Bill > SB461

This bill mandates that the Department of Human Services conduct a study and provide recommendations regarding the potential number of households that may lose eligibility for automatic standard utility allowance benefits within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), specifically through the Heat and Eat Program, due to the enactment of a federal law called the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025." The study will involve compiling data on households that previously qualified for automatic standard utility allowance eligibility in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, including details on average payments, county distribution, and the number of households with elderly or disabled members. It will also identify how many of these households are no longer eligible due to the federal act, the dollar amount of benefits lost, and the impact on households with elderly or disabled members, as well as analyze any other consequences of these benefit reductions, including for new applicants, and evaluate the administrative costs associated with verifying energy expenses for those no longer eligible for automatic enrollment. The Department is required to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to specific legislative committees by December 1, 2026, and the bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.