Farm Bill 2018: Examples of how individuals would experience differences in work requirements under House Bill
Mary Zaki
University of Maryland
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
University of Maryland Extension
| Example 1: Adults in households with children under 6 years old or incapacitated persons; pregnant women |
| Adult caretakers or pregnant women in these households will experience no changes as they are exempt from all work requirements under current law and under House proposals. |
| Example 2: Adults in households with children over 6 years old or adults who are between the ages of 49 and 59. |
| Under current law, these adults are subject to current general work requirements (i.e., register for work, not refuse work, etc.) but are not subject to ABAWD time limits. With House changes, adults in these households will be required to fulfill 20 hours per week of work, employment and training or workfare. |
| Example 3: 16 and 17 year olds who are head of households and who do not attend school |
| Under current law, these individuals are subject to general work requirements. Under the House bill, they will not be subject to any work requirements. |
| Example 4: An ABAWD individual who started receiving SNAP benefits |
| Under current law, this individual will be able to receive 3 not-necessarily consecutive months of SNAP benefits within a 36-month period in which the individual does not fulfill required hours of work. Furthermore, the individual can receive a second set of 3 months of SNAP benefits (this time consecutively) in the 36-month period if he/she obtained employment and satisfied work hours for at least a month and subsequently lost employment. Under the House's bill, an individual received only the initial month of SNAP benefits without having to fulfill work requirements and must wait at least 12 months before receiving SNAP benefits again without fulfilling work requirements. |
| Example 5: An ABAWD individual who has lost SNAP benefits |
| Under current law, an ABAWD who has lost benefits can resume benefits after working 80 hours within a 30-day period; otherwise this individual must wait until the 36-month period is complete to receive SNAP benefits again. Under the House's bill, individuals can resume eligibility for SNAP benefits on the date they obtain employment that can satisfy work requirements; otherwise they must wait 12 months since their date of ineligibility for their first violation and 36 months since their date of ineligibility after there second violation. |
| Example 6: An ABAWD individual who cannot find employment |
| Under current law, state agencies must have an employment and training program, but they are not required to provide a slot in that program to all individuals who wish to satisfy work requirements through them. Under the House's bill, state agencies are required to provide a slot in employment and training programs or workfare programs for each non-exempt individual who seeks to satisfy work requirements through them. |
