Health and Human Services Committee Advances Speaker Fecteau’s Bill to Protect Access to Food for Maine Families
LD 2122 will ensure funding for SNAP benefits in the event of a federal shutdown
AUGUSTA – The Health and Human Services Committee yesterday voted 8-5 in support of an amended version of LD 2122, An Act to Prevent Negative Impacts from Federal Funding Changes to and Fund Eligibility Determinations and Outreach for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, proposed by Speaker Ryan D. Fecteau (D-Biddeford). The bill will make sure Maine gets as much federal food assistance as possible despite Trump’s “Big Bad Bill” and develops a contingency fund to ensure continued funding in the event of future federal shutdowns or disruptions.
“By pushing through the ‘Big Bad Bill’, Trump and his pals in Congress are trying to take food from kids, veterans and seniors in Maine,” said Speaker Fecteau. “I’m grateful to the committee for their thoughtful work on this bill, and to the majority of committee members who voted to make sure Mainers can put food on the table amid continued federal uncertainty.”
The bill proposed by Speaker Fecteau will:
Establish a nonlapsing SNAP contingency fund to provide 3 months of SNAP benefits in the event the Federal Government fails to provide this critical funding.
Direct DHHS to implement a system to reduce our SNAP “error rate,” potentially saving Maine more than $50M in payments to the federal government.
Support existing SNAP outreach contractors with a state funding match, enhancing their ability to support and improve communications to SNAP recipients
Organizations that work to ensure food security for Maine people applauded the committee’s support.
"SNAP helps put food on the table for over 160,000 Mainers, and today’s committee vote to support LD 2122 is the first of many responsible choices we can make to help protect our friends, family, and neighbors from experiencing the impacts of a hunger crisis,” said Anna Korsen, Deputy Director of Full Plates Full Potential. “Maine cannot choose a path that fails to protect SNAP at a time when many are struggling to afford basic groceries and necessities, and we urge the full legislature to vote this bill into law."
"13.8% of adults and 20.6% of children in Maine live in food-insecure households,” said Sandy Swett, Executive Director of the Harrison Food Bank. “Passing the SNAP Bill LD 2122 will protect desperately needed SNAP food benefits in case of any adverse federal effects that would shut off funding. SNAP funding is important for staple goods that are needed daily in these food-insecure homes, whereas food banks are only meant to provide supplemental food."
LD 2122 will next head to the House and Senate for additional votes in the coming weeks.
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