Full Text of HJR0043 98th General Assembly
HJ0043 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HJ0043 | | LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r |
|
| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Prior to October of 2010, the overwhelming | 3 | | majority of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | 4 | | benefits were distributed on the 1st of the month in Illinois; | 5 | | and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Due to the SNAP distribution schedule, customers | 7 | | were relegated to shopping in crowded stores with elevated | 8 | | security, stores were unable to offer a high level of customer | 9 | | service due to the size of the crowds, customers who shopped | 10 | | later in the month found empty store shelves and diminished | 11 | | access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and employees saw their | 12 | | hours cut; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, The narrow SNAP distribution schedule caused | 14 | | enormous operational issues for Illinois grocers and | 15 | | retailers, especially for those businesses that operated in | 16 | | areas with a high density of customers that purchased food with | 17 | | SNAP funds; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, The SNAP distribution schedule also created | 19 | | significant operational issues for food banks, which | 20 | | experienced a dramatic increase in families in need at the end | 21 | | of the month when SNAP benefits ran out; and
|
| | | HJ0043 | - 2 - | LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r |
|
| 1 | | WHEREAS, In October of 2010, after many meetings with | 2 | | representatives of the grocery industry and non-profit groups | 3 | | that have an interest in food access for low-income residents, | 4 | | the Illinois Department of Human Services instituted a change | 5 | | in how SNAP benefits were distributed to Illinois residents; | 6 | | and | 7 | | WHEREAS, In order to relieve the pressure off of businesses | 8 | | and customers at the first of the month, a large number of SNAP | 9 | | customers were shifted from the first of the month to the 4th, | 10 | | 7th, and 10th of the month over the period of one year with | 11 | | great success; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services currently issues | 13 | | SNAP benefits on the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 14th, | 14 | | 17th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd days of the month; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services has decided to | 16 | | shrink the SNAP distribution dates to the first 10 days of the | 17 | | month; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture | 19 | | (USDA), which controls the funding for the SNAP program, sent a | 20 | | letter to each state encouraging states to spread SNAP | 21 | | distribution evenly throughout the month; and
|
| | | HJ0043 | - 3 - | LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r |
|
| 1 | | WHEREAS, This change goes in the opposite direction of the | 2 | | advocacy position taken by the USDA and the movement of other | 3 | | states in recent years, changing their systems to distribute | 4 | | SNAP benefits evenly throughout the month; therefore, be it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 6 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 7 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Task Force on the Efficient | 8 | | Distribution of SNAP Benefits is created; and be it further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the | 10 | | following 10 members, appointed as follows: | 11 | | (1) four legislators, appointed one each by the | 12 | | President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the | 13 | | Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority | 14 | | Leader of the House of Representatives; | 15 | | (2) the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human | 16 | | Services or his or her designee; | 17 | | (3) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a | 18 | | state-wide association exclusively representing retailers; | 19 | | (4) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a | 20 | | state-wide association exclusively representing grocers; | 21 | | (5) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a | 22 | | non-profit organization focusing on advancing justice and | 23 | | opportunity for low-income Illinois residents; and | 24 | | (6) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a |
| | | HJ0043 | - 4 - | LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r |
|
| 1 | | non-profit organization focusing on the full development of | 2 | | children in Illinois; and be it further | 3 | | RESOLVED, That the co-chairs of the Task Force shall invite | 4 | | representatives of the USDA to participate in the Task Force; | 5 | | and be it further | 6 | | RESOLVED, That the designee of the Speaker of the House of | 7 | | Representatives and the designee of the Senate President shall | 8 | | serve as co-chairs of the Task Force; and be it further | 9 | | RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall be | 10 | | appointed no later than 30 days after the effective date of | 11 | | this resolution; the members of the Task Force shall not | 12 | | receive compensation; and be it further | 13 | | RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services shall | 14 | | provide administrative support to the Task Force; and be it | 15 | | further | 16 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare a report that | 17 | | details how SNAP benefits can be distributed more evenly | 18 | | throughout the month in the State of Illinois and shall submit | 19 | | this report to the Governor and the General Assembly by October | 20 | | 1, 2013; and be it further |
| | | HJ0043 | - 5 - | LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r |
|
| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force, upon issuing the report, is | 2 | | dissolved effective October 1, 2013.
|
|