Economic Mobility, Prosperity, and Opportunity with Waivers that Enable Reforms for States Act of 2019 or the EMPOWERS Act of 2019
This bill establishes the Interagency Board for Empowering Low-Income Families and allows a governor to apply to the board for a four-year waiver from certain federal assistance program requirements. Specifically, under such a waiver, the governor's state may consolidate, replace, or alter eligibility requirements for two or more specified federal assistance programs related to nutrition, housing, income, foster care and adoption, and other social and community services. The board must evaluate waiver applications on the basis of whether a proposed project promotes employment, family stability, and financial literacy and savings with respect to program participants.
Additionally, the bill excludes specified provisions from waiver authority and sets certain limits with respect to project funding.