Bill Text: IL HJR0043 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Creates the Task Force on the Efficient Distribution of SNAP Benefits to prepare a report that details how SNAP benefits can be distributed more evenly throughout the month in the State of Illinois.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)

Status: (Passed) 2013-05-31 - Adopted Both Houses [HJR0043 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HJR0043-Engrossed.html

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 43
WHEREAS, Over 2 million Illinois residents receive
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;
this number includes older adults, young children, people with
disabilities, and working families; and
WHEREAS, Over 60,000 food-insecure Illinois residents
enroll or re-enroll in the SNAP program every month; and
WHEREAS, The SNAP program is an important component of
Illinois' economy that generates over $3 billion in annual
spending; and
WHEREAS, Prior to October of 2010, the overwhelming
majority of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
benefits were distributed on the 1st of the month in Illinois;
and
WHEREAS, Due to the SNAP distribution schedule, customers
were relegated to shopping in crowded stores with elevated
security, stores were unable to offer a high level of customer
service due to the size of the crowds, customers who shopped
later in the month found empty store shelves and diminished
access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and employees saw their
hours cut; and

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WHEREAS, The narrow SNAP distribution schedule caused
enormous operational issues for Illinois grocers and
retailers, especially for those businesses that operated in
areas with a high density of customers that purchased food with
SNAP funds; and
WHEREAS, The SNAP distribution schedule also created
operational issues for food banks, which experienced an
increase in families in need at the end of the month when SNAP
benefits ran out; and
WHEREAS, In October of 2010, after many meetings with
representatives of the grocery industry and non-profit groups
that have an interest in food access for low-income residents,
the Illinois Department of Human Services instituted a change
in how SNAP benefits were distributed to Illinois residents;
and
WHEREAS, In order to relieve the pressure off of businesses
and customers at the 1st of the month, a large number of SNAP
customers were shifted from the 1st of the month to the 4th,
7th, and 10th of the month over the period of one year with
great success; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services currently issues

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SNAP benefits on the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 14th,
17th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd days of the month; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services has decided to
shrink the SNAP distribution dates to the first 10 days of the
month; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), which controls the funding for the SNAP program, sent a
letter to each state encouraging states to stagger SNAP
distribution throughout the month; and
WHEREAS, This change goes in the opposite direction of the
advocacy position taken by the USDA and the movement of other
states in recent years, changing their systems to stagger SNAP
benefits throughout the month; and
WHEREAS, Neither grocers nor poverty and food advocates
believe that technology should dictate policy and that more
efficient solutions should be achieved to avoid hunger;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Task Force on Hunger and the
Efficient Distribution of SNAP Benefits is created; and be it

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further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the
following 10 members, appointed as follows:
(1) four legislators, appointed one each by the
President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives;
(2) the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human
Services or his or her designee;
(3) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
state-wide association exclusively representing retailers;
(4) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
state-wide association exclusively representing grocers;
(5) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
non-profit organization focusing on advancing justice and
opportunity for low-income Illinois residents;
(6) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
non-profit organization focusing on ending poverty; and
(7) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
food bank that serves a county with over 2 million residents;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the co-chairs of the Task Force shall invite
representatives of the USDA and software contractors to
participate in the Task Force; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the designee of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the designee of the Senate President shall
serve as co-chairs of the Task Force; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall be
appointed no later than 30 days after the effective date of
this resolution; the members of the Task Force shall not
receive compensation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services shall
provide administrative support to the Task Force; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare a report that
details how SNAP benefits can be distributed more evenly
throughout the month without increasing hunger in the State of
Illinois and shall submit this report to the Governor and the
General Assembly by October 1, 2013; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Task Force, upon issuing the report, is
dissolved effective October 1, 2013.