The new bill passed the West Virginia Senate with a vote of 32-2 and will give new requirements to receive SNAP benefits.

The new bill passed the West Virginia Senate with a vote of 32-2

On February 23, 2024, the West Virginia Senate passed Senate Bill 562, which will raise the age of able-bodied adults without dependents who must qualify and certain work requirements to claim Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in West Virginia.

The new requirements mandate that abled adults without children or dependents are required to work if they are between the ages of 18 and 52. The bill would make the age to 59 for able-bodied adults without dependents in West Virginia to meet certain SNAP work requirements, with exceptions.

West Virginia Senate led by State Senator Rollan Roberts, a lead sponsor of the West Virginia Senate new bill, said that the new bill is a “compassionately structured, three-year plan to wean able-bodied adults without dependent children off of SNAP benefits.”

Read Also: The Difference Of TANF And SNAP Benefits: Food Stamps

The new bill for food stamps requirements is now moved to the West Virginia House of Delegates for consideration

Kelly Allen, director of the Budget policy, argued and said that he is not sure how that achieves the workforce goals of the West Virginia Senate, given we’d now be dedicating job training resources to individuals who are nearing retirement age vs. those who might be in the workforce for decades to come.

Read Also: