Food stamps: One bill could give billions to SNAP program
Misty Severi
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A bill that has been introduced in both chambers of Congress could enhance access to healthier food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and increase funding for the federal program to $3.5 billion.
The Opt for Health with SNAP Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and the House by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), would strengthen the government’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program by allocating more funds to the SNAP benefits program, adding up to $3.5 billion over the course of five years and eliminating the state matching requirement.
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“Currently, millions of Americans are facing a hunger crisis and a nutrition crisis — not only do they struggle to have enough to eat, but they also lack access to affordable, nutritious foods. GusNIP is a proven solution that improves nutrition and health for some of our nation’s most vulnerable,” Booker said in a statement last week. “My legislation will make significant investment into GusNIP — a proven program that works — and eliminate the partner cost share, so we can exponentially scale up the positive impacts of the program for more American farmers and families.”
Approximately 90% do not consume the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables that help them live a healthy life, Booker’s office noted. But the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program allows the secretary of agriculture to fund projects to incentivize low-income shoppers to buy more fruits and vegetables, including those in the federally funded SNAP program.
The bill has already received endorsements from 49 organizations, including the American Heart Association, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the National Grocers Association, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“Few Americans consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and, for shoppers utilizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), cost remains a significant barrier,” Center for Science in the Public Interest President Peter Lurie said in a statement.
“GusNIP improves access to fruits and vegetables for shoppers utilizing SNAP by providing a financial incentive. GusNIP nutrition incentives have a proven track record of increasing fruit and vegetable intake.”
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The bill comes as the SNAP benefits program sees multiple changes, including the end to COVID-19-era emergency policies and the recent debt-ceiling bill, which includes a stricter work requirement for SNAP recipients.
The new work requirement pushes the age requirements from able-bodied adults beginning at 18 years old and under 50 years old to able-bodied adults under 54 years old. The time frame of working at least 20 hours a week, or 80 hours a month, still applies. Otherwise, recipients will receive benefits for only three months every three years.