SNAP Simplification for the Elderly Act
This bill (1) extends the certification period for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain households, (2) expands the use of combined applications for SNAP and certain other benefits, and (3) requires the Department of Agriculture to carry out pilot projects to integrate the delivery of various benefits to certain low-income households.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4521 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4521
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to simplify the SNAP
recertification process for the elderly and disabled, and to spur
innovation in the application processes of SNAP, the Medicare Savings
Program, and supplemental security income that will increase the
utilization of entitlement programs among the most vulnerable of
populations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 1, 2017
Mr. Lawson of Florida (for himself, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas,
Ms. Lee, Mr. Soto, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Norton, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Crist, Mr.
Evans, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Wilson of
Florida, Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Ms. Jayapal, Mr.
Cardenas, and Mr. Hastings) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the
Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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 simplify the SNAP
recertification process for the elderly and disabled, and to spur
innovation in the application processes of SNAP, the Medicare Savings
Program, and supplemental security income that will increase the
utilization of entitlement programs among the most vulnerable of
populations.
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 Simplification for the Elderly
Act''.
SEC. 2. ENHANCED AND COORDINATED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN HOUSEHOLDS WITH
ELDERLY OR DISABLED MEMBERS.
(a) Longer Certification Periods for Certain Households With
Elderly or Disabled Members.--Section 3(f) of the Food and Nutrition
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(f)) shall be amended to read as follows:
``(f) `Certification period' means the period for which households
shall be eligible to receive benefits. The certification period shall
not exceed 12 months, except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2). The
limits specified in this subsection may be extended until the end of
any transitional benefit period established under section 11(s). The
certification period may be--
``(1) up to 24 months if all adult household members are
elderly or disabled; or
``(2) up to 36 months if--
``(A) all adult household members are elderly or
disabled;
``(B) all adult household members who are elderly
or disabled are enrolled in Medicaid, including those
enrolled in the Medicare Savings Program as defined in
section 1144(c)(7) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1320b-14(c)(7));
``(C) the State agency's administration of the
program under paragraph (B) is jointly administered or
highly coordinated with benefits under this Act, as
determined by the Secretary; and
``(D) at the time the household is certified the
household has no earned income.''.
(b) Combined Application Projects.--Section 11(j) of the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(j)) is amended by adding at the
end the following--
``(3) SSI combined application projects.--The Secretary and
the Commissioner of Social Security shall revise the memorandum
of understanding in effect on the date of enactment of the SNAP
Simplification for the Elderly Act regarding services to be
provided in Social Security offices under this subsection and
subsection (i), to provide that, in addition to the other
activities under this subsection, the two agencies shall make
available Combined Application Projects to not fewer than 10
additional States that are prepared to undertake such projects
and satisfy the Secretary and Commissioner's requirements for
such projects.''.
(c) Pilot Projects.--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) Pilot Projects for SSA Senior Centers To Provide Integrated
Delivery of Services.--
``(1) Authority for pilot projects.--The Secretary shall
carry out, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Social
Security, under such terms and conditions as they consider
appropriate, pilot projects in not more than 10 local offices
of the Social Security Administration that serve high-poverty
areas to develop and test approaches to integrate delivery of
benefits to households that include low-income elderly or
disabled members.
``(2) Pilot projects.--Pilot projects carried out under
this subsection shall develop and test approaches to improve
participation in multiple programs that provide benefits to
such members.
``(A) Such approaches shall include--
``(i) developing service delivery offices
that--
``(I) provide a `one-stop shopping'
approach where applicants and
recipients can apply for multiple
benefits at local offices of the Social
Security Administration; or
``(II) include collocation of staff
of other government entities or
nonprofit private organizations at such
offices;
``(ii) collaborating with private nonprofit
organizations, such as community-based
organizations, emergency feeding organizations,
or organizations that serve elderly individual
or individuals with disabilities;
``(iii) make changes to allow for
applications (which may include recertification
applications) to be collected for a wider range
of programs, for example, by revising
applications and data systems to collect
information for multiple programs;
``(iv) targeting education and application
assistance to specific sub-populations with low
participation rates in included programs; or
``(v) data-driven approaches that allow
sharing relevant data across included programs
for the purpose of improving cross-program
enrollment.
``(B) Definitions.--For purposes of this
subsection--
``(i) the term `eligible entity' means the
State agency that administers the supplemental
nutrition assistance program in collaboration
with the Social Security Administration; and
``(ii) the term `included programs' means--
``(I) the supplemental nutrition
assistance program;
``(II) programs administered by the
Administrator of Social Security that
are available to individuals who are
elderly or have a disability;
``(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));
``(IV) at the option of an eligible
entity, any other Federal, State, or
local program that is available to low-
income individuals who are elderly or
have disability.
``(3) Funding of grants.--The Secretary shall use not more
than $50,000,000 of funds made available for fiscal year 2018
under section 18(a)(1), to remain available until expended, to
make grants to State agencies to pay 100 percent of the cost of
the selected eligible entities to carry out the pilot. Such
grants shall supplement and not supplant other funding
available to the eligible entities.
``(4) Eligible entity and lead agency.--
``(A) To be eligible to receive a grant for a pilot
project under this subsection, an entity shall be a
State agency administering the supplemental nutrition
assistance program in collaboration with the Social
Security Administration.
``(B) The State agency shall designate a lead
agency for the pilot project, which may be the State
agency, a local governmental agency, or the Social
Security Administration.
``(5) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection a State shall submit an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
``(6) Selection of eligible entities.--The Secretary and
Commissioner of Social Security--
``(A) shall develop criteria for the selection of
eligible entities to receive grants for pilot projects
under this subsection; and
``(B) shall give preference to--
``(i) projects that target individuals or
communities with high levels of poverty among
seniors and people with disabilities;
``(ii) partnerships between governmental
and nongovernmental entities;
``(iii) strategies that test innovative
approaches that would be likely to be
replicable in other communities;
``(iv) projects that include resources from
sources other than the federal government.
``(7) Report to congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of the enactment of SNAP Simplification for the Elderly
Act, the Secretary and Commissioner of Social Security jointly
shall submit to the Committees on Agriculture and Ways and
Means of the House of Representatives and the Committees of
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Finance of the Senate
a report that includes--
``(A) an assessment of the impact such pilot
projects have on participation in included programs and
a description of the results of such projects;
``(B) identification of approaches that are most
successful and, to the extent practicable, the reasons
for the success; and
``(C) a discussion of best practices and the
factors that would affect whether such approaches can
be replicated in other locations.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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 Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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 Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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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