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Charlotte NC

Reps. Adams, Fudge, and Nutrition Subcommittee Members Introduce Legislation to Extend SNAP Waiver Flexibility

July 28, 2020

"The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t going away, and it’s exacerbating the food insecurity that millions of Americans face each day"

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New legislation introduced by House Agriculture Committee Vice Chair Alma Adams (NC-12), House Agriculture Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee Chair Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), and their fellow subcommittee members would allow states to extend administrative flexibilities for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , authorized by Congress in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

"The COVID-19 pandemic isn't going away, and it's exacerbating the food insecurity that millions of Americans face each day. As families struggle to pay their bills and face financial disaster, it is vital that we extend help for people struggling to put food on their tables," said Adams. "The Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act will enable North Carolina and other states to continue utilizing SNAP waivers from the Families First Coronavirus Act, which allow the program to continue to operate safely for the children, parents, veterans, seniors, and disabled individuals who depend on it. We have not only a legislative but also a moral responsibility to make sure no family goes hungry because of the Coronavirus."

Along with Reps. Jim McGovern (MA-02), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Al Lawson, Jr. (FL-05), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Adams and Fudge introduced The Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act, which augments the flexibility that FFCRA provided to states by extending the SNAP waivers the U.S. Department of Agriculture has previously approved for states during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Given the continued economic fallout from the pandemic has pushed millions of American households further into food insecurity, this bill will enable states to continue the waivers that are currently helping to ensure people right at the poverty line can access SNAP benefits," said Fudge. "This is something USDA is doing broadly now, and should continue doing to make sure hungry Americans—including children, seniors and individuals with disabilities—have enough to eat."

The legislation would allow states to extend SNAP certification periods, adjust periodic reporting and interview requirements through June 30, 2021 without having to gain USDA approval. It would also enable states to use simplified reporting in lieu of the regular recertification requirements for some, or all, of their recertifications through December 31, 2021 to address the potential surge of new cases and renewals.

"This pandemic has created uncertainty for all Americans, but no one has felt it more acutely than vulnerable workers in our country who have been made to choose between risking their health and the safety of their families to earn enough money to eat," added Fudge. "We have the capability to endow SNAP with the flexibility to ensure poor people don't have to make such an impossible choice, and we should absolutely do so."

The bill comes as USDA has recently denied or delayed extending such waivers. Additionally, USDA announced on July 21 that the Department is unlikely to extend these waivers for the majority of states starting in September 2020.

Congresswoman Alma Adams represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte) and serves as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Education & Labor Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. In 2015, she founded the Adams Hunger Initiative to address food insecurity across Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and the 12th Congressional District.