Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1753 To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to repeal the particular work requirement that disqualifies able-bodied adults for eligibility to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 10, 2021 Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. KILMER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. WELCH, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. STRICK- LAND, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. OMAR, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Ms. MENG) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to repeal the particular work requirement that disqualifies able- bodied adults for eligibility to participate in the supple- mental nutrition assistance program. 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. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to 4 Nutrition Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:40 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1753 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 The Congress makes the following findings: 2 (1) 35 million people, including over 10 million 3 children, suffered from hunger even before the 4 COVID-19 pandemic. 5 (2) Analyses show that 50 million people, in- 6 cluding 17 million children, could go hungry due to 7 the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 8 (3) As of December 2020, food insecurity 9 among White households with children was 24.2 per- 10 cent, while 38.6 percent of Latinx and 40.6 percent 11 of African-American households with children suf- 12 fered from food insecurity. 13 (4) Black and Hispanic children were twice as 14 likely to live in households without enough to eat as 15 White children, entering this crisis at dispropor- 16 tionate risk of going hungry. 17 (5) Adults who identify as American Indian, 18 Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or 19 as multiracial, were twice as likely as White adults 20 to report that their household did not get enough to 21 eat. While official national data for Native American 22 households is lacking, previous research in Wash- 23 ington State showed food insecurity among Native 24 households was 2.5 times higher than in White 25 households. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:24 May 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1753 IH (6) The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened 1 longstanding racial disparities and food insecurity. 2 (7) SNAP is the Nation’s first line of defense 3 against hunger and is especially vital for vulnerable 4 populations. More than 85 percent of all SNAP ben- 5 efits go to households with children, seniors, and 6 persons with disabilities. 7 (8) SNAP helps restore access to healthy food, 8 improves overall health, and reduces poverty. SNAP 9 participation is also associated with educational ad- 10 vancement of children in poverty and improvements 11 in math and reading scores. 12 (9) SNAP has a proven record of effectiveness 13 in promoting food security and health as well as in 14 providing economic stimulus. Each $1 in SNAP ben- 15 efits during a downturn generates between $1.50 16 and $1.80 in economic activity. 17 (10) Studies have also demonstrated that work 18 requirements do not reduce poverty. 19 (11) About 6.1 million individuals are subject to 20 SNAP work requirements and are at risk of losing 21 critical food assistance if they cannot comply. 22 (12) Some live in households with school-aged 23 children where benefit reductions or terminations 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:24 May 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1753 IH could jeopardize children’s health, development, and 1 future success. 2 (13) Children in poverty also often depend on 3 pooled resources (including SNAP benefits) from ex- 4 tended family members who do not claim them as 5 dependents. 6 (14) Studies show that health impediments are 7 a primary cause of why many SNAP recipients are 8 unable to meet a work requirement. 9 (15) Work requirements also cause an increase 10 in the administrative bureaucracy, which some stud- 11 ies have shown, cause a significant reduction in 12 SNAP participation. 13 (16) Studies show that Black Americans are 14 particularly vulnerable and are most likely to face 15 recent unemployment and work requirements would 16 disproportionately prevent Black people from having 17 access to this important benefit. 18 (17) Families experiencing homelessness are 19 most likely to leave programs like SNAP when there 20 is a work requirement, thereby increasing their vul- 21 nerability. 22 (18) COVID-19 has made people more vulner- 23 able. A work requirement would serve to only further 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:40 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1753 IH burden those most at risk during the COVID-19 1 pandemic. 2 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS. 3 (a) WORK REQUIREMENT.—Section 6 of the Food 4 and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is amended— 5 (1) in subsections (d)(4)(B)(ii)(I)(bb), 6 (d)(4)(N)(iii)(I)(bb), (d)(4)(N)(iv)(II), and 7 (d)(4)(N)(v)(IV) by striking ‘‘or subsection (o)’’, and 8 (2) by striking subsection (o). 9 (b) ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS FOR STATES THAT 10 ENSURE AVAILABILITY OF WORK OPPORTUNITIES.—Sec- 11 tion 16(h)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 12 U.S.C. 2025(h)(1)) is amended by striking subparagraph 13 (E). 14 (c) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.— 15 (1) Section 7(i)(1) of the Food and Nutrition 16 Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(i)(1)) is amended by 17 striking ‘‘section 6(o)(2) of this Act or’’. 18 (2) Section 16(h) of the Food and Nutrition 19 Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)) is amended— 20 (A) in paragraph (1)— 21 (i) in subparagraph (B)— 22 (I) by striking ‘‘that—’’ and all 23 that follows through ‘‘(I)’’, and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:40 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1753 IH (II) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and all 1 that follows through ‘‘6(o)’’, and 2 (ii) in subparagraph 3 (F)(ii)(III)(ee)(AA) by striking ‘‘, individ- 4 uals subject to the requirements under sec- 5 tion 6(o),’’, and 6 (B) in paragraph (5)(C)— 7 (i) in clause (ii) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at 8 the end, and 9 (ii) in clause (iii) by striking ‘‘; and’’ 10 and all that follows through ‘‘appropriate’’. 11 SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 12 (a) INTERNAL REVENUE CODE.—Section 13 51(d)(8)(A)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 14 U.S.C. 51(d)(8)(A)(ii)) is amended— 15 (1) by striking ‘‘family—’’ and all that follows 16 through ‘‘(I)’’ and inserting ‘‘family’’, and 17 (2) by striking ‘‘, or’’ and all that follows 18 through ‘‘of 2008’’. 19 (b) WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY 20 ACT.—The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 21 (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) is amended— 22 (1) in section 103(a)(2) by striking subpara- 23 graph (D), and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:40 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1753 IH (2) in section 121(b)(2)(B) by striking clause 1 (iv). 2 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS. 3 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub- 4 section (b), this Act and the amendments made by this 5 Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment 6 of this Act. 7 (b) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.— 8 (1) The amendments made by section 2 shall 9 not apply with respect to an allotment issued under 10 the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 11 et seq.) before the effective date of this Act. 12 (2) The amendments made by section 3(a) shall 13 not apply to individuals hired before the expiration 14 of the 90-day period that begins on the effective 15 date of this Act. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:40 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1753.IH H1753 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS