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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | ||||||
| 3 | (SNAP) offers nutrition assistance to low-income individuals | ||||||
| 4 | and families; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, While SNAP is intended to ensure that no one | ||||||
| 6 | should fear going hungry, it also reflects the importance of | ||||||
| 7 | work and responsibility; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, SNAP rules require all recipients meet work | ||||||
| 9 | requirements unless they are exempt because of age or | ||||||
| 10 | disability; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Some of these working individuals are ABAWDs or | ||||||
| 12 | able-bodied adults without dependents, who must meet work | ||||||
| 13 | requirements to maintain SNAP eligibility; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, ABAWDs can only receive SNAP benefits for three | ||||||
| 15 | months in three years if they do not meet the work requirement, | ||||||
| 16 | which requires an ABAWD to work at least 80 hours per month, | ||||||
| 17 | participate in qualifying education and training activities 80 | ||||||
| 18 | hours a month, or comply with a workforce program; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, The three-month time limit on ABAWDs is part of | ||||||
| 20 | the law that governs the operation of SNAP and has been in | ||||||
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| 1 | effect since 1996; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, States can apply for a waiver from the three-month | ||||||
| 3 | time limit, which would allow ABAWDs to be eligible for SNAP | ||||||
| 4 | without meeting the ABAWD work requirement; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Several other states, including Maine, Georgia, | ||||||
| 6 | and Alabama have chosen not to seek an ABAWD time limit work | ||||||
| 7 | waiver from the federal government, and as a result have seen a | ||||||
| 8 | decrease in SNAP participation; therefore, be it
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| 9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 10 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 11 | reinstating the work requirement for ABAWDs in Illinois will | ||||||
| 12 | encourage work-ready adults to be self reliant and independent; | ||||||
| 13 | and be it further
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| 14 | RESOLVED, That we encourage the Department of Human | ||||||
| 15 | Services to let Illinois' federal time limit waiver expire and | ||||||
| 16 | not seek another waiver, so that ABAWDs will actively meet | ||||||
| 17 | employment or education requirements, boosting our state's | ||||||
| 18 | economy and saving our state money with fewer Illinoisans | ||||||
| 19 | reliant on SNAP benefits.
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