Provides for student recipients of educational opportunity funds to be exempt from 20 hour weekly work requirement ordinarily required for student SNAP participation.

S3669

SENATE, No. 3669

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 24, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Senator� LATHAM TIVER

District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Diegnan

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides for student recipients of educational
opportunity funds to be exempt from 20 hour weekly work requirement ordinarily
required for student SNAP participation.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program and supplementing Title 44 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.���� The Department of
Human Services shall authorize a student of higher education who is the
recipient of an award from the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund to
obtain nutrition assistance benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, regardless of whether the student satisfies the 20 hour
weekly student work requirement established by federal law at 7 CFR
273.5(b)(5).

���� b.��� (1)���� The provisions
of subsection a. of this section shall remain inoperative until the adoption of
a federal law, regulation, waiver, or other approval authorizing the provisions
of this act to take effect without penalty to the State and without loss of benefits
to any enrollee under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program .�

���� (2)�� Within 90 days after
subsection a. of this section becomes operable as provided in paragraph (1) of
this section, the commissioner shall:� (a) apply for any federal approvals or
waivers that may be necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of this
section; and (b) take any additional actions as may be necessary to ensure that
the State�s implementation of this section is done in compliance with all
applicable provisions of federal and State law and regulation.�

���� c.���� Following the receipt
of necessary federal approvals and waivers, as provided by subsection b. of
this section, the department shall implement and enforce the provisions of this
section.� In so doing, the department shall institute a public awareness campaign
that is designed to inform high school seniors and students of higher education
about the new SNAP eligibility criteria applicable to Educational Opportunity
Fund award recipients under this section.

���� d.��� As used in this section:

���� �Commissioner� means the
Commissioner of Human Services.

���� �Department� means the
Department of Human Services.

���� �Educational Opportunity Fund�
means the fund established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1968, c.142
(C.18A:71-31), which provides financial assistance to needy students to attend
institutions of higher education.

���� �Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program� or �SNAP� means the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, established pursuant to the federal �Food and Nutrition Act
of 2008,� Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.).

���� 2.��� The Department of Human
Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the �Administrative
Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to
implement the provisions of this act.�

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would require the
Department of Human Services (DHS) to authorize a student of higher education
who is the recipient of an award from the New Jersey Educational Opportunity
Fund to obtain nutrition assistance benefits under the State�s Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), regardless of whether the student
satisfies the 20 hour weekly work requirement, established by federal law at 7
CFR 273.5(b)(5), which is ordinarily required for students of higher education
to participate in SNAP.� The Educational Opportunity Fund provides financial
assistance to needy students, in order to enable them to attend institutions of
higher education.

���� Because SNAP was established
pursuant to federal law, and because the program is subject to compliance with
certain minimum federally-established work requirements and eligibility
criteria, the bill�s relaxation of work requirements for Educational Opportunity
Fund award recipients will not take effect until such time as the federal
government adopts a law, regulation, waiver, or other approval authorizing the
provisions of the bill to take effect without penalty to the State and without
loss of benefits to any enrollee under SNAP.�

���� This bill would require the
Commissioner of Human Services, within 90 days after the bill becomes
operative, to:� 1) apply for any federal approvals or waivers that may be
necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of the bill; and 2) take any
additional action as may be necessary to ensure that the State�s implementation
of the bill is undertaken in compliance with all applicable provisions of
federal and State law.�

���� Following the receipt of the
necessary federal approvals and waivers, the DHS will be required to implement
and enforce the expanded SNAP eligibility requirements for Educational
Opportunity Fund award recipients.� In so doing, the DHS will be required to
institute a public awareness campaign that is designed to inform high school
seniors and students of higher education about the new SNAP eligibility
criteria applicable to these award recipients.