What This Bill Does
This bill changes the food assistance program rules to help families with children who have chronic medical conditions (long-lasting health issues). It allows these households to subtract certain medical expenses from their income when determining how much food assistance they qualify for. This could help more families get food assistance benefits.
Who It Affects
Households with children under 18 years old who have chronic medical conditions that meet specific criteria in the Social Security Act.
Key Provisions
• Households with eligible children can deduct medical expenses that exceed $35 per month from their income when applying for food assistance (Sec. 2)
• The deduction applies to children under 18 years of age who meet criteria described in the Social Security Act (Sec. 2)
• Rules for deducting medical expenses must be designed to minimize paperwork and burden for households choosing this deduction (Sec. 2)
What Changes
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 will be amended to include children with chronic medical conditions as eligible members for the medical expense deduction, alongside elderly and disabled household members.
Effective Date
October 1, 2023.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 706
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow households with
children with chronic medical conditions to deduct allowable medical
expenses incurred by such household member that exceeds $35 per
month.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 1, 2023
Ms. BROWN (for herself, Ms. KAPTUR, Mrs. HAYES, and Mr. BISHOP of Geor-
gia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow
households with children with chronic medical conditions
to deduct allowable medical expenses incurred by such
household member that exceeds $35 per month.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘SNAP Access for
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Medically Vulnerable Children Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 706 IH
SEC. 2. EXCESS MEDICAL EXPENSE DEDUCTION.
1
Section 5(e)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
2
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(5)) is amended—
3
(1) in subparagraph (A)—
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(A) by inserting ‘‘, or a member who is
5
under 18 years of age and meets one of the cri-
6
teria described in subclauses (I) through (III)
7
of section 1945(h)(1)(A)(ii) of the Social Secu-
8
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396w–4(h)(1)(A)(ii)),’’
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after ‘‘member’’ the 1st place it appears, and
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(B) by striking ‘‘elderly or disabled’’ the
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last place it appears and inserting ‘‘such’’, and
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(2) by amending subparagraph (B)(ii)(I) to
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read as follows:
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‘‘(I) be designed to minimize the
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burden for the eligible household
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choosing to deduct the recurrent med-
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ical expenses of the elderly or disabled
18
member, or of the member who is
19
under 18 years of age and meets one
20
of the criteria described in subclauses
21
(I)
through
(III)
of
section
22
1945(h)(1)(A)(ii) of the Social Secu-
23
rity
Act
(42
U.S.C.
1396w–
24
4(h)(1)(A)(ii)), pursuant to the meth-
25
od;’’.
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•HR 706 IH
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
1
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act,
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shall take effect on October 1, 2023.
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Æ
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