McDermott, DelBene Introduce Bill to Fix Critical Oversight in SNAP Program

Press Release

Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) yesterday introduced legislation that would prevent an estimated 1 million Americans from losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits next year due to a policy oversight in the SNAP work requirement. The SNAP Work Opportunity Act (H.R. 1025) would ensure that residents in states that cannot find a job and are not offered a spot in a job training or workfare program will not lose their SNAP eligibility.

"The SNAP work requirement was established on the assumption that anyone who couldn't find a jobshould participate in a job training or workfare program," said Congressman McDermott. "Unfortunately, when Congress passed the SNAP work requirement they did not require states to offer SNAP recipients the opportunity to participate in a job training program. Congresswoman DelBene and I introduced this commonsense legislation to fix this problem and prevent nearly 1 million people from experiencing a serious disruption in their much needed benefits. Those who need this crucial safety net should not be penalized because their state does not offer the programs they need."

"We know firsthand in Washington state that when the opportunity to participate in a job training program is presented, the results overwhelmingly lead to economic self-sufficiency. However, these opportunities aren't always available to those who need them," Congresswoman DelBene said. "With so many still struggling to find a job, we must ensure that SNAP participants do not lose their benefits. The SNAP Work Opportunity Act would help nearly 1 million people who are actively looking for work to receive the modest benefits they need to feed their families."

As part of welfare reform in 1996, Congress passed a provision that prevents SNAP recipients who are able to work from receiving more than 3 months of benefits unless they are working or enrolled in a state job training or workfare program. However, Congress did not require that states offer their unemployed citizens an opportunity to participate in a job training or workfare program. While many states may have qualifying programs, only five states (Colorado, Delaware, South Dakota and Wisconsin) guarantee a spot to adults that are subject to the work requirement. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, nearly 1 million Americans could lose their SNAP eligibility in 2016 due to their inability to access job training and workfare programs.

The SNAP Work Opportunity Act seeks to prevent this disruption in benefits by providing an exemption to the three (3) month limit under the work requirement for adults in states that do not guarantee spots in job training or workfare programs. With this fix, those who are looking for work will not be penalized because their state doesn't have the resources to offer job training or workfare programs.

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