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South Dakota lawmaker wants stricter SNAP requirements

A U.S. Representative from South Dakota would like to see more widespread work requirements included in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the next farm bill.

Dusty Johnson tells Brownfield there are loopholes in the current program allowing states to ignore a 20-hour a week work requirement for able-bodied people without dependents.

“My bill would close that loophole,” he says. “There are lots of other flexibilities in the existing law for other states to use, but we need to stop the abuse some states have been engaging in.”

Johnson says it’s not a new idea, but there’s an opportunity in a farm bill year to have a broader discussion about safety net programs helping families get out of poverty.

“There is no pathway out of poverty that doesn’t include some form of work and education so let’s emphasize those things.”

Johnson says nearly 85% of the baseline is expected to go toward the nutrition title for the new farm bill, a near 10% increase from the 2018 farm bill. Read more about the America Works Act.

  • Unless you know the limits on what a person can or can’t do you really have no reason to say the things you do.
    There are people on EBT that are also on Disability & SSI who can’t work for several reasons.
    You need to be more educated on these things. One day you could be in the same situation.
    I Stand for most people on EBT, Disability, SSI and for Veterans on my own.

  • I am 65 and the only income my husband and I have is Social Security. We get $131.00 a month for SNAP. Living the dream……

  • Every time I get a raise on my social security, the state deducts EBT according to my social security raise. This last time it was round $50.00. Groceries are high and it is hard to make ends meet. Especially with the cut in EBT each year. Elders suffer while others get 1000.00 or more for each household member. And the elders got nothing.

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