# SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

This bill proposes two main changes to how the government handles food assistance and measures poverty. First, it would improve how the U.S. measures poverty by counting the value of government benefits (like food stamps, housing assistance, and tax credits) when determining who is poor. Currently, these benefits aren't counted, which may make poverty appear worse than it actually is. Second, the bill makes changes to the SNAP program (food stamps) to encourage recipients to become self-sufficient, primarily through work requirements and stricter eligibility rules.

## Who Is Affected

**SNAP recipients** would face the most direct impact, as the bill adds work requirements and compliance rules. **Low-income families** receiving various government benefits would be affected by the new poverty measurement system. **States** administering SNAP would need to implement new reporting requirements and could potentially keep more recaptured funds (money saved from fraud or overpayments). **Government agencies** would need to track and report more data about benefit programs and employment outcomes.

## Key Changes

- **Work Requirements**: Strengthens requirements for SNAP recipients to work or participate in employment training programs
- **Poverty Measurement**: Creates a commission to value government benefits and develop better poverty statistics that account for assistance people receive
- **Reporting**: Requires states to report more detailed information about SNAP employment and training outcomes
- **Eligibility & Compliance**: Tightens eligibility rules and requires better fraud investigation compliance
- **State Incentives**: Allows states to keep more money recovered from SNAP fraud or overpayments

SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act of 2025

Lee, Mike

SNAP Reform and Upward Mobility Act of 2025This bill amends how U.S. poverty levels are determined and modifies Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)&nbsp;eligibility and enforcement provisions.The Bureau of the Census must (1) collect specified data regarding the receipt of federal benefits and individual income, and (2) use the data to provide an alternative poverty measure. The bill also establishes a commission to recommend the valuation of specific federal benefits for the purpose of estimating&nbsp;the Federal Poverty Level.The bill also expands the applicability of the general work requirements for SNAP recipients to include those who are ages 16-64&nbsp;(currently 16-59) with exemptions.This bill also expands the applicability of the work requirements for SNAP recipients&nbsp;who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs)&nbsp;to include those who are ages 18-64&nbsp;(currently 18-55). In general, ABAWDs&nbsp;have work requirements in addition to the general SNAP work-related requirements&nbsp;and are limited to receiving 3 months of SNAP benefits in a 36-month period,&nbsp;unless the additional work-related requirements are met. Further, the bill allows married individuals with a dependent over the age of six&nbsp;to jointly fulfill hour-based work requirements.Additional&nbsp;changes to SNAP include<ul><li>requiring states participating in SNAP to contribute specified matching funds, beginning at 10% for FY2025 and increasing annually until the matching requirement reaches 50% for FY2033 and each subsequent fiscal year;</li><li>requiring SNAP beneficiaries to participate in fraud investigations; and</li><li>establishing penalties (e.g., benefit suspensions) for unauthorized uses of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.</li></ul>