Bill Text: MS HB1074 | 2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: DHS; develop pilot program to track recipients of SNAP Benefits (Food Stamps).
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2010-04-01 - Approved by Governor [HB1074 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2010-HB1074-Enrolled.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2010 Regular Session
To: Public Health and Human Services
By: Representatives Barker, Bell, Pigott, Nowell
House Bill 1074
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO DEVELOP A PILOT PROGRAM TO TRACK RECIPIENTS OF ASSISTANCE UNDER THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP), FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT THE TRACKING PILOT PROGRAM SHALL TRACK THE RECIPIENTS' USAGE OF SNAP BENEFITS FROM THE TIME THEY FIRST RECEIVE THE BENEFITS, THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THEY RECEIVE THE BENEFITS, WHEN THEY TERMINATE PARTICIPATION IN THE SNAP PROGRAM, AND PATTERNS OF USAGE WHILE RECEIVING THE BENEFITS; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE SUMMARIES OF THE INFORMATION OBTAINED UNDER THE TRACKING PROGRAM TO CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE OFFICERS EACH YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) The Department of Human Services, is authorized, in its discretion, to develop a pilot program to track recipients of assistance under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. The tracking pilot program, if established, shall:
(a) Track the recipients' usage of SNAP benefits from the time they first receive the benefits, the length of time that they receive the benefits, when they terminate participation in the SNAP program, and patterns of usage while receiving the benefits.
(b) Follow the recipients after termination of participation in the SNAP program, to the extent feasible, to attempt to discover the paths that they take after leaving the SNAP program and the patterns of return to the SNAP program, including the factors that may influence these paths and patterns.
(c) On or before December 1 of each year, the Department of Human Services shall provide summaries of the information obtained under the tracking pilot program during the previous fiscal year to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Chairmen of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, the House Medicaid Committee and the House Select Committee on Poverty, and shall provide more detailed information to any of those persons upon request.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2010.
