house Resolution No.251
Rep. Hood offered the following resolution:
Whereas, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal food safety net program in the United States, serving more than 37 million people annually. SNAP ensures that people across the country have access to food and helps people buy the food they need for good health; and
Whereas, With few exceptions, most able-bodied students enrolled at least half-time in college and other institutions of higher learning are ineligible for SNAP benefits. An exemption from these federal SNAP regulations requires a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); and
Whereas, The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered numerous students ineligible for SNAP, despite being eligible for SNAP prior to the pandemic. Previously, many students maintained eligibility for SNAP benefits by working at least 20 hours per week or participating in a state or federally-financed work study program. These requirements are nearly impossible for students to meet given the widespread business closures and high rates of unemployment; and
Whereas, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan and dozens of other states across the country submitted requests to USDA to waive restrictions on student SNAP eligibility to provide relief for students impacted by COVID-19; and
Whereas, On April 10, 2020, USDA issued a mass denial to states requesting student eligibility waivers, including Michigan, stating that these and other regulations do not meet the requirements for waiver approval provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; and
Whereas, Low-income students, who were already at risk of not being able to afford enough food, are even more at risk given their ineligibility for SNAP and the detrimental effects the pandemic has had on the United States economy. Many students may not know where their next meal is coming from; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Department of Agriculture to grant a federal waiver to temporarily suspend the rules that make college students ineligible for SNAP benefits; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Secretary of Agriculture, the Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and the Michigan congressional delegation.