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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 497
February Session, 2026
AN ACT PROVIDING FOOD SECURITY FOR VETERANS,
TRANSITIONAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE FOR OTHER PERSONS
AFFECTED BY FEDERAL PROGRAM CUTS, A FOOD AS MEDICINE
WAIVER PROGRAM, MEALS ON WHEELS PROVIDER RATE
INCREASES AND ALIGNING NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
APPLICATIONS WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2026) There is established an account to be 1
known as the supplemental nutrition assistance transitional benefit 2
account, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account. The account 3
shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. 4
Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Department of Social 5
Services solely for the purposes of operating the Supplemental 6
Nutrition Assistance Transitional Benefit Program established pursuant 7
to section 4 of this act. 8
Sec. 2. ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) Notwithstanding the provisions of 9
sections 3 and 4 of special act 26 -1, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 10
2027, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall transfer 11
forty million dollars from the Federal Cuts Response Fund, established 12
pursuant to section 1 of special act 26 -1, to the supplemental nutrition 13
assistance transitional benefit account established pursuant to section 1 14
of this act. 15
Sec. 3. Section 17b -105a of the general statutes is repealed and the 16
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 17
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek a waiver from 18
federal law to allow persons who live in an area in which (1) the 19
unemployment rate is greater than ten per cent, or (2) there is an 20
insufficient number of jobs to provide such persons with employment, 21
to be exempt from the three -month participation limit of the 22
supplemental nutrition assistance program implemented pursuant to 23
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. 24
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement vehicle 25
evaluation provisions in accordance with 7 CFR 273.8(f)(4). 26
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to 7 USC 27
2014(e)(6), shall implement the federal option to mandate the use of a 28
standard utility allowance, to be used in place of actual utility costs, for 29
purposes of calculating the excess shelter deduction of applicants for, or 30
recipients of, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. 31
Pursuant to 7 USC 2014(e)(6)(C)(iii)(III), the commissioner shall not 32
prorate a standard utility allowance based upon the fact that an assisted 33
household shares the utility with an individual who is not a member of 34
the assisted household. 35
(d) Not later than December 31, 2024, the Commissioner of Social 36
Services shall enter into a contract with an outside vendor to update the 37
system utilized by the Department of Social Services to administer the 38
supplemental nutrition assistance program for the purpose of enabling 39
the department to stagger the distribution of program benefits so that 40
benefits are distributed, in accordance with federal law, to cohorts of 41
program beneficiaries designated by the commissioner at multiple 42
intervals during each month. Not later than March 1, 2026, the 43
commissioner shall commence staggering the distribution of such 44
benefits to such cohorts of beneficiaries each month, in accordance with 45
federal law. Not later than April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the 46
commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 47
11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 48
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cognizance of matters relating to human services regarding the 49
staggering of distribution benefits pursuant to this subsection. 50
(e) The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide a veteran, as 51
defined in section 27-103, with the same level of supplemental nutrition 52
assistance program benefits such otherwise eligible veteran received or 53
would have received before federal work requirements for the program 54
were changed pursuant to P.L. 119 -21, irrespective of whether such 55
veteran is able to meet such work requirements. 56
Sec. 4. ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, "vulnerable 57
person" includes, but is not limited to, (1) a homeless person or person 58
at risk of homelessness, (2) an adult diagnosed with autism spectrum 59
disorder who is not otherwise classified as disabled, (3) a young adult 60
aging out of the foster care system, (4) an adult who is a caretaker for a 61
child between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, (5) a person age fifty -62
five to sixty -four, inclusive, and (6) an asylee, refugee or other 63
immigrant with a visa or pending visa based on such immigrant's status 64
as a victim of human trafficking or domestic violence. 65
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall establish a 66
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Transitional Benefit Program for 67
vulnerable persons at risk of losing supplemental nutrition assistance 68
pursuant to changes in federal work requirements and eligibility under 69
P.L. 119-21. Such assistance shall include (1) benefits of not less than one 70
hundred ninety-four dollars per month for a period of not more than 71
twelve months, (2) access to job training, and (3) case management to 72
help document compliance by otherwise eligible vulnerable persons 73
with work requirements or eligibility for federal exemptions to the work 74
requirements. 75
(c) In implementing the program, the Commissioner of Social 76
Services shall: 77
(1) Inform program beneficiaries about the work requirements and 78
other eligibility changes; 79
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(2) In consultation with the Labor Commissioner, provide vulnerable 80
persons with access to job training programs; 81
(3) Implement systems to verify work hours, potential federal 82
exemptions from the requirements and documentation from vulnerable 83
persons subject to the new work requirements; 84
(4) Identify and assist vulnerable persons with unstable employment 85
or health barriers; and 86
(5) Expeditiously resolve eligibility issues to prevent prolonged 87
benefit loss. 88
(d) A vulnerable person shall be eligible for transitional assistance 89
under the program if such person (1) is described in subdivisions (1) to 90
(5), inclusive, of subsection (a) of this section and is (A) working, ( B) 91
enrolled in a workforce program, (C) demonstrating an active job search 92
in accordance with requirements prescribed by the Commissioner of 93
Social Services , or (D) awaiting verification or documentation of ( i) 94
meeting the work requirements, or ( ii) qualifying for a federal 95
exemption from the work requirements, or ( 2) is an asylee, refugee or 96
other immigrant described in subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of this 97
section. A vulnerable person otherwise eligible for the supplemental 98
nutrition assistance program shall be required to reenroll in the program 99
once such person is able to complete the work requirements. 100
(e) The Commissioner of Social Services, to the extent permissible 101
under federal law, shall limit the lookback period for compliance with 102
federal work requirements for the supplemental nutrition assistance 103
program to one month and may accept (1) written income verification 104
from a vulnerable person's employer if such person is paid in cash, or 105
(2) self -attested information from a vulnerable person experiencing 106
homelessness. 107
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage ) (a) As used in this section, (1) 108
"food as medicine" has the same meaning as provided in section 17b -109
790c of the general statutes, (2) "chronic health conditions" means 110
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conditions that include, but are not limited to, prediabetes, gestational 111
diabetes and types 1 and 2 diabetes, heart disease, including 112
hypertension, hypercholesterol, dyslipidemia and congestive heart 113
failure, food allergies, celiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary 114
disease, renal disease and obesity, (3) "health care provider" means a 115
physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, 116
certified dietitian-nutritionist or certified diabetes educator licensed or 117
certified to practice in the state, and (4) "produce prescription" means a 118
prescription for fruits and vegetables without added salt, sugar or fat 119
given to a Medicaid beneficiary with chronic health conditions by a 120
health care provider. 121
(b) Not later than October 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Social 122
Services shall seek federal approval for a Medicaid waiver under Section 123
1115 of the Social Security Act for a three-year pilot program to provide 124
produce prescriptions and nutritional counseling under a food as 125
medicine program for Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic health 126
conditions. The commissioner may provide such beneficiary with 127
vouchers or an electronic debit card restricted to the purchase of a 128
produce prescription. 129
(c) Not later than January 15, 2027, January 15, 2028, and January 15, 130
2029, the commissioner shall file an annual report, in accordance with 131
the provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, with the joint 132
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 133
matters relating to human services on (1) the number of Medicaid 134
beneficiaries who have received produce prescriptions under the pilot 135
program, (2) data regarding the effect produce prescriptions have on the 136
health of such beneficiaries, including, but not limited to, indicators 137
such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure and serum lipids, (3) the 138
effect of the pilot program on ranges of food insecurity, as measured by 139
the United States Department of Agriculture, and (4) the cost to the state 140
to provide Medicaid reimbursement for such prescriptions compared to 141
any savings generated by improved health outcomes for such enrollees. 142
The commissioner shall share aggregated data on food insecurity 143
among pilot program participants with organizations that track data on 144
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food insecurity and connect food insecure persons with nutritional 145
assistance. 146
Sec. 6. Section 17b -112d of the general statutes is repealed and the 147
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 148
A person convicted of any offense under federal or state law, on or 149
after August 22, 1996, which (1) is classified as a felony, and (2) has as 150
an element the possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance, 151
as defined in Subsection (6) of 21 USC 802, shall be eligible for benefits 152
pursuant to the temporary assistance for needy families program or the 153
supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant to the Food and 154
Nutrition Act of 2008, if such person has completed a sentence imposed 155
by a court. A person shall also be eligible for said benefits if such person 156
is [satisfactorily] serving a sentence of a period of probation or is in the 157
process of completing or has completed a sentence imposed by the court 158
of mandatory participation in a substance abuse treatment program or 159
mandatory participation in a substance abuse testing program. 160
Sec. 7. Section 17b -105c of the general statutes is repealed and the 161
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 162
The Commissioner of Social Services, in accordance with federal law, 163
may implement policy to simplify program administration and increase 164
payment accuracy in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, 165
while in the process of adopting such policy as regulation, provided 166
notice of such policy is published in the Connecticut Law Journal within 167
twenty days of implementation. The commissioner shall align 168
applications for federal supplemental nutrition assistance with 7 CFR 169
273.11(n) and remove any requirement that an applicant attest that such 170
applicant does not have a probation or parole violation. 171
Sec. 8. Section 17b -343 of the general statutes is repealed and the 172
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 173
The Commissioner of Social Services shall establish annually the 174
maximum allowable rate to be paid by agencies for homemaker 175
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services, chore person services, companion services, respite care, meals 176
on wheels, adult day care services, case management and assessment 177
services, transportation, mental health counseling and elderly foster 178
care. The Commissioner of Social Services shall prescribe uniform forms 179
on which agencies providing such services shall report their costs for 180
such services. Such rates shall be determined on the basis of a reasonable 181
payment for necessary services rendered. The maximum allowable rates 182
established by the Commissioner of Social Services for the Connecticut 183
home-care program for the elderly established under section 17b -342 184
shall constitute the rates required under this section until revised in 185
accordance with this section. The Commissioner of Social Services shall 186
establish a fee schedule, to be effective on and after July 1, 1994, for 187
homemaker services, chore person services, companion services, respite 188
care, meals on wheels, adult day care services, case management and 189
assessment services, transportation, mental health counseling and 190
elderly foster care. The commissioner may annually increase the fee 191
schedule based on an increase in the cost of services. The commissioner 192
shall increase the fee schedule effective July 1, 2000, by not less than five 193
per cent, for adult day care services. The commissioner shall increase the 194
fee schedule effective July 1, 2011, by four dollars per person, per day 195
for adult day care services. The commissioner shall increase the fee 196
schedule effective July 1, 2019, for meals on wheels by ten per cent over 197
the fee schedule for meals on wheels for the previous fiscal year. 198
Effective July 1, [2020] 2026, and annually thereafter, the commissioner 199
[may] shall increase the fee schedule for meals on wheels providers 200
serving participants in the Connecticut home -care program for the 201
elderly by, at a minimum, the cost-of-living adjustment as measured by 202
the consumer price index. The commissioner may increase any fee 203
payable to a meals on wheels provider upon the application of such 204
provider evidencing extraordinary costs related to delivery of meals on 205
wheels in sparsely populated rural regions of the state. Nothing 206
contained in this section shall authorize a payment by the state to any 207
agency for such services in excess of the amount charged by such agency 208
for such services to the general public. 209
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 17b-105a
Sec. 4 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 5 from passage New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2026 17b-112d
Sec. 7 July 1, 2026 17b-105c
Sec. 8 July 1, 2026 17b-343
HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
APP Joint Favorable