SUBPART E-5. SNAP WORK REQUIREMENTS

§331. Findings and intent

            A. The legislature hereby finds and declares the following:

            (1) It is the policy of this state to encourage self-sufficiency so that Louisianians may reduce dependence on public benefits to meet basic needs and become economically self-reliant.

            (2) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as "food stamps" and referred to hereafter in this Subpart as "SNAP", provides support to needy households and to persons making the transition from welfare to work.

            (3) Federal regulations provided for in 7 CFR 273.24 limit the duration of receipt of SNAP benefits by nonworking, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) who do not qualify for certain exemptions to a total of three months in any three-year period. However, states may submit to the federal government applications, commonly known as "waivers", to have this three-month limit waived. If approved, such waivers allow able-bodied, nonworking, nonexempt adults to receive SNAP benefits for an unlimited duration. Louisiana has long used these waivers to exempt the majority of able-bodied adults without dependents from the federal work requirement.

            (4) Federal law allows states to exempt up to eight percent of able-bodied adults from the work requirement without providing any reason whatsoever. These "no-good-cause exemptions" also accumulate and carry over from year to year without limit. As a policy, Louisiana has not used these "no-good-cause exemptions". However, because Louisiana has waived the work requirement, there has been no reason to use these additional exemptions.

            B. It is the intent of this Subpart to institute a comprehensive, statewide work requirement for able-bodied adults up to fifty-two years old without any dependents who receive SNAP benefits in this state.

            Acts 2024, No. 308, §1, eff. May 28, 2024.