Amendment to Prohibit Funding to Allow for SNAP Categorical Eligibility

This amendment would have amended the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, H.R. 2112, to prohibit the use of funds to allow categorical eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the federal Food Stamp Program).[1] SNAP is the largest domestic food and nutrition assistance program for low-income individuals in the nation.[2] It provides benefits to low-income, eligible households on an electronic benefit transfer card; these benefits can be exchanged for food at authorized retailers.[3] In 2011, over 44 million people participated in SNAP.[4]

To receive SNAP benefits, a household must meet certain tests, including resource and income tests.[5] A household may be categorically eligible for SNAP if it receives other forms of public assistance, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).[6] Categorical eligibility extends SNAP benefits to households with low net incomes that might not otherwise qualify for SNAP, reduces administrative costs, and simplifies program enrollment.[7] Forty states currently use categorical eligibility as a means of determining whether a household qualifies for SNAP.[8]

Elimination of this option would have cut more than 1 million low-income people from the SNAP program, including many low-income working families with children.[9] Additionally, under this amendment, approximately 200,000 children would have lost free school meals. [10]

The amendment did not receive the 3/5 vote required for passage.[11]

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= vote to fight poverty = vote against fighting poverty = no vote