Scott’s Bill Does Not Favor Untrained and Jobless Floridians

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 Executive summary

Although Scott’s new bill (Let’s Get to Work Act of 2022) emphasizes the value of work

and responsibility for the prosperity of the nation, the bill should be rejected because it does not

factor in the high unemployment rate and untrained people in Florida. By expanding work

requirements to parents of children older than six years old and able-bodied adults in the age

range of 50 to 59, it fails to consider ABAWD's unique demographics including education and

race, affect their unemployment rates, which have an impact on their capacity to find

employment. This bill will make it more difficult for the SNAP program in Florida to meet

sufficiently support people of color whose rates of unemployment can be up to twice as high as

those of other Floridians. Countrywide, the new bill is likely to affect about 800,000 people.

SNAP is an important stimulant during recessions. In light of the impending recession, I applaud

the administration's efforts to increase access and urge the legislature to consider doing so even

further. This would not only help local businesses and households that are struggling due to the

current health crisis, but it would also do so at a low cost to the state.

Background information

While SNAP's restrictions are meant to ensure that no one in our nation needs to worry

about being hungry, opponents of this program want it to also emphasize the value of work and

responsibility. Work requirements are part of SNAP. If a person can work and are between the

ages of 16 and 59, they will likely need to fulfill the standard job requirements to get SNAP

benefits (Dhs.ri.gov.2022). The requirements are tough for most people in Florida including

signing up for a job, taking part in employment and training or workfare organized by SNAP,

agreeing to do the job if offered, and not abandoning the job willingly or working 30 hours

weekly unless there is a valid cause not to do so.

 In the new bill, for SNAP recipients who are healthy and do not have dependents

(ABAWD), Scott suggests introducing work requirements. The following modifications to

SNAP eligibility would be made by Scott's proposed legislation. First, it will put an end to the

current suspension of ABAWDs' SNAP work requirements. Secondly, it will expand SNAP

employment requirements to parents of children older than six years old and able-bodied adults

in the age range of 50 to 59. (except for people with children below 6 years and or those who

nurse relatives who are incapacitated).

Controversy related to the policy

All SNAP applicants and recipients should be required to present an individual plan for

finding work and becoming self-sufficient when applying for or renewing assistance. This bill

asks the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to have more stringent job requirements

(SNAP). If these conditions are not met, SNAP eligibility is suspended for one month in the first

occurrence, three months in the second, and six months in the third.

States have previously had the freedom to direct waiver petitions toward regions with a

lack of employment. The new rule limits the ability of a state in waiving time limitations in

regions that have no sufficient jobs and modifies the requirements under which exemptions

would be granted. As an illustration, the new rule will mandate that states utilize past data on

unemployment rather than current data, which ignores the immediate confined effect of unseen

disasters such as hurricanes as well as the wider economic downturns that do not materialize for

months. The new law also fails to take into account the fact that unique demographics of an

ABAWD like education and race, affect their unemployment rates, which have an impact on

their capacity to find employment.

 Impact of the proposed legislation

If the bill passes, about 800,000 people countrywide will no longer get food assistance

when the ABAWD regulation is implemented. As an example, the Florida Legislature

established a bill in 2015 that forbids the DCF from requesting a waiver on time restrictions in

the absence of legislative consent led to around 500,000 Floridians losing access to SNAP in the

first year alone after introduction (Huddleston, 2022). As it turned out, many individuals who

lost their benefits did so despite living in parts of Florida where there are high unemployment

rates or facing severe obstacles to working, such as health problems or poor transportation.

In Florida, the effects of the new bill will undoubtedly be felt sooner rather than later.

DCF will have less freedom to seek exceptions during economic downturns until the legislature

permits it to seek additional limits on the program. Additionally, passing the bill will make it

more difficult for the SNAP program in Florida to meet the needs of unemployed people of

color, whose joblessness can be up to twice as high as those of other Floridians. This is because

the bill only takes into account employment rates in the whole country rather than the number of

unemployed ABAWD in Florida. It will hurt Floridians who are uneducated and untrained to

work in the job market of today. Even though many ABAWDs already possess the necessary

abilities to compete in the profession, 29 percent of them in Florida do not possess a high school

diploma or GED, which makes it more difficult for them to get employment.

According to the proponents of the bill, SNAP is a government-run initiative intended to

provide safety nets for individuals who are in need (Tampa, 2022). These initiatives are

necessary, but they think that the program should not set up a framework that inhibits

employment. However, multiple obstacles to self-sufficiency, such as impairments, mental health

conditions, domestic violence, and substance misuse disorders, provide a challenge for many
SNAP households. These families might not always be able to fulfill the full employment and

engagement criteria as a result. To enable counties and states to accommodate the unique needs

of their caseloads, states and counties should be provided flexibility in the SNAP job

requirements.

Recommendations

The bill should be rejected for many reasons. In Florida, SNAP is the most successful

program to fight hunger and unemployment. SNAP promotes health and lowers poverty and also

makes a difference in that families have enough to eat; these outcomes are all threatened by the

proposed changes. furthermore, payments from SNAP have benefited Florida to a great extent

showing how the federal government extends a hand to this group of people. From the program,

Florida is likely to get more than $300 million in benefits to help communities all around the

state each month. Additionally, a multiplier effect means that every dollar spent on SNAP in

Florida generates $1.80 in total economic activity (Appendix 1). Catering for vulnerable families

is a long-term benefit to the government even though the new standards may produce short-term

savings for the federal government. I urge the legislators to reject the bill so that the government

can continue catering to the unskilled and unemployed people in Florida during this time of

recession to enable them to get a living wage and affordable diet.

 Reference

https://www.wfla.com/news/politics/sen-rick-scott-proposes-changes-to-snap-welfare-eligibility/

Huddleston, C. (2022). USDA’s Three Rules to Slash SNAP: Distinguishing Between the Cuts

and Their Impact on Florida. Floridapolicy.org. Retrieved 13 October 2022, from

https://www.floridapolicy.org/posts/usdas-three-rules-to-slash-snap-distinguishing-

between-the-cuts-and-their-impact-on-florida.

SNAP Income and Benefit Changes Happening on Oct. 1, 2022 | RI Department of Human

Services. Dhs.ri.gov. (2022). Retrieved 13 October 2022, from https://dhs.ri.gov/press-

releases/snap-income-and-benefit-changes-happening-oct-1-2022.

Tampa, F (2022). Sen. Rick Scott proposes changes to SNAP, welfare eligibility
Appendix 1: Project4d Benefits of SNAP