Summary:
many warnings about EBT payment scams and theft, alongside a proposal to improve security
state bills (and national) continue to propose work requirements and refuse additional SNAP funding for the summer
upcoming Farm Bill renewal is stalled by SNAP discussions and funding
National
Jobs and Opportunities for SNAP Act of 2023 proposed by Senator John Kennedy in the U.S. Senate. The companion U.S. House bill is here. The following is copied from the summary:
“This bill expands applicability of the work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). (SNAP recipients who are ABAWDs have work-related requirements in addition to the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.)
Specifically, this bill applies the work requirements for ABAWDs to adults who are not over 65 years old, whereas these requirements currently apply to adults who are not over 50 years old.
Further, the ABAWD exemption for a parent or household member with responsibility for a dependent child is restricted to a dependent child under the age of seven. Current law does not include an age for the child.
The bill repeals COVID-19 public health emergency waivers issued for ABAWD work requirements.
The bill also repeals an ABAWD waiver program that allows state exemptions based on an area (1) having an unemployment rate of over 10%, or (2) not having a sufficient number of jobs.
Under current law, a state agency may exempt up to 12% of SNAP recipients from the ABAWD work requirements for each fiscal year; unused exemptions may be carried over and used in a subsequent fiscal year. The bill reduces the percentage of exemptions a state agency may provide to up to 3% of SNAP recipients, and unused exemptions may not be carried over.”
New bill would require SNAP EBT cards to have microchips and other safeguards to combat ‘skimming’
DoorDash Expands Food Access for SNAP Customers With New Grocery Partners
Dollar stores are hitting hard times, faced with shoplifting and inflation-weary shoppers
Dollar stores are listed as Combination Grocery/Other store type, according to the USDA, for purposes of the SNAP program. The retailer management year end summary for fiscal year 2023 shows that redemptions at this store type account for nearly five and a half per cent of total redemptions. The total monetary amount of these redemptions fell about 10% from FY 2022 - a decrease in around $700 million.
We know how important nutrition is for health — it’s time to fortify the Farm Bill
“GusNIP provides cash incentives in the form of electronic reward cards, coupons or tokens to SNAP participants to purchase more fruits and vegetables. The program also supports American farmers by prioritizing direct-to-consumer sales and locally grown produce.”
“…the program currently reaches less than 1 percent enrolled in SNAP.”
Here’s the primary program pilot page from the USDA.
This is the primary article from December 2023 that the op-ed is based on (both are written by the same people).
This is an interesting contrast to proposals which would mandate that SNAP funds be used only on healthy foods.
Here’s an example project funded for $500,000 for an 18 month period of time. Five corner stores served 250 pre-selected SNAP enrolled families; qualifying purchases on fresh fruits and vegetables resulted in awards put on a loyalty card.
SNAP Benefits Receive a Lifeline
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the pilot proposal fails. It is interesting to see the language used by the Senator copying a lot of the phrases used from the FoodBankNews website.Children face hunger across Deep South after states refuse summer food aid
- Persuasive essay on stories from individuals affected by states refusing funding for the Summer EBT Program, which “was launched in pilot versions in 2011, expanded nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic and was made permanent by Congress in a spending bill adopted in December 2022….In total, $2.5 billion has been allocated for the program this year to feed the estimated 21 million children nationwide whose families qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school.” - Esther Schrader
Arizona
- Republican proposals would place more restrictions on SNAP benefits
- Much of the language, and commentary mirrors what we see in other states’ proposals.
California
USDA Announces Approval of D-SNAP for California Disaster Areas
- How often is D-SNAP approved? Are there any maps or timelines that show how often D-SNAP is available across the U.S.?
- Overpayment error?
Florida
Idaho
Statehouse roundup, 3.28.24: Senate rejects summer lunch program funding
“We’re sending the wrong message to parents and kids that we’re going to keep providing for everybody without needing something in return,” said Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins. “I believe that the message we need to be sending is we all need to work for what we get.”
From Sen. Carlson’s Ballotpedia entry, asking about her favorite book: “The Bible is my most read book. It is a timeless book that helps keep me grounded. It has every day application that is never outdated“
I’m sure, then, that she has memorized all of these quotes from the Bible about feeding the hungry.
Illinois
Kentucky
Ky. Senate committee rejects bill that would jeopardize some people’s SNAP benefits
- This is the Senate-version of the bill, and it appears the bill sponsor updated the bill to only limit the state agency’s ability to apply for a statewide waiver to work requirements.
Who should be on SNAP? An explainer on the discussion around HB 367
A locally-reported recap of some of the conversations that have been happening in Kentucky, especially those among the state legislators.
A quote from the bill’s sponsor (quoted from the article):
- “Other states have implemented these restrictions back to the federal level at no cost. We’ve actually seen some increased savings from that. Taxpayers in Arkansas saw $28 million in savings. Taxpayers in Mississippi saw $93 million in savings,” he reported. The representative added, “In addition to that, what some States saw in case studies is that people who got off to SNAP benefits actually doubled and tripled their income. That they were held back by restrictions on SNAP. So we actually saw more retail flow into the local economies from doing that.”
I did my best to track these studies down. I believe the Mississippi report was published by the Foundation for Government Accountability in 2019. For the Arkansas number, the report - same organization, same authors - is accessible here.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts residents with SNAP benefits can now use them at food trucks
- It appears the pilot program was initially proposed in 2022, and 27 restaurants and food trucks were accepted by June 2023. According to the Department of Transitional Assistance, only one food truck is currently open and accepting SNAP (with potentially 2 more coming soon). Including restaurants, 12 places (out of the original 27) are ready.
If the first linked article is right, and Massachusetts is the first state to expand SNAP to food trucks, then congratulations to Sabrosa Venezuela, the first food truck in the country that accepts SNAP benefits.
Michigan
How surviving on food stamps helped me lead Michigan’s unemployment system | Opinion
New Hampshire
NH is offering free job training to people receiving SNAP benefits
New York
- Great work by the NYC team to cut down on a backlog, plus a nice chart. I’m curious about how the decreasing backlog looks at other departments.
Minimum SNAP benefit at $100 a month?
- Full article here.
- $23 as the minimum for 1 to 2 person households.
- Full article here.
Ohio
‘A failure of government’: As food-stamp theft soars in Lorain, experts say urgent help is needed
Local story emphasizing the need for better cybersecurity for EBT payments.
The article notes that California is upgrading these cards to chip-based payments at its own cost.
Ohio refuses to, stating that improvements to a federal program should be paid for by the federal government, from the article.
Tennessee
SNAP benefits backlog continues to impact families who depend on the help across Tennessee
Texas
- SNAP Benefits Warning for Millions of Americans
- Common phone call scam.
South Carolina
Dillon Co. woman arrested for fraudulently claiming nearly $30K in SNAP benefits
Berkeley Co. woman charged with food stamp fraud
Wisconsin
USDA approves Wisconsin plan to provide summer food benefits for kids, families
- Probably the first of many for 2024, apart from the few states that decided not to apply.
Missed from February!
Expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill and Extension in 2024
- Congressional Research Service report on SNAP funding in the upcoming Farm Bill renewal. If the Farm Bill is delayed further, SNAP, TEFAP, and other programs can potentially continue through appropriations funding.
- “bills that would exempt annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) and student loan payments from impacting the benefits of the families and individuals who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food assistance.”