Proposed SNAP rule change would negatively impact Nevada recipients
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Sat, 07/27/2019 - 2:39pm
CARSON CITY – More than 46,000 Nevadans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would be affected by a proposed rule change announced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Services program.
This proposed rule will eliminate the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) policy and impose a financial asset test on SNAP applicants that were approved under BBCE.
Based on information from the USDA, the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services is estimating an approximate 11% reduction in those who qualify for SNAP under the BBCE policy, which represents approximately 46,000 people, from a total caseload of approximately 419,350. This reduction is achieved through a tightening of eligibility rules and reverting to pre- 2009 eligibility criteria.
“This proposal will negatively impact families all across our state,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “Food insecurity is common in many Nevada households, and the benefits provided by the SNAP program assist families in buying healthy foods and stretching their food dollars.”
In addition to impacting residents who count on the program for their food security, this proposal by the federal government will also translate to an approximate decrease of more than $9 million per month for the Nevada economy.
Public comment will be accepted on this proposed rule until September 23, 2019 through https://www.regulations.gov/ by searching for “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”
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About the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
There are several criteria under which an applicant can become eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). One way is through a SNAP policy known as Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility. This policy was established in part as a response to the Great Recession. In 2009, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services introduced an expansion of the categorical eligibility policy and named it Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE). For Nevada, the policy expanded the federal poverty limit for SNAP to 200% and removed the requirement of a resource (financial asset) test. This BBCE policy is applied to SNAP participants who are receiving a benefit from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
Currently, the State of Nevada utilizes an informational paragraph on the application for assistance describing a class offered by the Nevada Public Health Foundation to target pregnant and parenting teens to confer BBCE for all SNAP households that have an income level up to 200% of the federal poverty limit.
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