With a fiscal note of $19 million, House Bill 677 will not pass.

I knew that before I began my testimony.

My legislation would provide benefits to individuals who are not eligible for the federal Food Stamps program, now known as SNAP. Two categories of people could be affected: federal workers if there is another shutdown and Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents, as they are identified in federal law.

We can hope that there won’t be another shutdown, but we need to be prepared if there is.

For certain, the Trump Administration supports work requirements for single adults, the ABAWDs.

My concern, and that of many others, is that those requirements will be punitive.

That’s why I also introduced House Bill 415, which would create a pilot program where people on Medicaid can voluntarily seek work.  (Many of these people would also be eligible for SNAP benefits.)

The outcome for both of my bills is unfavorable.

The issues they raise could be dealt with in the budget bill.

That’s why I wrote a budget analyst: “Can you draft committee narrative [for the budget bill] addressing the issues raised by my two bills?  I will then do the legwork of discussing it with the two committees” that have heard my bills.