On September 19, the House approved, 217-210, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act (H.R. 3102). The measure would reauthorize the domestic food assistance programs that had been stripped from the original version of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R. 1947), also known as the Farm Bill. On July 11, the House approved H.R. 2647, the pared down version of the Farm Bill that reauthorized the farm and agriculture programs, as well as international food assistance programs, administered by the Department of Agriculture (see The Source, 7/12/13).
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), would reauthorize nutrition programs, primarily the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program, for three years. The Senate version of the bill (S. 954) and previous versions of the House bill would reauthorize the program for five years.
The measure would cut funding for domestic food programs, primarily SNAP, by an estimated $39 billion over ten years through changes to eligibility requirements and restrictions to state waivers of work requirements. Among other provisions, the bill would permit states to apply federal work requirements to SNAP recipients. Federal work requirements, such as those under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), are more stringent than those under SNAP.
The measure would prevent states from waiving work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. States could exempt up to 15 percent of the total number of able-bodied adults without dependents based upon hardship or lack of jobs in the area. Such individuals would be limited to three months of benefits in a three-year period, unless they worked, trained for work at least 20 hours per week, or qualified for other exemptions. States also would be given incentives to opt into employment and training programs.
Under current law, many states permit households that receive TANF, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or other state-administered assistance programs to qualify automatically for SNAP benefits. H.R. 3102 would limit eligibility for SNAP benefits to households that receive actual cash payments from these programs. Receipt of non-cash benefits would not trigger eligibility; recipients who currently receive SNAP this way would otherwise have to meet SNAP eligibility requirements.
Individuals convicted of serious crimes, such as murder, rape, or pedophilia, would be prohibited from receiving SNAP benefits. States also would be permitted to require drug testing as a condition of receipt of benefits. Individuals with “substantial” lottery winnings, as well as students enrolled in traditional four-year colleges and universities, would be prohibited from receiving benefits.
Households that receive payments through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) currently qualify for the SNAP Standard Utility Allowance (SUA). H.R. 3102 would require households to receive at least $20 in LIHEAP payments in order to trigger the SUA deduction, which can increase a household’s monthly SNAP benefit.
