What This Bill Does
This bill changes work requirements for able-bodied adults in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food assistance to low-income Americans. The bill standardizes which adults must work or participate in work activities to receive benefits.
Who It Affects
Able-bodied adults enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. People who are exempt from work requirements (those under 18 or over 65, medically unfit, parents or caregivers of young children, pregnant women, or otherwise exempt under existing law).
Key Provisions
* Exempts individuals under 18 years old or over 65 years old from work requirements. (Sec. 2)
* Exempts individuals medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment from work requirements. (Sec. 2)
* Exempts parents or other household members with responsibility for a dependent child under 7 years old from work requirements. (Sec. 2)
* Exempts pregnant women from work requirements. (Sec. 2)
* Repeals a specific enforcement provision related to work requirements. (Sec. 3)
What Changes
The bill modifies which adults must meet work requirements to receive food assistance benefits. It changes the date reference for when certain work requirement exemptions began to be "before the date of the enactment of the America Works Act of 2023." (Sec. 4)
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1581
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to standardize work require-
ments for able-bodied adults enrolled in the supplemental nutrition assist-
ance program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 14, 2023
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota (for himself, Mr. ELLZEY, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr.
DAVIDSON, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. PFLUGER, Mrs.
CHAVEZ-DEREMER, Mr. BRECHEEN, Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia, Mr.
OGLES, Mr. FEENSTRA, Mr. NEHLS, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. ALFORD, Mr. MIL-
LER of Ohio, Mr. FALLON, Ms. FOXX, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. WALBERG,
Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. CLOUD, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. C. SCOTT FRANK-
LIN of Florida, and Mr. ROSENDALE) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to stand-
ardize work requirements for able-bodied adults enrolled
in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America Works Act
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of 2023’’.
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•HR 1581 IH
SEC. 2. AMENDING WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR ABLE-BOD-
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IED ADULTS IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRI-
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TION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
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Section 6(o)(3) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
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2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(3)) is amended to read as follows:
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‘‘(3) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (2) shall not
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apply to an individual if the individual is—
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‘‘(A) under 18 or over 65 years of age;
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‘‘(B) medically certified as physically or
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mentally unfit for employment;
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‘‘(C) a parent or other member of a house-
11
hold with responsibility for a dependent child
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under 7 years of age;
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‘‘(D) otherwise exempt under subsection
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(d)(2); or
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‘‘(E) a pregnant woman.’’.
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SEC. 3. STANDARDIZING ENFORCEMENT OF WORK RE-
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QUIREMENTS IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRI-
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TION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
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Section 6(o)(4)(A)(ii) of the Food and Nutrition Act
20
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(4)(A)(ii)) is repealed.
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SEC. 4. ADJUSTING WORK REQUIREMENT EXEMPTIONS IN
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THE
SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION
ASSIST-
23
ANCE PROGRAM.
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Section 6(o)(6) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
25
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(6)) is amended in subparagraph
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•HR 1581 IH
(G) by inserting ‘‘that begins before the date of the enact-
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ment of the America Works Act of 2023’’ after ‘‘year’’
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the second place it appears.
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Æ
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