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2024 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 195
BY SENATOR MIGUEZ
WELFARE. Provides relative to work requirements within the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Subpart E-5 of Part II of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes
3 of 1950, to be comprised of R.S. 46:331 and 332, relative to eligibility for benefits
4 of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; to limit the authority of the state
5 to waive work requirements for certain benefit recipients; to provide for an effective
6 date; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. Subpart E-5 of Part II of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised
9 Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 46:331 and 332, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 SUBPART E-5. SNAP WORK REQUIREMENTS
11 §331. Findings and intent
12 A. The legislature hereby finds and declares the following:
13 (1) It is the policy of this state to encourage self-sufficiency so that
14 Louisianians may reduce dependence on public benefits to meet basic needs and
15 become economically self-reliant.
16 (2) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as
17 "food stamps" and referred to hereafter in this Subpart as "SNAP", provides
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 195
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1 support to needy households and to persons making the transition from welfare
2 to work.
3 (3) Federal regulations provided for in 7 CFR 273.24 limit the duration
4 of receipt of SNAP benefits by nonworking, able-bodied adults without
5 dependents (ABAWD) who do not qualify for certain exemptions to a total of
6 three months in any three-year period. However, states may submit to the
7 federal government applications, commonly known as "waivers", to have this
8 three-month limit waived. If approved, such waivers allow able-bodied,
9 nonworking, nonexempt adults to receive SNAP benefits for an unlimited
10 duration. Louisiana has long used these waivers to exempt the majority of
11 able-bodied adults without dependents from the federal work requirement.
12 (4) Federal law allows states to exempt up to eight percent of able-bodied
13 adults from the work requirement without providing any reason whatsoever.
14 These no-good-cause exemptions also accumulate and carry over from year to
15 year without limit. As a policy, Louisiana has not used these "no-good-cause
16 exemptions". However, because Louisiana has waived the work requirement,
17 there has been no reason to use these additional exemptions.
18 B. It is the intent of this Subpart to institute a comprehensive, statewide
19 work requirement for able-bodied adults up to fifty-two years old without any
20 dependents who receive SNAP benefits in this state.
21 §332. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements;
22 restriction on waivers and exemptions; mandatory employment
23 and training
24 A. Unless expressly required by federal law, the Department of Children
25 and Family Services shall not seek, apply for, accept, or renew any waiver of
26 work requirements established by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
27 Program under 7 U.S.C. 2015(o).
28 B. The Department of Children and Family Services shall not exercise
29 the state's option to provide any exemptions from the work requirement under
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
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1 7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(6)(F).
2 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
3 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
4 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
5 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
6 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Amanda Trapp.
DIGEST
SB 195 Engrossed 2024 Regular Session Miguez
Proposed law provides legislative findings and intent regarding work requirements within
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, "SNAP", formerly known as "food stamps".
Proposed law prohibits the secretary of the Dept. of Children and Family services from
seeking, applying for, accepting, or renewing any work requirement waiver not exercised
and from exercising the state's option to provide any exemptions from the work requirement
for SNAP.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 46:331 and 332)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill
1. Updates legislative intent.
2. Removes mandatory employment and training assignments.
3. Removes certain reporting requirements.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.