[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2996 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2996

    To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify the work 
    requirement applicable to able-bodied adults without dependents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2017

   Mr. Graves of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify the work 
    requirement applicable to able-bodied adults without dependents.

    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 ``Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program Reform Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Declaration of Policy.--Section 2 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
``Congress further finds that it should also be the purpose of the 
supplemental nutrition assistance program to increase employment, to 
encourage healthy marriage, and to promote prosperous self-sufficiency, 
which means the ability of households to maintain an income above the 
poverty level without services and benefits from the Federal 
Government.''.
    (b) Definitions.--
            (1) Food.--Section 3(k) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
        2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(k)) is amended by inserting before the 
        period at the end the following: ``, except that a food, food 
        product, meal, or other item described in this subsection shall 
        be considered a food under this Act only if it is an essential 
        (as determined by the Secretary)''.
            (2) Supervised job search.--Section 3 of the Food and 
        Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsections (t) through (v) as 
                subsections (u) through (w), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (s) the 
                following:
    ``(t) Supervised Job Search.--The term `supervised job search' 
means a job search program that has the following characteristics:
            ``(1) The job search occurs at an official location where 
        the presence and activity of the recipient can be directly 
        observed, supervised, and monitored.
            ``(2) The entry, time onsite, and exit of the recipient 
        from the official job search location are recorded in a manner 
        that prevents fraud.
            ``(3) The recipient is expected to remain and undertake job 
        search activities at the job search center.
            ``(4) The quantity of time the recipient is observed and 
        monitored engaging in job search at the official location is 
        recorded for purposes of compliance with the work and work 
        activation requirements of sections 6(o) and 30.''.
    (c) Work Requirement for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents.--
Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) by 
                striking ``not less than 3 months (consecutive or 
                otherwise)'' and inserting ``more than 1 month'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C) by striking ``or'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in subparagraph (D) by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) participate in supervised job search for at 
                least 8 hours per week.'';
            (2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Termination.--Subparagraph (A) shall not 
                apply with respect to any fiscal year that begins after 
                the date of the enactment of the Supplemental Nutrition 
                Assistance Program Reform Act of 2017.'';
            (3) in paragraph (6)--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading by striking ``15-
                PERCENT'' and inserting ``5-PERCENT'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)(ii)(IV) by striking ``3 
                months'' and inserting ``1 month''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``15 percent'' 
                and inserting ``5 percent''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Promoting work.--As a condition of receiving 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program funds under this Act, 
        a State agency shall provide each individual subject to the 
        work requirement of this subsection with the opportunity to 
        participate in an activity selected by the State from among the 
        options described in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (E) of 
        paragraph (2).
            ``(9) Penalties for inadequate state performance.--If a 
        State agency fails to fully comply with this section, including 
        the requirement to terminate the benefits of individuals who 
        fail to fulfill the work requirements described in paragraph 
        (2) during a fiscal quarter, the funding allotment of the State 
        for the supplemental nutrition assistance program shall be 
        reduced by 10 percent for the quarter that begins 180 days 
        after the first day of the quarter in which the noncompliance 
        occurred.''.
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