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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 945 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3942 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Estela A. Reyes |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program countable income. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Estela A. Reyes4th Essex1/17/2023 1 of 3 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 945 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3942 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Reyes of Lawrence, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3942) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Estela A. Reyes relative to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program countable income. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act relative to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program countable income. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Chapter 18 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2 Section 40. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law or regulation to the contrary, |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3the department shall promulgate regulations consistent with this section. |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4 (b) For the purposes of determining countable income for benefits provided through the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5supplemental nutrition assistance program, “unearned income” shall mean all income that is not |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6earned through employment, including, but not limited to: |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7 (1) income from public assistance programs, such as transitional aid to families with |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8dependent children, emergency aid to the elderly, disabled and children or other assistance |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9programs based on need; 2 of 3 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10 (2) annuities, pensions, retirement, veterans' or disability benefits, workers' or |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11unemployment compensation, Social Security benefits, including RSDI and SSI benefits, in |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12excess of $8,000 per household and strike benefits; |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13 (3) foster care payments when the foster care child or adult is included in the foster care |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14household's SNAP household; |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15 (4) support and alimony payments made directly to the household from non-household |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16members and support and alimony payments of up to $50 per month received as a TAFDC- |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17Related benefit by a household with a TAFDC client; |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18 (5) payments from government-sponsored programs such as the agricultural stabilization |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19and conservation service programs, dividends, interest, royalties and all other direct money |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20payments from any source whatever which can be construed to be a gain or benefit; |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21 (6) income from rental property unless a household member actively engages in the |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22management of the property an average of at least 20 hours per week; |
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| 51 | 51 | | 23 (7) money withdrawn from trust funds that are excluded from assets under the provisions |
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| 52 | 52 | | 24of 106 CMR 363.140(F) shall be considered income in the month received unless otherwise |
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| 53 | 53 | | 25excluded under 106 CMR 363.230. Dividends from excluded trust funds, which the household |
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| 54 | 54 | | 26has the option of either receiving as income or reinvesting in the trust, are to be considered |
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| 55 | 55 | | 27income in the month they become available to the household, whether collected by the household |
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| 56 | 56 | | 28or reinvested in the trust, unless otherwise excluded under 106 CMR 363.230; and 3 of 3 |
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| 57 | 57 | | 29 (8) for households containing sponsored noncitizens, the income of the sponsor and the |
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| 58 | 58 | | 30sponsor's spouse, if living with the sponsor, shall be deemed as unearned income to the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 31household in accordance with 106 CMR 362.270. |
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