HJ0043eng 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0043 Engrossed LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r

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

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 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 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

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.