| 53 | | - | An Act concerning a monthly State benefit 1[from] for1 menstrual hygiene products 1and diaper products1 under the 1[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance] Work First New Jersey1 Program, supplementing 1[Title 44 of the Revised Statutes] P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55)1, and making an appropriation. Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. a. There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State 1[SNAP] WFNJ1 Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Program. Under the program, the division shall distribute to each menstruator 1participating1 in 1[an eligible SNAP household] WFNJ who is 18 to 50 years of age,1 a monthly State benefit of $14. The division shall distribute the monthly State benefit via the 1[household's] participant's1 existing 1[SNAP] WFNJ1 electronic benefits card, on the same issuance date as the 1[household's] participant's1 standard 1[SNAP] WFNJ1 benefits. A 1[household] participant1 shall be required to use any monthly State benefit issued pursuant to this section for menstrual hygiene products. Any unspent funds from a 1[household's] participant's1 monthly State 1[SNAP] WFNJ1 Menstrual Hygiene Benefit shall be carried over to the next month, for use by the 1[household] participant1 for the same purpose. b. As used in this section, "Menstrual hygiene products" means tampons, menstrual cups, or sanitary napkins used to collect or absorb menstrual fluids. 1["SNAP"] "WFNJ"1 means the 1[New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance] Work First New Jersey1 Program, established pursuant to 1[the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.)] P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) in accordance with authorization received under Title IV of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193 (8 U.S.C. s.1601 et seq.), and includes both the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the General Assistance program1. 12. a. There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Program. Under the program, the division shall distribute to each person participating in WFNJ a monthly State benefit of $30 for each dependent of the person who is under 36 months of age. The division shall distribute the monthly State benefit via the participant's existing WFNJ electronic benefits card, on the same issuance date as the participant's standard WFNJ benefits. A participant shall be required to use any monthly State benefit issued pursuant to this section for diaper products. Any unspent funds from a participant's monthly State WFNJ Diaper Benefit shall be carried over to the next month, for use by the participant for the same purpose. b. As used in this section, "WFNJ" means the Work First New Jersey program, established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) in accordance with authorization received under Title IV of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193 (8 U.S.C. s.1601 et seq.).1 1[2.] 3.1 The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act. 1[3.] 4.1 There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services 1[$1,000,000] $2,500,0001 to effectuate the provisions of this act. 1[4.] 5.1 This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as may be necessary for the implementation of this act. |
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| 47 | + | An Act concerning a monthly State benefit from menstrual hygiene products under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, supplementing Title 44 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation. Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. a. There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State SNAP Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Program. Under the program, the division shall distribute to each menstruator in an eligible SNAP household a monthly State benefit of $14. The division shall distribute the monthly State benefit via the household's existing SNAP electronic benefits card, on the same issuance date as the household's standard SNAP benefits. A household shall be required to use any monthly State benefit issued pursuant to this section for menstrual hygiene products. Any unspent funds from a household's monthly State SNAP Menstrual Hygiene Benefit shall be carried over to the next month, for use by the household for the same purpose. b. As used in this section, "Menstrual hygiene products" means tampons, menstrual cups, or sanitary napkins used to collect or absorb menstrual fluids. "SNAP" means the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, established pursuant to the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.). 2. The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act. 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services $1,000,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act. 4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as may be necessary for the implementation of this act. STATEMENT This bill establishes the State SNAP Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Program in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services, and makes an appropriation to support the program. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a nutrition assistance program that serves as a safety net for low-income households. The federal government provides 100 percent of the funds for the standard SNAP benefit for all enrollees, and prohibits the use of benefits to purchase menstrual hygiene products. This bill, in using State funds to provide a menstrual hygiene product benefit, aims to circumvent the federal prohibition in order to help address "period poverty" in New Jersey. Period poverty, an invisible form of poverty that affects over 22 million people in the United States, is the inability to afford or access the necessary menstrual products needed to manage a period. Recent studies show that 2 in 5 people who menstruate experience period poverty. Under the program, the division is to distribute to each menstruator in an eligible SNAP household a monthly State benefit of $14. The division is required to distribute the monthly State benefit via the household's existing SNAP electronic benefits card, on the same issuance date as the household's standard SNAP benefits. A household is required to use any monthly State benefit issued pursuant to this bill for menstrual products. Any unspent funds from a household's monthly State SNAP Menstrual Hygiene Benefit is to be carried over to the next month, for use by the household for the same purpose. The bill defines "menstrual hygiene products" to mean tampons, menstrual cups, or sanitary napkins used to collect or absorb menstrual fluids. |
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