HJ0043 EngrossedLRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 43

 
2    WHEREAS, Over 2 million Illinois residents receive
3Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits;
4this number includes older adults, young children, people with
5disabilities, and working families; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Over 60,000 food-insecure Illinois residents
7enroll or re-enroll in the SNAP program every month; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The SNAP program is an important component of
9Illinois' economy that generates over $3 billion in annual
10spending; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Prior to October of 2010, the overwhelming
12majority of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
13benefits were distributed on the 1st of the month in Illinois;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, Due to the SNAP distribution schedule, customers
16were relegated to shopping in crowded stores with elevated
17security, stores were unable to offer a high level of customer
18service due to the size of the crowds, customers who shopped
19later in the month found empty store shelves and diminished
20access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and employees saw their
21hours cut; and
 

 

 

HJ0043 Engrossed- 2 -LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r

1    WHEREAS, The narrow SNAP distribution schedule caused
2enormous operational issues for Illinois grocers and
3retailers, especially for those businesses that operated in
4areas with a high density of customers that purchased food with
5SNAP funds; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The SNAP distribution schedule also created
7operational issues for food banks, which experienced an
8increase in families in need at the end of the month when SNAP
9benefits ran out; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In October of 2010, after many meetings with
11representatives of the grocery industry and non-profit groups
12that have an interest in food access for low-income residents,
13the Illinois Department of Human Services instituted a change
14in how SNAP benefits were distributed to Illinois residents;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, In order to relieve the pressure off of businesses
17and customers at the 1st of the month, a large number of SNAP
18customers were shifted from the 1st of the month to the 4th,
197th, and 10th of the month over the period of one year with
20great success; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services currently issues

 

 

HJ0043 Engrossed- 3 -LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r

1SNAP benefits on the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 14th,
217th, 19th, 21st, and 23rd days of the month; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services has decided to
4shrink the SNAP distribution dates to the first 10 days of the
5month; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture
7(USDA), which controls the funding for the SNAP program, sent a
8letter to each state encouraging states to stagger SNAP
9distribution throughout the month; and
 
10    WHEREAS, This change goes in the opposite direction of the
11advocacy position taken by the USDA and the movement of other
12states in recent years, changing their systems to stagger SNAP
13benefits throughout the month; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Neither grocers nor poverty and food advocates
15believe that technology should dictate policy and that more
16efficient solutions should be achieved to avoid hunger;
17therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
20SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Task Force on Hunger and the
21Efficient Distribution of SNAP Benefits is created; and be it

 

 

HJ0043 Engrossed- 4 -LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r

1further
 
2    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the
3following 10 members, appointed as follows:
4        (1) four legislators, appointed one each by the
5President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the
6Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority
7Leader of the House of Representatives;
8        (2) the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human
9Services or his or her designee;
10        (3) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
11state-wide association exclusively representing retailers;
12        (4) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
13state-wide association exclusively representing grocers;
14        (5) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
15non-profit organization focusing on advancing justice and
16opportunity for low-income Illinois residents;
17        (6) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
18non-profit organization focusing on ending poverty; and
19        (7) one person appointed by the Governor to represent a
20food bank that serves a county with over 2 million residents;
21and be it further
 
22    RESOLVED, That the co-chairs of the Task Force shall invite
23representatives of the USDA and software contractors to
24participate in the Task Force; and be it further
 

 

 

HJ0043 Engrossed- 5 -LRB098 12247 GRL 46391 r

1    RESOLVED, That the designee of the Speaker of the House of
2Representatives and the designee of the Senate President shall
3serve as co-chairs of the Task Force; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That the members of the Task Force shall be
5appointed no later than 30 days after the effective date of
6this resolution; the members of the Task Force shall not
7receive compensation; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services shall
9provide administrative support to the Task Force; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare a report that
12details how SNAP benefits can be distributed more evenly
13throughout the month without increasing hunger in the State of
14Illinois and shall submit this report to the Governor and the
15General Assembly by October 1, 2013; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That the Task Force, upon issuing the report, is
17dissolved effective October 1, 2013.