SNAP Reform Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3428 To strengthen the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) categor- ical eligibility for applicants who already receive supplemental assistance elsewhere and for those with assets high enough to not require assistance, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 20, 2021 Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. HERN, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. PERRY, and Mr. ROUZER) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris- diction of the committee concerned A BILL To strengthen the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) categorical eligibility for applicants who already receive supplemental assistance elsewhere and for those with assets high enough to not require assistance, and for other purposes. 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 ‘‘SNAP Reform Act 4 of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3428 IH SEC. 2. UPDATE TO CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY. 1 Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 2 U.S.C. 2014) is amended— 3 (1) in the 2d sentence of subsection (a)— 4 (A) by striking ‘‘receives benefits’’ and in- 5 serting ‘‘(1) receives cash assistance (not less 6 than $150 a month for an extended period)’’, 7 (B) by striking ‘‘supplemental security’’ 8 and inserting ‘‘with an income eligibility limit of 9 not more than 130 percent of the poverty line 10 as defined in section 5(c)(1), (2) is elderly or 11 disabled and receives cash assistance or ongoing 12 and subtantial services under a State program 13 funded under part A of title IV of the Social 14 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) with an 15 income eligibility limit of not more than 200 16 percent of the poverty line as defined in section 17 5(c)(1), (3) receives supplemental security’’, 18 and 19 (C) by striking ‘‘or aid’’ and inserting ‘‘or 20 (4) receives aid’’, and 21 (2) in subsection (j)— 22 (A) by striking ‘‘or who receives benefits’’ 23 and inserting ‘‘cash assistance (not less than 24 $150 a month for an extended period)’’, and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3428 IH (B) by striking ‘‘to have’’ and inserting 1 ‘‘with an income eligibility limit of not more 2 than 130 percent of the poverty line as defined 3 in section 5(c)(1), or who is elderly or disabled 4 and receives cash assistance or ongoing and 5 substantial services under a State program 6 funded under part A of title IV of the Act (42 7 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) with an income eligibility 8 limit of not more than 200 percent of the pov- 9 erty line as defined in section 5(c)(1), to have’’. 10 SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF STANDARD UTILITY ALLOWANCES 11 BASED ON RECEIPT OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE. 12 Section 5(k)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 13 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(k)(4)) is amended— 14 (1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘without 15 an elderly member’’ after ‘‘household’’ the 1st place 16 it appears, and 17 (2) in subparagraph (B) by inserting ‘‘with an 18 elderly member’’ after ‘‘household’’ the 1st place it 19 appears. 20 SEC. 4. ADJUSTMENT TO ASSET LIMITATIONS. 21 Section 5(g)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 22 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(g)(1)) is amended— 23 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3428 IH (A) by striking ‘‘$2,000’’ and inserting 1 ‘‘$7,000’’, and 2 (B) by striking ‘‘$3,000’’ and inserting 3 ‘‘$12,000’’, and— 4 (2) in subparagraph (B)(i) by striking ‘‘2019’’ 5 and inserting ‘‘2022’’. 6 SEC. 5. ADJUSTMENTS FOR INFLATION; UPDATED VEHICLE 7 ALLOWANCE. 8 Section 5(g) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 9 (7 U.S.C. 2014(g)) is amended— 10 (1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i)— 11 (A) by striking ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Begin- 12 ning’’ and inserting the following: 13 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.— 14 ‘‘(I) Beginning’’, and 15 (B) by adding at the end the following: 16 ‘‘(II) Beginning on October 1, 17 2021, and each October 1 thereafter, 18 the amount specified in paragraph 19 (2)(B)(iv) shall be adjusted in the 20 manner described in subclause (I).’’, 21 and 22 (2) in paragraph (2)— 23 (A) by amending subparagraph (B)— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3428 IH (i) by amending clause (iv) to read as 1 follows: 2 ‘‘(iv) subject to subparagraph (C), 3 with respect to any licensed vehicle that is 4 used for household transportation or to ob- 5 tain or continue employment— 6 ‘‘(I) 1 vehicle for each licensed 7 driver who is a member of such house- 8 hold; and 9 ‘‘(II) each additional vehicle; 10 and’’, and 11 (ii) in clause (v) by inserting ‘‘to the 12 extend such value exceeds $7,500’’ after 13 ‘‘account’’, and 14 (B) by striking subparagraph (D). 15 SEC. 6. SAVINGS EXCLUDED FROM ASSETS. 16 Section 5(g) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 17 (7 U.S.C. 2014(g)), as amended by section 5, is amend- 18 ed— 19 (1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i) by adding at the end 20 the following: 21 ‘‘(III) Beginning on October 1, 22 2021, and each October 1 thereafter, 23 the amount specified in paragraph 24 (2)(B)(v) shall be adjusted in the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 3428 IH manner described in subclause (I).’’, 1 and 2 (2) in paragraph (2)(B)(v) by inserting ‘‘to the 3 extent that the value exceeds $7,500’’ after ‘‘ac- 4 count’’. 5 SEC. 7. ALLOWANCE TO RECIPIENTS OF ENERGY ASSIST- 6 ANCE. 7 (a) STANDARD UTILITY ALLOWANCE.—Section 8 5(e)(6)(C)(iv)(I) of the of the Food and Nutrition Act of 9 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(6)(C)(iv)(I)) is amended by in- 10 serting ‘‘with an elderly member’’ after ‘‘households’’. 11 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 12 2605(f)(2)(A) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assist- 13 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 8624(f)(2)(A)) is amended by insert- 14 ing ‘‘received by a household with an elderly member’’ be- 15 fore ‘‘, consistent with section 5(e)(6)(C)(iv)(I)’’. 16 SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 17 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub- 18 section (b), this Act and the amendments made by this 19 Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enact- 20 ment of this Act. 21 (b) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.—The amend- 22 ments made by this Act shall apply with respect to certifi- 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 3428 IH cation periods that begin after the effective date of this 1 Act. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3428.IH H3428 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS