What This Bill Does
This bill changes rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program that gives money to low-income people to buy food. The bill makes work requirements apply to more people who receive SNAP benefits and removes certain exceptions that currently allow some adults to get benefits without working.
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Who It Affects
- Able-bodied adults without dependents receiving SNAP benefits
- Adults ages 18 to 65 who are not parents or caregivers
- People receiving SNAP from the federal government
- State agencies that run the SNAP program
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Key Provisions
- The bill eliminates a previous rule that temporarily stopped work requirements during the coronavirus pandemic (Sec. 2)
- Adults ages 18 to 65 must meet work requirements unless they are pregnant, medically unfit for work, caring for a child under 7, or fall under other existing exemptions (Sec. 3)
- The bill removes an existing enforcement rule for work requirements and replaces it with new enforcement standards (Sec. 4)
- The bill reduces from 12 percent to 3 percent the share of people in a state who can be exempt from work requirements (Sec. 5)
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What Changes
Work requirements for SNAP recipients become stricter. Fewer people will qualify for exemptions from having to work. A previous temporary rule that paused work requirements ends.
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Important Definitions
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A federal program providing food assistance to low-income people
- Able-bodied: Physically capable of working
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1550
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to restore and standardize
work requirements for able-bodied adults enrolled in the supplemental
nutrition assistance program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 10, 2023
Mr. LATURNER (for himself, Mr. JACKSON of Texas, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois,
and Mr. GUEST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to restore
and standardize work requirements for able-bodied adults
enrolled in the supplemental nutrition assistance pro-
gram.
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 ‘‘Jobs and Opportunities
4
for SNAP Act’’.
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•HR 1550 IH
SEC. 2. RESTORING THE WORK REQUIREMENT FOR ABLE-
1
BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS IN
2
THE
SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION
ASSIST-
3
ANCE PROGRAM.
4
Section 2301 of the Families First Coronavirus Re-
5
sponse Act (Public Law 116–127; 7 U.S.C. 2011 note)
6
is repealed.
7
SEC. 3. STANDARDIZING WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR ABLE-
8
BODIED ADULTS IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NU-
9
TRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
10
Section 6(o)(3) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
11
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(3)) is amended to read as follows:
12
‘‘(3) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (2) shall not
13
apply to an individual if the individual is—
14
‘‘(A) under 18 or over 65 years of age;
15
‘‘(B) medically certified as physically or
16
mentally unfit for employment;
17
‘‘(C) a parent or other member of a house-
18
hold with responsibility for a dependent child
19
under 7 years of age;
20
‘‘(D) otherwise exempt under subsection
21
(d)(2); or
22
‘‘(E) a pregnant woman.’’.
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•HR 1550 IH
SEC. 4. STANDARDIZING ENFORCEMENT OF WORK RE-
1
QUIREMENTS IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRI-
2
TION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
3
Section 6(o)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
4
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(4)) is repealed.
5
SEC. 5. REFORMING WORK REQUIREMENT EXEMPTIONS IN
6
THE
SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION
ASSIST-
7
ANCE PROGRAM.
8
Section 6(o)(6) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
9
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(6)) is amended—
10
(1) in subparagraph (E) by striking ‘‘12 per-
11
cent’’ and inserting ‘‘3 percent’’, and
12
(2) in subparagraph (G) by inserting ‘‘that be-
13
gins before the date of the enactment of the America
14
Works Act of 2023’’ after ‘‘year’’ the 2d place it ap-
15
pears.
16
SEC. 6. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
17
Section 16(h)(1))(E)(ii) of the Food and Nutrition
18
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)(1)(E)(ii) is amended—
19
(1) in subclause (II) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the
20
end,
21
(2) by striking subclause (III), and
22
(3) by redesignating subclause (IV) as sub-
23
clause (III).
24
Æ
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