Bill > HB502

This bill establishes a state-level contingency funding mechanism for three critical social safety net programs in Ohio: SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) in the event of a federal funding lapse. If federal funding for these programs stops, the Directors of Job and Family Services and Health will certify the necessary funding amounts to the Director of Budget and Management. The bill then appropriates funds from the state's Budget Stabilization Fund to cover these programs, ensuring continued support for low-income families and children. The funding will be equivalent to the federal amount that would have been received, and the appropriation will automatically expire when federal funding resumes. Once federal funding recommences, the state will transfer the federal reimbursement amounts back to the Budget Stabilization Fund. The bill also includes a provision making it effective immediately and exempting it from the standard referendum process, highlighting the urgency and importance of maintaining these social support programs.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb502