children’s Defense Fund, Community Change Action, Covenant House International and Covenant House California, Economic Security Project Action, End Child Poverty in California (GRACE), End Poverty in California, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Feeding America, Feeding Texas, First Focus Campaign for Children, Florida Impact to End Hunger, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Illinois Hunger Coalition, Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy (The New School), Liberation in a Generation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute , National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Association for State Community Services Programs, National Association of Social Workers, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, The Primary School, National Education Association, National Employment Law Project , National Network for Youth, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Peninsula Family Service, PolicyLink, Samaritan House, SchoolHouse Connection, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Food Bank, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Sojourners-SojoAction, Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, Tennessee Justice Center, UnidosUS, United Way Worldwide, and Western Center on Law & Poverty.
A copy of the bill text can be found here.
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