Bill Summary
The "Timely and Accurate Benefits Act" is a piece of legislation aimed at enhancing the verification process for income when individuals apply for certain federal benefit programs. Under this act, states must implement an Enhanced Income Identification and Verification Platform within one year of enactment to be eligible for federal funding for these programs.
The act defines "covered federal benefit programs" as any federal, state, or local program that determines eligibility or benefit amounts based on individual or household income. It establishes a comprehensive definition of "enhanced gross income," which includes various sources of income such as wages, unemployment benefits, Social Security payments, rental income, and more.
The Enhanced Income Identification and Verification Platform is required to use automated data matching and analytics to detect unreported or underreported income and ensure accuracy in income reporting. It will also facilitate the analysis of transaction data from applicants' bank accounts to verify income sources not captured by existing data sources, while allowing applicants to review and confirm the accuracy of this data. The goal of this legislation is to improve the accuracy and integrity of federal benefit disbursements.
Possible Impacts
The "Timely and Accurate Benefits Act" could affect people in the following ways:
1. **Increased Accuracy in Benefits Eligibility**: By implementing an Enhanced Income Identification and Verification Platform, the legislation aims to ensure that individuals receive the correct amount of benefits based on accurate income data. This could lead to a reduction in improper payments, which benefits both the government and individuals by ensuring that those in need receive appropriate assistance while preventing fraud.
2. **Greater Scrutiny of Income Sources**: The legislation's definition of "enhanced gross income" includes a wide range of income sources, from traditional wages to gig economy earnings and alimony. As a result, individuals may face more stringent verification processes when applying for benefits. This could make it more challenging for some applicants, especially those with non-traditional income streams, to qualify for aid, potentially leaving vulnerable populations without necessary support.
3. **Potential Privacy Concerns**: The requirement for states to access detailed financial data, including deposit account transaction data, may raise privacy concerns among individuals applying for benefits. Applicants may be apprehensive about sharing sensitive financial information, and there could be fears about data security and the potential misuse of their personal financial information in the verification process. This could lead to hesitance in applying for benefits by those who are eligible but concerned about privacy implications.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1807 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1807
To require an income identification and verification platform for
certain Federal benefit funds, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 19, 2025
Mr. Banks (for himself and Ms. Lummis) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require an income identification and verification platform for
certain Federal benefit funds, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Timely and Accurate Benefits Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS OF STATES; ENHANCED INCOME VERIFICATION PLATFORM
REQUIRED.
To be eligible to receive Federal funds for a covered Federal
benefit program, a State, not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, shall procure, contract, and use an Enhanced
Income Identification and Verification Platform.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Covered federal benefit program.--The term ``covered
Federal benefit program'' means any program administered by the
Federal government, or by a State or local government using
Federal funds, in which eligibility for benefits, or the amount
of benefits, is determined, in whole or in part, based on the
income of an individual or household.
(2) Enhanced gross income.--The term ``enhanced gross
income'' means--
(A) wages, salaries, tips included and not included
on pay stubs, and other compensation from all forms of
employment, including traditional W-2 employment not
provided by existing data sources, contract work, self-
employment, and participation in the gig economy;
(B) unemployment compensation;
(C) any benefits paid under the Old-Age and
Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance programs
and associated benefits under title II of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.);
(D) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits
paid under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1381 et seq.);
(E) interest and dividends;
(F) short-term and long-term rental income;
(G) royalties;
(H) child support and alimony payments received;
(I) cash assistance from government programs;
(J) regular or recurring gifts or contributions
from individuals or organizations;
(K) distributions from trusts or estates;
(L) any other source of income, whether taxable or
non-taxable, that is available to the individual or
household to meet their needs, as determined by the
Secretary of the Treasury; and
(M) other income identified and verified through
consumer-permissioned direct access to deposit account
transaction data.
(3) Enhanced income identification and verification
platform.--The term ``Enhanced Income Identification and
Verification Platform'' means--
(A) services incorporating automated, real-time
data matching and analytics to proactively identify and
verify potential instances of unreported or
underreported enhanced gross income, inconsistent
income reporting, or other indicators of potential
ineligibility or improper payments;
(B) receiving and analyzing applicant-permissioned
deposit account transactional data that identifies and
verifies sources of enhanced gross income not currently
obtained through existing data sources that provide for
payroll, new-hire and latent State and Federal tax
data, with the option for the claimant to review and
attest to the accuracy of the data; and
(C) the ability to identify and consolidate
overlapping data to avoid double-counting of financial
records.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States,
the District of Columbia, and each territory and possession of
the United States.
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