Title: SNAP Work Opportunities and Veteran Protection Act of 2018
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
SNAP Work Opportunities and Veteran Protection Act of 2018
This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to exempt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) beneficiaries from work requirements if they are not offered a position in a state job training or workfare program.
The bill also exempts from work requirements veterans who are participating in certain programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs or a state to further employment or rehabilitation goals. The bill permits the Department of Agriculture to allocate specified funds to states for the employment programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2477 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2477

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify the exception to 
                         the work requirement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 1, 2018

 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Markey, Ms. 
Hirono, and Mr. Sanders) introduced the following bill; which was read 
  twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                                Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify the exception to 
                         the work requirement.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``SNAP Work Opportunities and Veteran 
Protection Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE FOOD AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2008.

    (a) Work Requirement.--Section 6(o)(3) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(3)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as 
        clauses (i) through (v), respectively, and indenting 
        appropriately;
            (2) by striking the paragraph designation and heading and 
        all that follows through ``Paragraph (2)'' and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(3) Exceptions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Paragraph (2)'';
            (3) in clause (iv) of subparagraph (A) (as so 
        redesignated), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (4) in clause (v) of subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), 
        by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vi) not offered a position in a program 
                        described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of 
                        paragraph (2).
                    ``(B) Work requirements for certain veterans.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The work requirements 
                        under paragraph (2) shall not apply to a 
                        veteran (as defined in section 101 of title 38, 
                        United States Code) if the veteran--
                                    ``(I) is participating in a program 
                                administered by the Secretary of 
                                Veterans Affairs or a State to further 
                                employment or rehabilitation goals, 
                                including--
                                            ``(aa) an employment 
                                        program;
                                            ``(bb) a compensated work 
                                        therapy program;
                                            ``(cc) a mental or physical 
                                        rehabilitation program;
                                            ``(dd) a nonemployment-
                                        focused program; and
                                            ``(ee) a program designed 
                                        to help veterans transition to 
                                        full- or part-time employment; 
                                        and
                                    ``(II) demonstrates participation, 
                                if participation is less than 20 hours 
                                per week, in the program to the fullest 
                                extent that--
                                            ``(aa) the veteran is 
                                        physically able; and
                                            ``(bb) the program allows.
                            ``(ii) Exemption from 3-month limit.--The 
                        3-month limit under paragraph (2) shall not 
                        apply to a veteran who meets the requirements 
                        described in clause (i).''.
    (b) Funding of Employment and Training Programs.--Section 
16(h)(1)(E) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2025(h)(1)(E)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i)(I), by striking ``section 6(o)(3)'' and 
        inserting ``any of clauses (i) through (v) of section 
        6(o)(3)(A) or under section 6(o)(3)(B)''; and
            (2) in clause (ii)(II), by striking ``section 6(o)(3)'' and 
        inserting ``any of clauses (i) through (v) of section 
        6(o)(3)(A) or under section 6(o)(3)(B)''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on 
the first day of the first fiscal year that begins after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
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