On October 29, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill (as-yet-unnumbered) to reauthorize programs aimed at poverty reduction and prevention.
The Poverty Reduction and Prevention Act of 2003 would reauthorize the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and increase the maximum eligibility level for the program from 125 percent of the federal poverty level to 60 percent of the state median income. The measure also would increase authorized funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) from $2 billion to $3.4 billion.
The House Education and the Workforce Committee approved a bill (H.R. 3030) to reauthorize the CSBG on October 1 (see The Source, 10/3/03).
