SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2366

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 23, 2022

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2366.

      The committee substitute establishes the State SNAP Minimum Benefit Program in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services (DHS) to ensure that all SNAP households receive a minimum monthly benefit of $50, and appropriates $18 million from the General Fund to the DHS to accomplish the goals of the program.  SNAP, or the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a nutrition assistance program that serves as a safety net for low-income households.   

      Under the program, the division is directed to distribute to each eligible household a monthly State SNAP benefit equal to the difference between the household’s federal SNAP monthly benefit and $50.  The State SNAP benefit is to be provided to an eligible household in addition to the federal SNAP benefit.  The bill defines eligible household to mean means a household that is certified to receive a federal SNAP benefit of at least one dollar per month, but less than $50 per month. 

      The program is subject to the same State rules and procedures for implementing the federal SNAP to the greatest extent possible, including, but not limited to, distributing the State benefit using the program’s Electronic Benefit Transfer system and requiring that benefits be used solely for the purchase of food as defined under federal law.

      As amended, the bill appropriates $18 million from the General Fund to the DHS to implement the provisions of the bill.

      As reported by the committee with amendments, Assembly Bill No. 2366 is identical to a Senate committee substitute for Senate Bill No. 2156, which was also reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments remove a section from the bill that would have established a supplemental SNAP benefit of $15 for senior citizens and eligible individuals with a disability, and replaced it with a section requiring the DHS to establish the State SNAP minimum benefit program, under which each eligible household will be provided a monthly State SNAP benefit equal to the difference between the household’s federal monthly SNAP benefit and $50.

      The committee amendments revise the amount of the appropriation under the bill from $20.5 million to $18 million.

      The committee amendments revise the effective date of the bill from the first day of the fourth month next following enactment to the first day of the sixth month next following enactment.

      The committee amendments revise the title and synopsis of the bill to reflect these changes.