Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Heat and Eat Program - Study

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0461*

SENATE BILL 461
O2, O1 (6lr2991)
ENROLLED BILL
— Finance/Appropriations —
Introduced by Senator McCray

Read and Examined by Proofreaders:

_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.

Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this

_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.

______________________________________________
President.

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Heat and Eat Program – 2
Eligibility Study 3

FOR the purpose of altering the eligibility requirements for the Heat and Eat Program 4
within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the Department of 5
Human Services to require a household to include an elderly or disabled individual 6
requiring the Department of Human Services to study the potential number of 7
households excluded from automatic standard utility allowance eligibility for the 8
Heat and Eat Program within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due 9
to enactment of a certain federal law; and generally relating to a study on eligibility 10
for the Heat and Eat Program within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 11
Program and the Heat and Eat Program. 12

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Human Services 14
2 SENATE BILL 461

Section 5–506 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 3

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 5

Article – Human Services 6

5–506. 7

(a) In this section, “standard utility allowance” means a Maryland Energy 8
Assistance Program payment to a household that is at least $21 per year. 9

(b) (1) There is a Heat and Eat Program within the Supplemental Nutrition 10
Assistance Program in the Department. 11

(2) The purpose of the Heat and Eat Program is to expand food access to 12
households that are receiving or eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 13
benefits. 14

(c) (1) A household is eligible to participate in the Heat and Eat Program if 15
the household: 16

(I) is eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 17
benefits under State and federal law; AND 18

(II) INCLUDES AN ELDERLY OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL. 19

(2) In determining the eligibility of a household to receive Supplemental 20
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, the Department shall apply a standard utility 21
allowance to the shelter deduction that is used for the purpose of determining countable 22
gross income for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility. 23

(d) The Department shall adopt regulations: 24

(1) to verify househ old eligibility for participation in the Heat and Eat 25
Program; and 26

(2) otherwise necessary to carry out this section. 27

(a) The Department of Human Services shall study and make recommendations 28
on the potential number of households excluded from automatic standard utility allowance 29
eligibility for the Heat and Eat Program within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 30
Program due to enactment of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. 31

SENATE BILL 461 3

(b) In conducting the study described in subsection (a) of this section, the 1
Department shall: 2

(1) compile information on the number of households that qualified for 3
automatic standard u tility allowance eligibility for the Heat and Eat Program in each of 4
fiscal years 2024 and 2025, and for the portion of fiscal year 2026, before enactment of the 5
federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, including: 6

(i) the average monthly payment to each household; 7

(ii) the number of households in each county; 8

(iii) the number of households with a member who is at least 60 years 9
old; and 10

(iv) the number of households with a member who is disabled; 11

(2) identify the number of households included under paragraph (1) of this 12
subsection that are no longer eligible for the automatic standard utility allowance for the 13
Heat and Eat Program due to enactment of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, 14
including: 15

(i) the number of households in each county; 16

(ii) the number of households that qualify for the standard utility 17
allowance based on verified energy expenses; and 18

(iii) the total dollar amount of the benefits households would have 19
received if they had remained eligible; 20

(3) identify the number of households included under paragraph (1) of this 21
subsection with a member who is at least 60 years old or who has a disability, including: 22

(i) the number of households in each county; 23

(ii) the number of households that q ualify for the standard utility 24
allowance based on automatic enrollment or separately based on verified energy expenses; 25
and 26

(iii) the dollar amount of the benefits; 27

(4) identify the number of households included under paragraph (1) of this 28
subsection that experienced a reduction of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 29
benefits because the energy assistance payment may not be counted as income due to the 30
enactment of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, including: 31

(i) the number of households in each county; and 32
4 SENATE BILL 461

(ii) the dollar amount of the reduced benefits; 1

(5) evaluate and discuss any other impacts of the reduction of energy 2
assistance benefits on households that are no longer eligible to receive the nominal benefit 3
due to the enactment of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, including impacts for 4
new applicants; and 5

(6) evaluate the administrative cost and logistics relate d to the 6
Department’s efforts to provide additional assistance to households with eligibility 7
verification based on energy expenses to individuals no longer eligible for automatic 8
standard utility allowance eligibility for the Heat and Eat Program due to enactment of the 9
federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. 10

(c) On or before December 1, 2026, the Department of Human Services shall 11
submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Senate Budget and Taxation 12
Committee and the House Appropriat ions Committee in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the 13
State Government Article. 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October July 1, 2026. 16

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.