SNAP Empowerment and Accountability Act of 2016

To provide clarity regarding States’ ability to manage the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and to provide States with funding to treat drug addiction in the SNAP population. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the SNAP Empowerment and Accountability Act of 2016 2. Drug testing (a) Amendment to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 Section 5(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014(b) but a State agency, in its sole discretion, may impose a standard of eligibility based on the results of testing for use of controlled substances. The Secretary shall not disapprove a plan of operation due solely to the fact that a State agency imposes a standard of eligibility based on the results of testing for controlled substances. . (b) Amendment to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 Section 902 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 ( 21 U.S.C. 862b (1) by inserting , including supplemental nutrition assistance program benefit recipients, recipients (2) by striking welfare 3. Treatment for individuals tested for drug use for eligibility determination under the supplemental nutrition assistance program (a) In general The Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shall award grants to States to defray the costs of providing treatment to individuals who test positive for a controlled substance under section 5(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014(b) (b) Definition In this section, the term State 7 U.S.C. 2012 (c) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $600,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021. 4. Standard utility allowances based on the receipt of energy assistance payments (a) Standard utility allowance Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014 (1) in subsection (e)(6)(C)(iv)(I) by striking $20 $50 (2) in subsection (k) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following: (4) Third-party energy assistance payments For purposes of subsection (d)(1), a payment made under a State law (other than a law referred to in paragraph (2)(G)) to provide energy assistance to a household shall be considered money payable directly to the household. . (b) Energy assistance threshold amount Section 2605(f)(2)(A) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 ( 42 U.S.C. 8624(f)(2)(a) $20 $50 5. Effective date; Application of Amendments (a) Effective date Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Application of amendments The amendments made by this Act shall not apply with respect to certification periods that begin before the date of the enactment of this Act.

Summary: SNAP Empowerment and Accountability Act of 2016 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to permit states to use drug test results for determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award grants to states to treat individuals who test positive. The bill increases from $20 to $50 the amount of annual benefits received under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 or a similar energy assistance program which qualifies a SNAP applicant to use a standard utility allowance to document heating and cooling costs for calculating benefits.