Jobs and Opportunities for SNAP Act

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Jobs and Opportunities for SNAP Act 2. Restoring the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents in the supplemental nutrition assistance program Section 2301 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ( Public Law 116–127 7 U.S.C. 2011 3. Standardizing work requirements for able-bodied adults in the supplemental nutrition assistance program Section 6(o)(3) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(3) (3) Exception Paragraph (2) shall not apply to an individual if the individual is— (A) under 18 or over 65 years of age; (B) medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment; (C) a parent or other member of a household with responsibility for a dependent child under 7 years of age; (D) otherwise exempt under subsection (d)(2); or (E) a pregnant woman. . 4. Standardizing enforcement of work requirements in the supplemental nutrition assistance program Section 6(o)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(4) 5. Reforming work requirement exemptions in the supplemental nutrition assistance program Section 6(o)(6) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(6) (1) in subparagraph (E) by striking 12 percent 3 percent (2) in subparagraph (G) by inserting that begins before the date of the enactment of the America Works Act of 2023 year 6. Conforming amendments Section 16(h)(1))(E)(ii) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2025(h)(1)(E)(ii) (1) in subclause (II) by adding and (2) by striking subclause (III), and (3) by redesignating subclause (IV) as subclause (III).

Summary: Jobs and Opportunities for SNAP Act This bill expands applicability of the work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). (SNAP recipients who are ABAWDs have work-related requirements in addition to the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.) Specifically, this bill applies the work requirements for ABAWDs to adults who are not over 65 years old, whereas these requirements currently apply to adults who are not over 50 years old. Further, the ABAWD exemption for a parent or household member with responsibility for a dependent child is restricted to a dependent child under the age of seven. Current law does not include an age for the child. The bill repeals COVID-19 public health emergency waivers issued for ABAWD work requirements. The bill also repeals an ABAWD waiver program that allows state exemptions based on an area (1) having an unemployment rate of over 10%, or (2) not having a sufficient number of jobs. Under current law, a state agency may exempt up to 12% of SNAP recipients from the ABAWD work requirements for each fiscal year; unused exemptions may be carried over and used in a subsequent fiscal year. The bill reduces the percentage of exemptions a state agency may provide to up to 3% of SNAP recipients, and unused exemptions may not be carried over.