Mr. Ryan’s previous broad policy introductions outlined in his budgets have focused on deficit reduction, but he emphasized that this antipoverty proposal focused on overhauling, not curtailing, the safety net.

“It is important to note that this is not a budget-cutting exercise — this is a reform proposal,” the policy discussion draft said. “This proposal seeks to create the space and flexibility necessary for local, state and federal government to add value without making judgments about the right level of spending.”

If a state opted into the pilot program, it would have low-income residents meet with case managers who would create an “opportunity plan” offering both financial advice and coordinating the provisions of the several different programs they need. The residents would sign contracts with these case managers that would offer incentives to reach financial security and sanctions if they do not. A neutral agency would evaluate each provider’s success at moving poor Americans out of poverty.

“The point is, don’t just pass a law and hope for the best,” Mr. Ryan said. “If you’ve got an idea, let’s try it. Test it. See what works.”

The proposal also gives childless workers the chance to claim a larger earned-income tax credit, which grants a subsidy to low-income families with a working parent. The credit was greatly expanded during the 1990s when Republicans similarly homed in on poverty as a policy priority, but it recently fell out of favor with many conservatives. Mr. Ryan’s proposal recommends doubling the maximum tax credit for the childless poor and lowering the age of eligibility to 21 from 25.

President Obama and House Democrats have also signaled support for an expansion of the credit, and Democrats applauded Mr. Ryan’s plans to tackle recidivism. House Democrats were in general not so critical of the proposal, arguing instead that the messenger made the message far less credible.

“How do you seriously say you care about antipoverty when you’ve spent the last several years cutting the safety net?” Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, said in a conference call with reporters. “Our skepticism comes from the fact that the person who is saying all these nice things has voted in a way that has made life for poor people more difficult.”