§2
Note
An Act concerning waiver requests for certain eligibility requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and amending P.L.2016, c.11.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2016, c.11 (C.44:10-105) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. 2[Immediately upon the effective date of [this act] P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), provided that the federal Public Health Emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on January 30, 2020 has expired, or within 30 days of the expiration of that federal Public Health Emergency, the] The2 Commissioner of Human Services shall submit to the Food and Nutrition Service within the United States Department of Agriculture a request for a waiver, as authorized by 7 C.F.R. 273.24(f), of the time limit on benefits for able bodied adults without dependents who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The commissioner shall seek either a Statewide waiver for time limits on benefits for this population, or a waiver for select geographic areas of the State.
b. [and at]At least once annually 1[thereafter] after1 the submission of the waiver pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the [Commissioner of Human Services] commissioner shall conduct a review of available data on labor and employment in the State produced by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics[. The purpose of the review shall be] in order to determine whether to submit a subsequent request for a waiver of the benefit time limit for able bodied adults without dependents participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [as authorized by 7 C.F.R. 273.24(f), either throughout the State or in any geographic area of the State]. The review shall consider each criterion of eligibility for a waiver as well as the availability of opportunities that will fulfill the work requirement described in 7 C.F.R. 273.24(a). Based on the annual review conducted pursuant to this [section] subsection, the commissioner shall [determine whether to] submit a request for a waiver 2[, when in compliance with federal guidance, either for the entire State, if all geographic areas in the State meet the waiver eligibility criteria, or for any geographic areas of the State that meet such eligibility criteria] for the maximum number of areas which are eligible for a waiver. The waiver request shall be for all geographic areas which represent thelargest number of individuals eligible for a waiver of the able bodied adults without dependents time limits on the receipt of SNAP benefits. This support shall serve to fulfill the requirements described in 7 U.S.C. s.2015(o)(4)(A)2.
(cf: P.L.2016, c.11, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the second month next following enactment, except the Commissioner of Human Services may take any anticipatory administrative action as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
Requires DHS to submit federal waiver request regarding time limits for certain SNAP recipients under certain circumstances.