SLC Times

Legislation aimed at reforming work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been introduced in Congress. Senator Mike Lee from Utah unveiled the SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act, which intends to reinforce work requirements for SNAP beneficiaries and address perceived issues of fraud and misuse. Representative Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma has also introduced a similar bill in the House of Representatives.

Senator Lee stated, “SNAP was designed to provide temporary relief to vulnerable people facing difficult times, not a permanent subsidy for able-bodied adults. Work requirements are widely supported by the American public, save taxpayer dollars, and will strengthen the program for families who really need it. Our legislation tackles fraud and abuse while promoting self-sufficiency, which should be the goal of all such programs.”

Representative Brecheen expressed concerns over the management of SNAP by the federal government, saying, “For decades, the federal government has grossly mismanaged SNAP, loosening eligibility requirements, allowing more recipients to be totally exempt from work requirements, and overseeing massive fraud and abuse. This has created a culture of dependency instead of opportunity. That’s why our office is introducing the SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act, a plan to tackle these problems by closing loopholes, expanding work requirements for able-bodied adults, enforcing federal accountability, and giving states more responsibility for program management. I’m grateful to work with Senator Lee to bring much-needed reform to SNAP. It’s time to return to commonsense policies that promote our American values of hard work and individual responsibility.”

The bill, which has several key components, proposes establishing a temporary bipartisan commission to improve income and poverty measurement with a budget of $1 million. It also aims to impose work requirements on individuals aged 16-64 and specific hour-based work requirements for those aged 18-64 with dependents over six years old. The bill seeks to close the geographic waiver loophole and reduce states' ability to exempt SNAP recipients from work requirements. Other measures include mandating a gradual increase in state-matching funds for SNAP benefits, closing the "broad-based categorical eligibility" loophole, and increasing penalties for unauthorized use of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.

Further provisions require states to cooperate with fraud investigations, enable married individuals with dependents to fulfill work requirements jointly, and mandate USDA reports on SNAP Employment and Training Program outcomes. The bill also proposes the reinstatement of annual SNAP State Activity Reports and allows states to retain funds collected from program fraud for prevention initiatives.

Readers interested in the details of the bill can find the one-pager and the bill text available for public review.