Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed two bills on April 2, 2024, aiming to implement work requirements for individuals enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Both bills passed along party lines in the Republican-controlled legislature.
HB 2502 would have required able-bodied adults under 60 who are receiving SNAP benefits to enroll in the state’s Employment and Training (E&T) Program unless they have a child under the age of six, are already enrolled in an education or training program, or are participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program. The SNAP Career Advancement Network (CAN), the state’s E&T program, is currently voluntary.
HB 2503 would have limited the state Department of Economic Security from “seeking, applying, accepting, or renewing any waiver of work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents unless it is required by federal law or authorized by state law.” Under current federal law, states may request temporary waivers from certain SNAP work requirements in areas where the unemployment rate exceeds 10% or where insufficient jobs are available.
In her veto letters, Hobbs stated that she had “significant concerns about how this legislation will affect the well-being of Arizonans participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)” and that “this legislation would inhibit our state’s ability to respond in these times to support Arizona families, retailers, and farmers, and would instead place additional strain on food bands.”
The federal work requirement for all able-bodied adults ages 18–52 without dependents is 80 hours a month. For more information on SNAP work requirements, click here:
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