,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #afbh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #f1 #bjbe ,mr4 ,welch 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,fetterman1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,ms4 ,warren1 and ,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh to repeal the particular work requirement that disqualifies able-bodied adults for eligibility to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,improving ,access to ,nutrition ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 #ce1jjj1jjj people1 including over #aj1jjj1jjj children1 suffered from hunger even before the ,,covid-#ai pandemic began2 7#b7 analyses show that #ej1jjj1jjj people1 including #ag1jjj1jjj children1 could go hungry due to the effects of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 7#c7 as of ,december #bjbj1 food insecurity among ,white households with children was #bd4b percent1 while #ch4f percent of ,latinx households and #dj4f percent of ,african-,american households with children suffered from food insecurity2 7#d7 ,black and ,hispanic children were twice as likely as ,white children to live in households without enough to eat1 entering the ,,covid-#ai pandemic at a disproportionate risk of going hungry2 7#e7 adults who identify as ,american ,indian1 ,alaska ,native1 ,native ,hawaiian1 ,pacific ,islander1 or multiracial were twice as likely as ,white adults to report that their household did not get enough to eat2 7#f7 while official national data for ,native ,american households is lacking1 previous research in the ,state of ,washington showed food insecurity among ,native households was #b4e times higher than in ,white households2 7#g7 the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has deepened longstanding racial disparities and food insecurity2 7#h7 the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et seq47 7referred to in this section as the supplemental nutrition assistance program7 is the first line of defense against hunger and especially vital for vulnerable populations2 7#i7 more than #he percent of all benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program go to households with children1 seniors1 and persons with disabilities2 7#aj7 the supplemental nutrition assistance program helps restore access to healthy food1 improves overall health1 and reduces poverty2 7#aa7 participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program is associated with educational advancement of children in poverty and improvements in math and reading scores2 7#ab7 the supplemental nutrition assistance program has a proven record of effectiveness in promoting food security and health and in providing economic stimulus2 7#ac7 each dollar of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits during a downturn generates between #a4ej and #a4hj in economic activity2 7#ad7 studies have demonstrated that work requirements do not reduce poverty2 7#ae7 about #f1ajj1jjj 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 requirements2 7#af7 for individuals described in paragraph 7#ae7 who live in households with school-aged children1 supplemental nutrition assistance program benefit reductions or terminations could jeopardize the health1 development1 and future success of those children2 7#ag7 children in poverty often depend on pooled resources 7including supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits7 from extended family members who do not claim them as dependents2 7#ah7 studies show that health impediments are a primary cause of many recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits being unable to meet a work requirement2 7#ai7 work requirements cause an increase in the administrative bureaucracy of the supplemental nutrition assistance program1 which some studies have shown cause a significant reduction in participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program2 7#bj7 studies show that-- 7,a7 ,black people are particularly vulnerable to barriers to accessing the supplemental nutrition assistance program and most likely to face recent unemployment2 and 7,b7 work requirements would disproportionately prevent ,black people from having access to benefits under that program2 7#ba7 families experiencing homelessness are most likely to leave programs such as the supplemental nutrition assistance program when there is a work requirement1 thereby increasing their vulnerability2 and 7#bb7 the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has made people more vulnerable1 and a work requirement under the supplemental nutrition assistance program would serve to only further burden people most at risk during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4 #c4 ,elimination of work requirement under supplemental nutrition assistance program 7a7 ,in general ,section #f of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjae7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking subsection 7o72 and 7#b7 by redesignating subsections 7p7 through 7s7 as subsections 7o7 through 7r71 respectively4 7b7 ,conforming amendments 7#a7 ,section #e7;a7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjad7;a77 is amended1 in the second sentence1 by striking 7r7 and inserting 7q74 7#b7 ,section #f7;d77#d7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjae7;d77#d77 is amended-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,b77ii77,i77bb77,,dd71 by striking or subsection 7o72 and 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,n71 by striking or subsection 7o7 each place it appears4 7#c7 ,section #g7;i77#a7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaf7;i77#a77 is amended by striking section #f7o77#b7 of this ,act or4 7#d7 ,section #af7;h7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbe7;h77 is amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,b71 in the matter preceding clause 7i71 by striking that-- and all that follows through the period at the end of clause 7ii7 and inserting that is determined and adjusted by the ,secretary42 7ii7 by striking subparagraph 7,e72 7iii7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,f7 as subparagraph 7,e72 and 7iv7 in clause 7ii77,,iii77ee77,,aa7 of subparagraph 7,e7 7as so redesignated71 by striking 1 individuals subject to the requirements under section #f7o712 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#e77;,c7-- 7i7 in clause 7ii71 by adding and at the end2 7ii7 in clause 7iii71 by striking 2 and and inserting a period2 and 7iii7 by striking clause 7iv74 7#e7 ,section #ea7;d77#h77;,a77ii7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf is amended-- 7,a7 in subclause 7,i71 by striking 1 or at the end and inserting a period2 7,b7 in the matter preceding subclause 7,i71 by striking family-- and all that follows through receiving in subclause 7,i7 and inserting family receiving2 and 7,c7 by striking subclause 7,,ii74 7#f7 ,section #ajc7;a77#b7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caac7 is amended-- 7,a7 by striking subparagraph 7,d72 and 7,b7 by redesignating subparagraphs 7,e7 through 7,k7 as subparagraphs 7,d7 through 7,j71 respectively4 7#g7 ,section #aba7;b77#b77;,b7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caea7 is amended-- 7,a7 by striking clause 7iv72 and 7,b7 by redesignating clauses 7v7 through 7vii7 as clauses 7iv7 through 7vi71 respectively4 #d4 ,effective date ,this ,act and the amendments made by this ,act shall take effect #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4