Congressman Jake LaTurner has introduced the Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act and the Jobs and Opportunities for SNAP Act. These bills would require all able-bodied adults to work or volunteer for no less than 20 hours per week to remain eligible for medicaid and fortify the already existing work requirements for SNAP benefits. LaTurner says the key to strengthening our economy is getting more Americans back to work, and the ongoing labor shortage we have experienced over the past few years has made it difficult for small businesses across Kansas to stay afloat.
Supporters say Kansas has seen positive impacts to work requirements in the past and when implemented the number of able-bodied adults receiving SNAP benefits dropped by 75%. Nearly 60% of those leaving the program found employment within 12 months and their incomes rose by an average of 127% per year.
