By Zachary Tashman On Thursday, November 7th, the National Assembly hosted a Washington Policy Council to discuss strategies for ensuring a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census, particularly among young children. Deborah Stein, Network Director at Partnership for America’s Children, presented findings from the CountallKids campaign outlining  why so many young children are […]

By Zachary Tashman The SSI Program The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program was established in 1972 under Title 16 of the Social Security Act. The stated goal of SSI was to improve economic conditions for older adults and people with disabilities. The SSI program supplies monthly cash assistance for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. […]

On October 3rd, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a Proposed Rule on the Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances. The regulation would prevent states from establishing utility and housing allowances when determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This provision allows individuals and families who spend more than half their income […]

By Marie Camino Last month, the Department of Labor (DOL) published its final overtime rule , which revises provisions within the Fair Labor Standards Act that pertain to minimum wage and overtime pay exemptions for executive, administrative, and professional employees. The rule will raise the salary threshold for overtime exemptions from $455 weekly to $684 […]

By Marie Camino As Higher Education Act Reauthorization negotiations continue, The National Assembly continues to track its progress and prioritize the following issues. Maintain and Expand Pell Grants The Federal Pell Grant Program is the single largest source of grant aid for postsecondary education attendance funded by the federal government. The Federal Pell Grant Program provides […]