Official Summary Text
HB2442 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
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VETOED
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
VETOED
FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1331/H.B. 2442
SNAP; mandatory
employment and training
Purpose
Requires the
Department of Economic Security (DES) to require able-bodied adults under 60
years old who are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
benefits to participate in a mandatory employment and training program, as
prescribed by federal law, unless the recipient meets criteria for exemption.
Background
SNAP is a
federal program that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement
their grocery budget and help the family afford nutritious food. To be eligible
for SNAP benefits, an applicant must meet specific age, household, employment
and income requirements Arizona�s SNAP program, the Arizona Nutrition
Assistance Program, provides nutrition assistance to eligible low-income
households and is administered in accordance with federal SNAP requirements.
Eligibility is primarily based on household income, which generally may not
exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level for gross income and 100
percent of the federal poverty level for net income, adjusted by household
size. Arizona uses broad-based categorical eligibility, under which most households
are not subject to a resource test. Income eligibility limits are updated
annually by the USDA (
USDA
).
As defined by
federal law, a SNAP
employment and training program
includes case
management services such as comprehensive intake assessments, individualized service
plans, progress monitoring or coordination with service providers. DES is
required to design and implement an employment and training program in
consultation with the Workforce Arizona Council or, if deemed more effective or
efficient, in consultation with private employers or employer organizations. The
program must be approved by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and is intended
to assist members of households participating in SNAP with gaining skills,
training, work or experience that will increase the ability of household
members to obtain regular employment and meet state or local workforce needs (
7
U.S.C. � 2015(d)
).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state
General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1.
Requires DES to require able-bodied adults under 60 years
old who are receiving SNAP benefits to participate in a mandatory employment
and training program, as prescribed by federal law, unless the recipient is:
a)
in compliance with work registration
requirements under Title IV of the Social Security Act or the Federal-State
Unemployment Compensation System;
b)
a parent or other member of a household who is
responsible for the care of an incapacitated person or a dependent child under
six years old;
c)
a bona fide student enrolled at least half
time in a recognized school, training program or institution of higher
education, unless the recipient is ineligible to participate under federal law;
d)
a regular participant in a drug addiction or
an alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program;
e)
employed a minimum of 30 hours per week or is
receiving weekly earnings equal to the minimum hourly rate under the federal Fair
Labor Standards Act of 1939, multiplied by 30 hours; or
f)
16, 17 or 18 years old and attending school, enrolled in an
employment training program on at least a half-time basis or is not the head of
a household.
2.
Specifies that a person who is
noncompliant with the work registration requirements of Title IV of the Social
Security Act or the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation System is
noncompliant with employment and training program requirements.
3.
Becomes effective on the general
effective date.
Governor's
Veto Message
The Governor
indicates in her
veto
message
that DES has already taken steps to
improve the accuracy of SNAP benefit determinations and that SB 1331 would
duplicate these efforts and disrupt agency operations. The Governor further
states that SB 1331 imposes unfunded mandates without providing funding for
implementation or system modernization.
Senate Action
���������������������������������������������������������
House
Action
HHS��������������� 2/4/26������� DP��������� 4-2-1��������������� HHS��������������� 2/2/26������� DP��������� 7-5-0-0
3
rd
Read��������� 2/11/26�������������������� 17-13-0����������� 3
rd
Read��������� 2/16/26�������������������� 33-25-2
(S.B. 1331
was substituted for H.B. 2442 on 3
rd
Read)
Vetoed by the Governor on 2/20/26
Prepared by Senate Research
February 24, 2026
MM/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HB2442 - 572R - H Ver
House Engrossed
SNAP; mandatory
employment and training
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE BILL 2442
AN
ACT
amending
title 46, chapter 2, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 46-232;
relating to the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 46, chapter 2, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 46-232, to read:
START_STATUTE
46-232.
Supplemental nutrition assistance program; mandatory employment
and training
The department of economic
security shall require able-bodied adults who are under sixty years of
age and who are receiving supplemental nutrition assistance to participate in a
mandatory employment and training program, as prescribed in 7 United States
Code Section 2015(
d
), unless the recipient is:
1. In compliance with
the work registration requirements under title IV of the social security act or
the federal-state unemployment compensation system. A
recipient who is noncompliant with the work registration requirements under
Title IV of the social security act or the federal-state unemployment
compensation system is noncompliant with the work requirements of 7 United
States Code section 2015(
d
).
2. A parent or other
member of a household who is responsible for the care of an incapacitated
person or a dependent child who is under six years of age.
3. A bona fide student
who is enrolled at least half time in any recognized school, training program
or institution of higher education unless the recipient is ineligible to
participate pursuant to 7 United States Code section 2015(
e
).
4. A regular
participant in a drug addiction or an alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation
program.
5. Employed at least
thirty hours per week or receives weekly earnings that equal the minimum hourly
rate under the fair labor standards act of 1938 (52 Stat. 1060; 29 United
States Code sections 201 through 219), multiplied by thirty hours.
6. Sixteen, seventeen
or eighteen years of age and is not the head of a household or attends school
or is enrolled in an employment training program on at least a half-time
basis.
END_STATUTE