Asha McElroy is a Master of Public Health student at The University of Michigan and summer intern with the HLS Food Law & Policy Clinic. She is a guest contributor on the blog.
In preparation for the 2023 Farm Bill, the House Agriculture Committee is hosting a series of hearings focused on reviewing various titles of the 2018 Farm Bill. As hearings proceed, students working with the Farm Bill Law Enterprise (FBLE) will provide coverage of select hearings relevant to FBLE’s recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. On June 8th, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations convened a hearing to review the impacts of the 2018 Farm Bill and listened to opportunities for improvement to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from stakeholders. Many of the perspectives shared align with FBLE’s recently published report on Food Access & Nutrition. Stakeholders testifying for the subcommittee hearing included:
- Mike Beal, Chief Financial Officer of Balls Food Stores testified on behalf of the National Grocers Association
- Ty Jones Cox, Vice President of Food Assistance for The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Dan Giacomi, SNAP Program Administration Manager for the Connecticut Department of Social Services
The purpose of SNAP is to respond to hunger and food insecurity concerns within low-income families in times of need. As Mrs. Ty Jones Cox, emphasized to the subcommittee, SNAP is designed to “expand when there is a need and contract when the need decreases” which is an accurate representation of what occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fluctuation is evident through decreased participation in SNAP as Americans begin to recover physically, financially, emotionally and mentally from the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes, chairwoman of the subcommittee, stated that “SNAP is at the heart of [the] coalition [of urban, suburban and rural interests in Congress,] the Farm Bill itself provides support to every part of the food economy.” With SNAP providing a source of revenue to farmers and supporting low-income families in patronizing the local food system, there are various aspects of the program that can be strengthened, streamlined and modernized.
All stakeholders present at the subcommittee meeting agreed that SNAP unnecessarily restricts food choices for low-income individuals and families. These unnecessary restrictions can be attributed to SNAP rules that prohibit the use of SNAP benefits to purchase certain food products including hot foods. FBLE’s Food Access & Nutrition Report recommends reforming SNAP to eliminate the hot food restriction, which, Mr. Dan Giacomi noted, is “most harmful to our homeless population as well as those recovering from natural [or manmade] disaster[s].” With the renewal of the 2023 Farm Bill quickly approaching, Congress has an opportunity to relax restrictions of the SNAP program, to expand food choices to include nutrient dense, affordable and culturally relevant foods.
Expanding SNAP program eligibility may help reduce the impact of food insecurity in individuals that are not currently eligible for the program. Mrs. Ty Jones Cox urged the subcommittee to consider expanding SNAP to other low-income groups including “college students, veterans with disabilities, adults over 60, immigrants and all [other] low-income groups” to fulfill the goal of SNAP and support an increased number of households. Other low-income groups left out of SNAP eligibility include able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). These individuals were restricted by a time limit within SNAP prior to the pandemic; FBLE’s Food Access & Nutrition Report recommends permanently removing this time limit in the next farm bill to ensure that benefits continue to provide food security for all households in need of support. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern agreed that the subcommittee has an opportunity in the upcoming Farm Bill to “start treating people with dignity, and how we draft and pass the next Farm Bill starting here in this room can send one of two messages. That we care about people, and we understand the importance of SNAP for people experiencing hard times or we do not.” Expanding SNAP eligibility for all low-income groups is a step in the right direction that Congress can take in the 2023 Farm Bill.
The SNAP program needs to be streamlined and modernized to increase food security for all low-income populations. All stakeholders supported the modernization of the program through various aspects that benefit the populations they are working with closely, including through the use of telephonic signatures. Mr. Dan Giacomi championed this modern idea to the subcommittee based on his experience working in The Connecticut Department of Social Services: “[Telephonic signatures] allowed individuals to call us on the telephone and not be bothered to come into a state office or take off work.” The use of telephonic signatures is legally enforceable in public and private sectors according to the American Bar Association. Therefore, Congress has the legal basis to grant the USDA authority to make provisions to SNAP in order to integrate telephonic signatures in the upcoming Farm Bill. Other changes to modernize SNAP can increase the number and capacity of participating retailers to serve more SNAP customers. Mr. Mike Beal advocated for the expansion of SNAP online to include purchasing from independent retailers to “create markets for smaller producers [while] adding to the partnerships across the community.” This expansion could increase access to healthy foods for individuals living in rural, suburban, and urban areas, which is another goal of SNAP.
Although these improvements seem simple, further advocacy efforts from various sectors will be needed to secure these important changes to SNAP in the 2023 Farm Bill. More detailed recommendations on expanding SNAP eligibility, modernizing SNAP for customers and retailers, and broadening food choices can be found in FBLE’s Food Access & Nutrition Report. Stay tuned for more updates regarding Congressional Hearings on the 2023 Farm Bill on the FBLE Blog!
The views and opinions expressed on the FBLE Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FBLE. While we review posts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee the reliability and completeness of any legal analysis presented; posts on this Blog do not constitute legal advice. If you discover an error, please reach out to contact@farmbilllaw.org.
