SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2033

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 6, 2022

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2033.

      As amended by the committee, this bill would require the Department of Human Services (department), to the maximum extent permissible under federal law, to establish a training program for county boards of social services that assist individuals with the SNAP enrollment and recertification process.  The purpose of the training will be to educate employees on current federal laws, regulations, and standards concerning SNAP, and standard best practices to comply with federal SNAP requirements.  The department will review the training program and curriculum each year and may modify the training program from time to time, as necessary, to incorporate any changes to the federal laws, regulations, and standards concerning SNAP.  Participation in the training program will be mandatory for all employees of a county board of social services who assist individuals with the SNAP enrollment and recertification process.  Each county board of social services will be responsible for ensuring that all required employees complete the training program, at least once in each calendar year. 

      This bill requires the department to publish county-level case tracking data on SNAP on its Internet website that includes, but is not limited to:  application approval rates, reasons for application denial, and average application approval time.

      As amended, the bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to apply to the Food and Nutrition Service within the United States Department of Agriculture for any necessary waivers or approvals to implement the provisions of the bill.  The commissioner may adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act, which rules and regulations will be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law for a period not to exceed 18 months, and may, thereafter, be amended, adopted, or readopted in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

      As amended, this bill appropriates from the State’s General Fund the sum of $250,000 to the Department of Human Services to effectuate the provisions of the bill.

      As reported by the committee with amendments, Senate Bill No. 2033 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2363 (2R), which was also reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments clarify that the training program established by the bill will be for county boards of social services that assist individuals with SNAP enrollment and recertification processes. 

      The committee amendments provide that that the Department of Human Services (department) will review the training program and curriculum each year, instead of once every six months as originally provided in the bill, and the amendments clarify the department’s authority to modify the training program as necessary.

      The committee amendments remove provisions of the bill that would have required the department to establish a one-year pilot program to conduct focused outreach efforts about SNAP benefits and to provide application assistance to certain populations.

      The committee amendments clarify that the Commissioner of Human Services may adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of the bill, which rules and regulations will be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law for a period not to exceed 18 months, and may, thereafter, be amended, adopted or readopted in accordance with the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act.”

      The committee amendments appropriate from the State’s General Fund the sum of $250,000 to the department to effectuate the provisions of the bill.

      The committee amendments make various technical changes to the bill involving formatting and update the bill’s title and synopsis to reflect the changes made by amendment.