House OKs SNAP work-exemption cut

House lawmakers voted Tuesday to eliminate certain temporary exemptions to the work requirement for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as food stamps.

House Bill 1512, by state Rep. Kendon Underwood, RCave Springs, would apply to “no-good-cause” exemptions that states are allowed to apply to the federal work requirement for food stamp recipients between the ages of 18 and 49 who do not have children.

According to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services, Arkansas grants temporary exemptions to people on the food stamp program who are in a domestic violence shelter, in foster care, leaving a drug or alcohol treatment program, prison or a halfway house. HB1512 would continue allowing exemptions for people is a domestic violence program or halfway house, while cutting the remaining exemptions.

About 2,300 food stamp recipients received exemptions in 2020, according to the spokeswoman. About half were for reasons that would be cut under the bill.

Underwood said the bill “creates less government spending” — though no fiscal impact study was done — and that the work requirement for food stamps is “not super rigorous.”

Opponents of the bill charged that it was a callous burden placed on poor people during a pandemic, which has increased unemployment.

“We’re talking about food stamps, which is really the lowest rung of the social safety net,” said state Rep. Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock.

HB1512 passed the House on a party-line, 71-23 vote. It now heads to the Senate.