Author: Emma Soukup

  • House Energy and Commerce Committee includes Medicaid work requirement in budget reconciliation bill

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    The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed their budget reconciliation bill on May 14 with a 30-24 vote after a May 13th markup of the previous draft version. The current version of the bill would require states to adopt community engagement requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents on Medicaid. The current version specifies community engagement…

  • House Judiciary’s budget reconciliation bill considers REINS Act provisions

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    The House Judiciary Committee released a draft of their budget reconciliation bill on April 27, which included major provisions from the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (REINS Act), and the markup version voted out April 30th by a 23-17 margin retained those provisions. The final omnibus bill may differ from this…

  • North Dakota Legislature sustained governor’s veto of universal school choice bill: analysis of rural vs urban/suburban votes

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    What’s the Story The North Dakota House sustained Gov. Kelly Armstrong‘s (R) veto of the universal school choice bill House Bill 1540 on April 25. The veto was sustained in the House by a 45-48 vote, with the 45 votes supporting the veto override coming from Republican members. The 48 votes opposing consisted of 37…

  • USDA SNAP work requirements press release states: Those who can work, should

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    The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a press release and a memorandum on April 17 that provided guidelines from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stating that able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) should have to work to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The memorandum covers three areas related to SNAP Agency administration of…

  • Kentucky Legislature overrides veto on Medicaid work requirements bill

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    On March 27th, the Kentucky Legislature voted to override Gov. Beshear’s (D) veto of House Bill 695, which requires the state to seek work requirements for able-bodied adult Medicaid recipients. Kentucky has a divided government with a Republican-controlled legislature and a Democratic governor. Kentucky is one of six states that require a simple majority vote…

  • Arkansas Governor applies to CMS for waiver to implement work requirements for Medicaid

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    Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a section 1115 waiver request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last Tuesday, January 28th, requesting permission to implement work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients aged 19-64.  Section 1115 of the Social Security Act allows for states to request approval from the CMS to waive certain…

  • The Food and Nutrition Service issues final rule for SNAP work requirements

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    On January 16, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 final rule went into effect. This rule reaffirmed requirements laid out in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) with three main provisions governing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — previously called food stamps. These…

  • SNAP work requirements 2024 state legislation roundup

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    Ballotpedia tracked two state bills related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements that were enacted in 2024. One was a Florida bill that expanded work requirements for SNAP benefits by increasing the age for which requirements still apply beyond the federally set age. The other bill was in Louisiana and limited the…

  • South Dakota voters approve constitutional amendment allowing Medicaid work requirements

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    On Tuesday, South Dakota voters approved Amendment F, amending the South Dakota Constitution to allow the state to set work requirements for Medicaid if approved by the federal government. The measure was passed 56% to 44% per the unofficial results. The federal government does not establish work requirements for Medicaid. States that wish to add…

  • Washington law expands child care subsidy eligibility by including early education programs goes into effect November 1, 2024

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    Washington House Bill 2124, which modifies child care subsidy work requirements, went into effect November 1, 2024. The bill requires the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to recognize participation in the Birth to Three Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) or the Early Head Start program as approved activities to meet work…