What This Bill Does
This bill removes a work requirement rule that currently prevents certain adults without dependents from receiving SNAP benefits (food assistance). The bill makes amendments to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to delete the specific work requirement that makes able-bodied adults ineligible for this program. The bill also makes related changes to other federal laws that reference this work requirement.
Who It Affects
Able-bodied adults without dependents who currently must meet work requirements to receive SNAP benefits. States that administer SNAP programs. The federal government agencies that oversee SNAP and workforce programs.
Key Provisions
- The bill removes the work requirement language from Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 by striking subsection (o) and references to it in other subsections. (Sec. 3(a))
- The bill removes a provision that gave states additional funding if they ensured availability of work opportunities for SNAP recipients. (Sec. 3(b))
- The bill removes references to the work requirement from the Internal Revenue Code. (Sec. 4(a))
- The bill removes references to the work requirement from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. (Sec. 4(b))
What Changes
If enacted, able-bodied adults without dependents would no longer be disqualified from SNAP benefits due to failure to meet work requirements. The rules in multiple federal laws that currently reference this work requirement would be deleted.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
Effective Date
180 days after the date this bill becomes law, except that the amendments related to individuals hired would not apply to people hired within 90 days of the effective date. (Sec. 5)
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1510
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 9, 2023
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. DELBENE, Mr.
DESAULNIER, Mr. PANETTA, Ms. MENG, Ms. TITUS, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS,
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana,
Mr. SABLAN, Ms. CHU, Ms. SCANLON, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr.
BLUMENAUER, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. CLARKE of New
York, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Mr. COHEN, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. CARSON, Ms. MOORE
of Wisconsin, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. CASAR, Mr.
GOMEZ, Mr. CORREA, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms.
TOKUDA, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI,
Mr. PAYNE, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Ms. BONAMICI) 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
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•HR 1510 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to
2
Nutrition Act of 2023’’.
3
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
4
The Congress makes the following findings:
5
(1) 35 million people, including over 10 million
6
children, suffered from hunger even before the
7
COVID–19 pandemic.
8
(2) Analyses show that 50 million people, in-
9
cluding 17 million children, could go hungry due to
10
the effects of the COVID–19 pandemic.
11
(3) As of December 2020, food insecurity
12
among White households with children was 24.2 per-
13
cent, while 38.6 percent of Latinx and 40.6 percent
14
of African-American households with children suf-
15
fered from food insecurity.
16
(4) Black and Hispanic children were twice as
17
likely to live in households without enough to eat as
18
White children, entering this crisis at dispropor-
19
tionate risk of going hungry.
20
(5) Adults who identify as American Indian,
21
Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or
22
as multiracial, were twice as likely as White adults
23
to report that their household did not get enough to
24
eat. While official national data for Native American
25
households is lacking, previous research in Wash-
26
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•HR 1510 IH
ington State showed food insecurity among Native
1
households was 2.5 times higher than in White
2
households.
3
(6) The COVID–19 pandemic has deepened
4
longstanding racial disparities and food insecurity.
5
(7) SNAP is the Nation’s first line of defense
6
against hunger and is especially vital for vulnerable
7
populations. More than 85 percent of all SNAP ben-
8
efits go to households with children, seniors, and
9
persons with disabilities.
10
(8) SNAP helps restore access to healthy food,
11
improves overall health, and reduces poverty. SNAP
12
participation is also associated with educational ad-
13
vancement of children in poverty and improvements
14
in math and reading scores.
15
(9) SNAP has a proven record of effectiveness
16
in promoting food security and health as well as in
17
providing economic stimulus. Each $1 in SNAP ben-
18
efits during a downturn generates between $1.50
19
and $1.80 in economic activity.
20
(10) Studies have also demonstrated that work
21
requirements do not reduce poverty.
22
(11) About 6.1 million individuals are subject to
23
SNAP work requirements and are at risk of losing
24
critical food assistance if they cannot comply.
25
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•HR 1510 IH
(12) Some live in households with school-aged
1
children where benefit reductions or terminations
2
could jeopardize children’s health, development, and
3
future success.
4
(13) Children in poverty also often depend on
5
pooled resources (including SNAP benefits) from ex-
6
tended family members who do not claim them as
7
dependents.
8
(14) Studies show that health impediments are
9
a primary cause of why many SNAP recipients are
10
unable to meet a work requirement.
11
(15) Work requirements also cause an increase
12
in the administrative bureaucracy, which some stud-
13
ies have shown, cause a significant reduction in
14
SNAP participation.
15
(16) Studies show that Black Americans are
16
particularly vulnerable and are most likely to face
17
recent unemployment and work requirements would
18
disproportionately prevent Black people from having
19
access to this important benefit.
20
(17) Families experiencing homelessness are
21
most likely to leave programs like SNAP when there
22
is a work requirement, thereby increasing their vul-
23
nerability.
24
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•HR 1510 IH
(18) COVID–19 has made people more vulner-
1
able. A work requirement would serve to only further
2
burden those most at risk during the COVID–19
3
pandemic.
4
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS.
5
(a) WORK REQUIREMENT.—Section 6 of the Food
6
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is amended—
7
(1)
in
subsections
(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I)(bb),
8
(d)(4)(N)(iii)(I)(bb),
(d)(4)(N)(iv)(II),
and
9
(d)(4)(N)(v)(IV) by striking ‘‘or subsection (o)’’, and
10
(2) by striking subsection (o).
11
(b) ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS FOR STATES THAT
12
ENSURE AVAILABILITY OF WORK OPPORTUNITIES.—Sec-
13
tion 16(h)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
14
U.S.C. 2025(h)(1)) is amended by striking subparagraph
15
(E).
16
(c) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—
17
(1) Section 7(i)(1) of the Food and Nutrition
18
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(i)(1)) is amended by
19
striking ‘‘section 6(o)(2) of this Act or’’.
20
(2) Section 16(h) of the Food and Nutrition
21
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)) is amended—
22
(A) in paragraph (1)—
23
(i) in subparagraph (B)—
24
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•HR 1510 IH
(I) by striking ‘‘that—’’ and all
1
that follows through ‘‘(I)’’, and
2
(II) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and all
3
that follows through ‘‘6(o)’’, and
4
(ii)
in
subparagraph
5
(F)(ii)(III)(ee)(AA) by striking ‘‘, individ-
6
uals subject to the requirements under sec-
7
tion 6(o),’’, and
8
(B) in paragraph (5)(C)—
9
(i) in clause (ii) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at
10
the end, and
11
(ii) in clause (iii) by striking ‘‘; and’’
12
and all that follows through ‘‘appropriate’’.
13
SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
14
(a)
INTERNAL
REVENUE
CODE.—Section
15
51(d)(8)(A)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26
16
U.S.C. 51(d)(8)(A)(ii)) is amended—
17
(1) by striking ‘‘family—’’ and all that follows
18
through ‘‘(I)’’ and inserting ‘‘family’’, and
19
(2) by striking ‘‘, or’’ and all that follows
20
through ‘‘of 2008’’.
21
(b) WORKFORCE INNOVATION
AND OPPORTUNITY
22
ACT.—The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
23
(29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) is amended—
24
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•HR 1510 IH
(1) in section 103(a)(2) by striking subpara-
1
graph (D), and
2
(2) in section 121(b)(2)(B) by striking clause
3
(iv).
4
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.
5
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub-
6
section (b), this Act and the amendments made by this
7
Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment
8
of this Act.
9
(b) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.—
10
(1) The amendments made by section 2 shall
11
not apply with respect to an allotment issued under
12
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011
13
et seq.) before the effective date of this Act.
14
(2) The amendments made by section 3(a) shall
15
not apply to individuals hired before the expiration
16
of the 90-day period that begins on the effective
17
date of this Act.
18
Æ
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