Introduced in Senate — S. 1628

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1628

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 6, 2025

Mr. Welch (for himself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to repeal the particular work requirement that disqualifies able-bodied adults for eligibility to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2025.

Sec. 2. Findings

Congress finds that—

(1)

35,000,000 people, including over 10,000,000 children, suffered from hunger even before the COVID–19 pandemic began;

(2)

analyses show that 50,000,000 people, including 17,000,000 children, could go hungry due to the effects of the COVID–19 pandemic;

(3)

as of December 2020, food insecurity among White households with children was 24.2 percent, while 38.6 percent of Latinx households and 40.6 percent of African-American households with children suffered from food insecurity;

(4)

Black and Hispanic children were twice as likely as White children to live in households without enough to eat, entering the COVID–19 pandemic at a disproportionate risk of going hungry;

(5)

adults who identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or multiracial were twice as likely as White adults to report that their household did not get enough to eat;

(6)

while official national data for Native American households is lacking, previous research in the State of Washington showed food insecurity among Native households was 2.5 times higher than in White households;

(7)

the COVID–19 pandemic has deepened longstanding racial disparities and food insecurity;

(8)

the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) (referred to in this section as the supplemental nutrition assistance program) is the first line of defense against hunger and especially vital for vulnerable populations;

(9)

more than 85 percent of all benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program go to households with children, seniors, and persons with disabilities;

(10)

the supplemental nutrition assistance program helps restore access to healthy food, improves overall health, and reduces poverty;

(11)

participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program is associated with educational advancement of children in poverty and improvements in math and reading scores;

(12)

the supplemental nutrition assistance program has a proven record of effectiveness in promoting food security and health and in providing economic stimulus;

(13)

each dollar of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits during a downturn generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity;

(14)

studies have demonstrated that work requirements do not reduce poverty;

(15)

about 6,100,000 individuals are subject to work requirements under the supplemental nutrition assistance program and are at risk of losing critical food assistance if they cannot comply with those work requirements;

(16)

for individuals described in paragraph (15) who live in households with school-aged children, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefit reductions or terminations could jeopardize the health, development, and future success of those children;

(17)

children in poverty often depend on pooled resources (including supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits) from extended family members who do not claim them as dependents;

(18)

studies show that health impediments are a primary cause of many recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits being unable to meet a work requirement;

(19)

work requirements cause an increase in the administrative bureaucracy of the supplemental nutrition assistance program, which some studies have shown cause a significant reduction in participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program;

(20)

studies show that—

(A)

Black people are particularly vulnerable to barriers to accessing the supplemental nutrition assistance program and most likely to face recent unemployment; and

(B)

work requirements would disproportionately prevent Black people from having access to benefits under that program;

(21)

families experiencing homelessness are most likely to leave programs such as the supplemental nutrition assistance program when there is a work requirement, thereby increasing their vulnerability; and

(22)

the COVID–19 pandemic has made people more vulnerable, and a work requirement under the supplemental nutrition assistance program would serve to only further burden people most at risk during the COVID–19 pandemic.

Sec. 3. Elimination of work requirement under supplemental nutrition assistance program

(a) In general

Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is amended—

(1)

by striking subsection (o); and

(2)

by redesignating subsections (p) through (s) as subsections (o) through (r), respectively.

(b) Conforming amendments

(1)

Section 5(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(a)) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking (r) and inserting (q).

(2)

Section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(4)) is amended—

(A)

in subparagraph (B)(ii)(I)(bb)(DD), by striking or subsection (o); and

(B)

in subparagraph (N), by striking or subsection (o) each place it appears.

(3)

Section 7(i)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(i)(1)) is amended by striking section 6(o)(2) of this Act or.

(4)

Section 16(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)) is amended—

(A)

in paragraph (1)—

(i)

in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking that— and all that follows through the period at the end of clause (ii) and inserting that is determined and adjusted by the Secretary.;

(ii)

by striking subparagraph (E);

(iii)

by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (E); and

(iv)

in clause (ii)(III)(ee)(AA) of subparagraph (E) (as so redesignated), by striking , individuals subject to the requirements under section 6(o),; and

(B)

in paragraph (5)(C)—

(i)

in clause (ii), by adding and at the end;

(ii)

in clause (iii), by striking ; and and inserting a period; and

(iii)

by striking clause (iv).

(5)

Section 51(d)(8)(A)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended—

(A)

in subclause (I), by striking , or at the end and inserting a period;

(B)

in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking family— and all that follows through receiving in subclause (I) and inserting family receiving; and

(C)

by striking subclause (II).

(6)

Section 103(a)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3113) is amended—

(A)

by striking subparagraph (D); and

(B)

by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (K) as subparagraphs (D) through (J), respectively.

(7)

Section 121(b)(2)(B) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3151) is amended—

(A)

by striking clause (iv); and

(B)

by redesignating clauses (v) through (vii) as clauses (iv) through (vi), respectively.

Sec. 4. Effective date

This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.