Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017

Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017

This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to revise the rules for disqualifying individuals from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program).

The bill permanently disqualifies individuals who have been found guilty of offenses or misconduct, including:

• fraud or misrepresentation with respect to SNAP;
• the trading of a controlled substance, firearms, ammunition, or explosives for benefits;
• terrorism;
• defrauding the federal government, a state, or a unit of local government;
• obtaining cash by destroying food purchased with benefits and collecting deposits for containers; or
• selling food purchased with benefits.

An individual who is delinquent in paying child support may not receive benefits unless a court allowed a payment delay or the individual is complying with a payment plan.

If a household requests a third replacement Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card in a one-year period, a state may: (1) require the head of the household to appear in person for an interview before issuing an additional card, and (2) terminate participation of the household for one year if a fifth card is requested in a one-year period.

The bill modifies the work requirements and eliminates certain exemptions and waivers from the requirements. If an able-bodied adult without dependents fails to meet the work requirements for 3 months in a 48-month period (36 months under current law), they are ineligible for SNAP for the remainder of the 48-month period, or until they comply.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3151 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3151

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to reduce waste, fraud, and 
        abuse in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2017

 Mr. Poliquin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to reduce waste, fraud, and 
        abuse in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY DISQUALIFICATIONS.

    (a) Permanent Disqualification for Misconduct.--Section 6(b)(1) of 
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``program--'' and inserting ``program 
        permanently upon--'';
            (2) by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and
            (3) in clause (iii)--
                    (A) in subclause (I) by striking ``(I) the third'' 
                and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) the first'';
                    (B) in subclause (II) by striking ``(II) the 
                second'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(B) the first'';
                    (C) in subclause (III) by striking ``(III) the 
                first'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(C) the first'';
                    (D) in subclause (IV) by striking ``(IV) a 
                conviction'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(D) a conviction''; and
                    (E) by striking ``(iii) permanently 
                upon--''.
    (b) Disqualification for Certain Convicted Felons.--Section 
6(r)(1)(A) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015(r)(1)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iv) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (v) by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vi) an offense under chapter 113B of 
                        title 18 of the United States Code; or
                            ``(vii) defrauding the Federal Government, 
                        a State, or a unit of local government; and''.
    (c) Mandatory Disqualification for Child Support Arrears.--Section 
6(n)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(n)(1)) is 
amended by striking ``At the option of a State agency, no'' and 
inserting ``No''.
    (d) Work Requirement; Elimination of Waiver of Work Requirement and 
of 15-Percent Exemption.--Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2) by striking ``36-month'' and inserting 
        ``48-month'';
            (2) by striking paragraph (4);
            (3) in paragraph (5) by striking ``36-month'' and inserting 
        ``48-month'';
            (4) by striking paragraph (6); and
            (5) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (7) as paragraphs 
        (4) and (5), respectively.
    (e) Permanent Disqualification for Obtaining Cash by Destroying 
Food and Collecting Deposits.--Section 6(p) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(p)) is amended by striking ``for such period 
of time as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation'' and inserting 
``permanently''.
    (f) Permanent Disqualification for Sale of Food Purchased With 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits.--Section 6(q) of 
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(q)) is amended by 
striking ``for such period of time as the Secretary shall prescribe by 
regulation'' and inserting ``permanently''.

SEC. 3. EXCESSIVE LOSS OF EBT CARDS.

    Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(t) Excessive Loss of EBT Cards.--At the option of the State 
agency--
            ``(1) if the household requests a third EBT card to replace 
        the second of 2 EBT cards issued to the household in the 1-year 
        period ending on the date of such request, the State agency may 
        require the head of the household to appear in person for an 
        interview before any additional EBT card is issued to the 
        household; and
            ``(2) the participation of a household in the supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program may be terminated for 1 year if 
        the household requests a fifth EBT card to replace the last of 
        4 EBT cards issued to such households in the 1-year period 
        ending on the date of such request.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Effective Date.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act 
and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Application of Amendments.--
            (1) The amendments made by this Act shall not apply with 
        respect to conduct that occurs before the date of the enactment 
        of this Act.
            (2) The amendments made by this Act shall not apply with 
        respect to certification periods that begin before the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
            (3) The amendment made by section 4 shall not apply with 
        respect to EBT cards issued before the date of the enactment of 
        this Act.
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