HR416-119

What This Bill Does

The No Welfare for the Wealthy Act tightens Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility. It amends the Food and Nutrition Act so a household is not eligible for SNAP unless it meets the income and resource criteria in the statute. The change takes effect one year after enactment and does not apply to certification periods that begin before that date. The practical target is broad-based categorical eligibility or similar pathways that can let households qualify without independently meeting SNAP income and asset tests.

Who Benefits and How

Federal taxpayers benefit if tighter income and resource screening reduces SNAP benefits paid to households above statutory limits. USDA Food and Nutrition Service integrity staff benefit from a clearer statutory rule tying eligibility to income and resource tests. State SNAP quality-control units benefit from a simpler federal command to verify income and resource compliance. Public-benefit oversight advocates benefit from a statutory limit aimed at preventing higher-resource households from receiving SNAP.

Who Bears the Burden and How

High-resource SNAP applicants lose eligibility if they cannot satisfy the statutory resource criteria. Households using categorical eligibility may lose benefits when income or assets exceed the statutory tests. State SNAP agencies must revise screening, notices, eligibility systems, and caseworker guidance before the one-year effective date. Grocery retailers may see reduced SNAP purchasing volume if fewer households qualify.

Key Provisions

• Requires SNAP households to meet statutory income and resource criteria.
• Blocks eligibility for households that fail the income or asset tests in the Food and Nutrition Act.
• Provides a one-year delayed effective date for state implementation.
• Protects existing certification periods that begin before the effective date.