The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program, is the largest program for preventing hunger in our state.
In Texas, SNAP helps nearly 3.8 million individuals afford food when they go through a period of financial hardship and plays an especially important role in rural areas and small towns in the state.
HB 285 by Rep. Drew Springer would end Texas’ flexibility to target SNAP assistance and, as a result, lead to higher rates of hunger.
HB 285 would tie the state’s hands and hurt struggling Texans in the future by stopping the state from waiving the SNAP time limit:
- When a disaster like Hurricane Harvey devastates a community’s stores and businesses, and their workers suffer.
- When a town’s major employer shuts its doors and jobs are scarce.
- When a national recession hits and full-time employment is hard to find.
- When a former foster care child struggles to finish school or to find work.
All Texans should be able to feed their families in times of need, and SNAP is a proven way to deliver food to our friends and neighbors efficiently.
CPPP will be testifying before the Human Services committee Feb. 26 against HB 285. Here’s our testimony on why HB 285 is bad for Texans.
CPPP Communications Intern Jovahana Avila contributed to this blog post.