Bill > S650

Introduced Session

This bill provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, every household in the State that is eligible to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shall receive a minimum annual energy assistance payment of $21 in order to qualify the household for a heating and cooling standard utility allowance under the SNAP program, unless a standard utility allowance would have been unavailable to the household under the State and federal criteria for SNAP and any applicable energy assistance programs that were in place as of July 1, 2013. This annual payment is to be disbursed in accordance with the provisions of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or other energy assistance program for which the household is eligible, as applicable. Any costs associated with increasing LIHEAP payments shall first be charged to the unexpended balance of federal funds available for the LIHEAP program, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulation. Under the federal Agricultural Act of 2014, households that qualify for energy assistance must receive more than $20 in annual energy assistance payments in order to maintain the household's eligibility for a standard utility allowance under SNAP, which provides added SNAP benefits. This bill would ensure that every household in the State that currently receives these added SNAP benefits will continue to receive them.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Shirley Turner (D)*,  Joe Vitale (D)*,  Jennifer Beck (R),  Sandra Cunningham (D),  Robert Gordon (D),  Raymond Lesniak (D),  Nellie Pou (D),  Teresa Ruiz (D),  Brian Stack (D),  Loretta Weinberg (D), 

Substituted by A1210 (on 03/14/2016)