1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Economic Mobility, Prosperity, and Opportunity with Waivers that Enable Reforms for States Act of 2017 or the EMPOWERS Act of 2017 . 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) each State is in the best position to determine— (A) the specific needs of the population of the State; and (B) how those needs should be addressed; and (2) the purpose of expanding the use of State waivers in Federal antipoverty programs— (A) is not to cut the aggregate amount of Federal antipoverty spending; but (B) is to allow States the flexibility to improve the effectiveness of that spending. 3. Temporary waivers for Federal antipoverty programs (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Board The term Board means the Interagency Board for Empowering Low-Income Families established by subsection (b)(1). (2) Covered program The term covered program means— (A) in the case of nutrition programs— (i) the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); (ii) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 ( 42 U.S.C. 1786 ); (iii) the commodity supplemental food program established under section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 ( 7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86 ); (iv) the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program of the Department of Agriculture; (v) the emergency food assistance program established under the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 ( 7 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.); (vi) the congregate nutrition services program carried out under subpart 1 of part C of title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 ( 42 U.S.C. 3030e ); (vii) the home delivered nutrition services program carried out under subpart 2 of part C of title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 ( 42 U.S.C. 3030f et seq.)