SNAP Standard Medical Expense Deduction Act of 2017
This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow households containing an elderly or disabled member to use a standard medical expense deduction for calculating income to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits.
If the amount of actual costs of allowable medical expenses incurred by the elderly or disabled member for a month, exclusive of special diets, is equal to or greater than $35, the standard medical deduction for each month is: (1) $140 for FY2018, and (2) the preceding year's amount with a specified adjustment for inflation for FY2019 and each subsequent year. If the monthly costs are greater than the sum of the standard medical deduction and $35, the household may deduct the actual costs.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) may approve a standard medical deduction that is higher than the amount required by this bill.
USDA must submit specified studies and reports to Congress regarding: (1) state performance in enrolling disabled and elderly individuals in SNAP and specified Medicare programs, (2) disability and food insecurity, and (3) the effectiveness of the standard medical deduction.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3749 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3749
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for a standard
medical expense deduction under the supplemental nutrition assistance
program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 12, 2017
Mr. Lawson of Florida (for himself, Mr. Evans, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Wilson of
Florida, Ms. Lee, Ms. Moore, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Adams, Mr. McGovern, Ms.
Speier, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Soto, Mr. Nolan, Mr. Carson of
Indiana, Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Jeffries, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Vela, Mr. Scott of Virginia,
Mr. Rush, and Mr. Payne) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the
Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and
the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for a standard
medical expense deduction under the supplemental nutrition assistance
program, and for other purposes.
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 ``SNAP Standard Medical Expense
Deduction Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. STANDARD MEDICAL EXPENSE DEDUCTION.
Section 5(e)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2014(e)(5)) is amended--
(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Excess
medical'' and inserting ``Medical'';
(2) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the
following:
``(A) Standard medical deduction.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii),
a household containing an elderly or disabled
member shall be entitled, with respect to
expenses other than expenses paid on behalf of
the household by a third party--
``(I) if the amount of actual costs
of allowable medical expenses incurred
by the elderly or disabled member for a
month, exclusive of special diets, is
equal to or greater than $35, to a
standard medical deduction for each
month of an amount equal to--
``(aa) for fiscal year
2018, $140; and
``(bb) for fiscal year 2019
and each subsequent fiscal
year, the applicable amount
during the preceding fiscal
year, as adjusted to reflect
changes for the 12-month period
ending the preceding June 30 in
the Consumer Price Index for
All Urban Consumers: Medical
Care published by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the
Department of Labor; or
``(II) if the amount of actual
costs of allowable medical expenses
incurred by the elderly or disabled
member for a month, exclusive of
special diets, is greater than the sum
of the amount of that standard medical
deduction and $35, to a deduction equal
to the amount of those actual costs.
``(ii) Effect on state authority to adjust
standard medical deduction.--Nothing in this
subparagraph precludes--
``(I) a State that has an approved
standard medical deduction as of the
date of enactment of the SNAP Standard
Medical Expense Deduction Act of 2017
in an amount that is greater than the
amount of the standard medical
deduction described in item (aa) or
(bb) of clause (i)(I), as applicable,
from continuing in effect that standard
medical deduction; or
``(II) the Secretary from approving
a standard medical deduction in an
amount that is greater than the amount
of the standard medical deduction
described in item (aa) or (bb) of
clause (i)(I), as applicable.''; and
(3) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in the subparagraph heading, by inserting
``actual costs'' before ``deduction''; and
(B) in clause (i), by striking ``excess medical
expense deduction'' and inserting ``actual costs
deduction described in clause (i)(II) of that
subparagraph''.
SEC. 3. REPORTS AND STUDIES.
(a) State Performance on Enrolling Eligible Seniors and Individuals
With Disabilities in Low-Income Health and Nutrition Benefits.--Section
17 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(m) State Performance on Enrolling Eligible Seniors and
Individuals With Disabilities in Low-Income Health and Nutrition
Benefits.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Covered program.--The term `covered program'
means--
``(i) the supplemental nutrition assistance
program;
``(ii) the Medicare part D low-income
subsidy under section 1860D-14 of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-114); and
``(iii) the Medicare Savings Program, as
defined in section 1144(c)(7) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-14(c)(7)).
``(B) Disabled individual.--The term `disabled
individual' means a member of a household described in
any of paragraphs (2) through (7) of section 3(j).
``(C) Elderly individual.--The term `elderly
individual' means a member of a household who is not
less than 60 years old.
``(2) Reports.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than June 30, 2018,
and June 30 of each year thereafter, the Secretary, in
collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and the Commissioner of Social Security, shall
submit to the committees described in subparagraph (B)
a report that assesses the effectiveness of each State
in enrolling eligible elderly individuals and disabled
individuals in each covered program.
``(B) Committees described.--The committees
referred to in subparagraph (A) are--
``(i) of the House of Representatives--
``(I) the Committee on Agriculture;
``(II) the Committee on Ways and
Means; and
``(III) the Committee on Energy and
Commerce; and
``(ii) of the Senate--
``(I) the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry; and
``(II) the Committee on Finance.
``(3) Specific measures.--The report submitted under
paragraph (2)(A) shall include, with respect to the previous
fiscal year--
``(A) an estimate of the number of elderly
individuals and the number of disabled individuals, by
State, who were eligible for each covered program;
``(B) an estimate of the number of elderly
individuals and the number of disabled individuals, by
State, who participated in each covered program;
``(C) an estimate of the number of elderly
individuals and the number of disabled individuals who
were eligible for all 3 covered programs;
``(D) an estimate of the number of elderly
individuals and the number of disabled individuals who
participated in all 3 covered programs; and
``(E) an estimate of--
``(i) the number of individuals whose
eligibility for each covered program was
initiated through an application with the
Social Security Administration;
``(ii) the number of individuals described
in clause (i) who qualified for each covered
program; and
``(iii) the number of individuals described
in clause (i) who participated in each covered
program.
``(4) Performance innovations.--The report submitted under
paragraph (2)(A) shall include a description of best practices
of 1 or more States with the best performances for that fiscal
year, or the most improved performances from the previous
fiscal year, under each of the measures described in paragraph
(3).''.
(b) Studies on Disability and Food Insecurity.--Section 17 of the
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) (as amended by
subsection (a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(n) Studies on Disability and Food Insecurity.--
``(1) Definition of disabled individual.--
``(A) In general.--In this subsection, the term
`disabled individual' means a member of a household
described in any of paragraphs (2) through (7) of
section 3(j).
``(B) Inclusions.--In this subsection, the term
`disabled individual' includes a member of a household
who, as determined by the Secretary--
``(i) is not considered disabled under
subparagraph (A); but
``(ii) has a physical, mental, or sensory
condition that limits the daily activities of
the individual.
``(2) Studies.--The Secretary--
``(A) shall carry out a study--
``(i) on the relationship between
disability and food insecurity for disabled
individuals;
``(ii) on the effectiveness of Federal food
assistance programs in responding to the causes
of food insecurity in households with disabled
individuals; and
``(iii) making recommendations for how
Federal food assistance programs could be
improved to better meet the needs of households
with disabled individuals; and
``(B) in collaboration with the Civil Rights
Division of the Department of Justice, shall carry out
a study on the best practices of States in complying
with--
``(i) section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) and the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et
seq.) regarding practices to avoid
discrimination on the basis of disability, such
as through provision of reasonable
accommodations, in carrying out Federal food
assistance programs; and
``(ii) section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) regarding the
comprehensive use of adaptive technologies for
disabled individuals in accessing Federal food
assistance programs.
``(3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the studies are completed under paragraph (2), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the
results of the studies, including such recommendations as the
Secretary considers appropriate.''.
(c) Report on Standard Medical Deduction.--Section 17 of the Food
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2026) (as amended by subsection
(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(o) Report on Standard Medical Deduction.--Not later than 2 years
after the date of enactment of the SNAP Standard Medical Expense
Deduction Act of 2017, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that--
``(1) identifies which States were most effective at
increasing the use by individuals in the State of the standard
medical deduction authorized under section 5(e)(5)(A) during
the period covered by the report; and
``(2) provides an assessment of which factors were
important in increasing the use of the standard medical
deduction by individuals in the States identified under
paragraph (1).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition.
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