WHEREAS, according to the Archbridge Institute, Utah ranks first among all states as having the best upward social mobility in the nation;WHEREAS, WalletHub consistently ranks Utah's economy as among the best in the nation;WHEREAS, Utah's economic strength and social capital foster an environment of opportunity that benefits families striving to escape poverty;WHEREAS, Utah's uniquely successful approach of integrated workforce and welfare programs has proven effective and prompted other states to petition Congress for the flexibility to replicate Utah's model;WHEREAS, the state of Utah has made concerted and significant efforts to identify and address instances of chronic or intergenerational poverty that still occur among Utah's citizens;WHEREAS, Utah's culture of continuous improvement has positioned Utah as a national leader in workforce and welfare policies that strengthen upward mobility for impoverished families;WHEREAS, independent research from Sutherland Institute identifies evidence of families receiving public assistance feeling disincentivized from pursuing or accepting opportunities to increase their earned income and improve their financial situation;WHEREAS, this research finds that 77% of respondents to a statewide survey of public assistance recipients report concern that earning additional income would result in a loss of benefits that would worsen their family's financial situation;WHEREAS, this research further finds that 62% of respondents report feeling stuck in a low-income job due to the belief that increased income would cause loss of benefits that would not be worth the additional income;WHEREAS, this research further finds that 43% of respondents report having intentionally limited their earned income due to fear of triggering a "benefits cliff" or "benefits plateau";WHEREAS, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta defines this phenomenon as a wage increase that "may result in a family being financially worse off (a benefits cliff) or no better off (a benefits plateau) than before the wage increase";WHEREAS, for families who strive to improve their economic conditions, benefits cliffs, benefits plateaus, and other disincentive effects have the potential to trap families in poverty by hindering workforce participation and disincentivizing financial stability;WHEREAS, some families participating in multiple social safety net programs may face confusion about differing eligibility rules and phaseouts, making financial planning more challenging;WHEREAS, the state of Utah is committed to finding innovative solutions to any disincentive effects to work, family formation, economic independence, or other opportunities that may be present in the social safety net; andWHEREAS, due to federal restrictions, states have limited authority to experiment with federally funded social safety net programs for the purpose of finding innovative reforms that can address benefits cliffs, benefits plateaus, perception gaps, or other obstacles to upward mobility experienced by families receiving public assistance:NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein, urges the President of the United States and Congress to grant additional flexibility and autonomy to states to experiment with innovative pilot programs and other reforms to improve social safety net programs by addressing any existing work disincentives in a way that protects budget neutrality, ensures fiscal responsibility, and seeks better outcomes.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge the President and Congress to expedite waiver approvals for states pursuing innovative pilot programs or other reforms to the social safety net.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge the President and Congress to pursue additional flexibility to the states in the form of block grants for a wider array of existing social safety net programs.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge the President and Congress to streamline and consolidate reporting requirements from the states to the federal government to save taxpayer dollars and yield efficiencies.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the President and Congress to embrace the principles of federalism to further empower states to be the laboratories of democracy and drive innovative reforms and improvements to our nation's social safety net.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the clerk of the Utah House of Representatives shall distribute copies of this resolution to Utah's congressional delegation.