Lawmakers float a nationwide basic income experiment that would cover the cost of a 2-bedroom apartment

""Events like the Coronavirus Pandemic, economic fluctuations, and increasing automation and job losses threaten to wipe out what little savings they have, to finally push them to homelessness, to reinforce the fact that in the wealthiest nation in the world, too many families are just a single mishap away from financial devastation," Watson Coleman said in a press release."

"According to the bill, which is co-sponsored by nine other lawmakers, the pilot program would involve 20,000 people between 18 and 65 years old. Of that group, 10,000 would receive monthly payments equal to the "fair market" rent on a two-bedroom home where they live, or a similar amount to be determined by Health and Human Services. The other half would be the control group."

"A guaranteed basic income is when the government distributes recurring and unrestricted payments to a certain demographic. It differs from a universal basic income, which would provide payments to an entire population. Many US cities have already experimented with guaranteed basic income programs to varying degrees of success."

New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman reintroduced the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act of 2025 to establish a three-year guaranteed basic income experiment. The pilot would enroll 20,000 people ages 18 to 65, randomly assigning 10,000 to receive monthly, unrestricted payments equal to the fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment where they live, while 10,000 would serve as a control group. The payments aim to shield recipients from pandemic shocks, economic fluctuations, automation-related job losses, and housing instability. The bill is co-sponsored by nine other lawmakers and distinguishes guaranteed basic income from universal basic income.

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