DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 83 Original 2015 Regular Session Jefferson
Abstract: Provides for continuance of nutrition assistance for retirees who are at least 80 years of
age and whose SNAP benefits are reduced or eliminated due to income gained from a cost-
of-living adjustment in retirement income.
Proposed law provides the following legislative findings:
(1)A phenomenon known as a "cliff" is an unfortunate feature of many assistance programs and
occurs when a gain in income results in a loss of assistance in an amount greater than the
income gain, and more than offsets the benefit that a person derives from earning a higher
income. This perverse incentive whereby earning a higher income has the effect of
penalizing the earner is harmful to financially vulnerable individuals and families.
(2)A particularly onerous "cliff" occurs in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) of this state when a senior citizen receives a cost-of-living increase in his retirement
income that, in turn, causes him to lose SNAP benefits in an amount greater than his cost-of-
living increase or to lose eligibility for SNAP benefits entirely.
Proposed law requires the Dept. of Children and Family Services to establish a program for
maintaining or continuing nutrition assistance to retirees who are 80 years of age or older and
experience a decrease in SNAP benefits or a termination of SNAP eligibility due to having received
a nonelective cost-of-living adjustment from the Social Security Administration's retirement benefits
program, a public pension program, or any other retirement system, plan, or fund.
Proposed law provides that the source of monies for the program established by proposed law may
include but shall not be limited to any appropriation by the legislature of state funds or federal funds
from any source.
(Adds R.S. 46:331-333)