AG Brian Frosh Joins Coalition Opposing Proposed Changes To SNAP
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh joined a coalition of 24 Attorneys General opposing the Trump administration's proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The proposed changes would take basic food assistance away from more than three million people and disqualify hundreds of thousands of children from free school meals.
In their letter, the attorneys general argue that the proposed rule would violate federal law and harm the states, their residents, their local economies, and public health.
Based on federal guidelines, each state designs its own process for how low-income people can apply for SNAP benefits.
The states must track whether participants meet the income and asset requirements for the program on a monthly basis. The Trump administration's proposed rule would eliminate a long-standing policy known as "broad-based categorical eligibility.
BBCE allows states to consider local economic factors, like high costs of living or costs of childcare, when determining eligibility for SNAP. It also lets states adopt less restrictive asset limits so that families, seniors, and people with disabilities can have some savings without losing food aid.