HLS 19RS-572 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 82
BY REPRESENTATIVE BACALA
CHILDREN/DCFS: Requests the Department of Children and Family Services to eliminate
the waiver of work requirements for persons receiving Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program benefits
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services to eliminate the waiver
3 of work requirements for persons receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
4 Program benefits and to implement a policy designed to improve enrollee health and
5 well-being through incentivizing work and community engagement among non-
6 elderly, non-pregnant adult Medicaid beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicaid on
7 a basis other than disability.
8 WHEREAS, Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended,
9provides that no able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) shall be eligible to
10participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as a member of any household
11if the individual received program benefits for more than three months during any three year
12period if the individual was subject to but did not comply with the ABAWD work
13requirement; and
14 WHEREAS, Section 6(o) also provides that, upon request of a state agency, the
15secretary may waive the applicability of the three-month ABAWD time limit for any group
16of individuals in the state if the secretary makes a determination that the area in which the
17individuals reside has an unemployment rate of over ten percent, or does not have a
18sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for the individuals; and
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HCR NO. 82
1 WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services requested to waive the
2ABAWD time limit throughout the state from September 1, 2017 through August 21, 2018;
3and
4 WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services supported its request
5based upon the state having an average unemployment rate twenty percent above the
6national average for the twenty-four month period of September 2014 through August 2016;
7and
8 WHEREAS, during this time period the national average unemployment rate was
9five and two tenths percent; Louisiana's unemployment rate was over six percent; and
10 WHEREAS, the policy of this state must be designed to encourage self-sufficiency
11so that recipients may reduce dependence on public benefits to meet basic needs and become
12economically self-reliant.
13 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
14urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services to eliminate the waiver
15of work requirements for certain persons receiving benefits and to implement a policy
16designed to improve enrollee health and well-being through incentivizing work and
17community engagement among non-elderly, non-pregnant adult Medicaid beneficiaries who
18are eligible for Medicaid on a basis other than disability.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature does hereby urge and request that
20the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services refrain from applying for
21a waiver of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements for able-bodied
22adults without dependents absent legislative authorization.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
24secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
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)]
HCR 82 Original 2019 Regular Session Bacala
Requests the Department of Children and Family Services to eliminate the waiver of work
requirements for certain persons receiving benefits and to implement a policy designed to
improve enrollee health and well-being through incentivizing work and community
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HCR NO. 82
engagement among non-elderly, non-pregnant adult Medicaid beneficiaries who are eligible
for Medicaid on a basis other than disability.
Requests the Dept. of Children and Family Services refrain from applying for a waiver of
SNAP work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents absent legislative
authorization.
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