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SPONSOR: |
Lujan |
DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
HJM 64 |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Address Under-Use of Food Stamps |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
Weber |
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APPROPRIATION
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Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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Estimated Impact |
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See
Narrative |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
REVENUE
|
Estimated Revenue |
Subsequent Years Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
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$42,000.0 |
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Recurring |
Federal
Funds |
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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)
Responses
Received From
Human
Services Department
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Joint Memorial 64 (HJM 64) recognizes the
high poverty rate and food insecurity rate in the State of
HJM 64 reports an estimate that if food stamp
utilization was increased to 80% from the current 58% of eligible families, an
additional $42 million would be spent in
HJM 64 requests that HSD collaborate with
organizations serving the hungry and food insecure to develop a plan to
increase the use of Food Stamps in
Significant
Issues
HSD
reported that, on its own initiative, modified regulations in the FSP during
2002 experienced a 19.0% increase in the number of households (cases) on Food
Stamps since January 2002. At 73,540
households (cases) in January 2003, there were 11,746 more Food Stamp households
(cases) in
Further,
HSD adds that it currently provides program access training to caseworkers
handling Food Stamp applications. This
training already ensures that the FSP is accessible as possible to the citizens
of
The
current application meets the eligibility requirements associated with
enrollment in food assistance, medical assistance, and cash assistance
programs. The use of one application for
all programs allows Food Stamp recipients to be screened for other types of
public assistance at time of application.
The federal name of the program is the “Food
Stamp Program.” In the interest of conforming
to the federal name of the program, current name recognition of the FSP, and
eliminating the expense associated with changing forms, regulations and
statutes, the name “Food Stamp Program” should be retained.
This summer, HSD is planning on leading a
“hunger summit” to work on a strategic plan for reducing hunger and food
insecurity in the state. HSD plans on
collaborating with interested parties such as the NM Food Bank Association on
this endeavor.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
HJM 64 estimates the
potential increase of federal revenue at $42 million but does not attribute the
source of the information.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
HSD
is concerned that an increase in the FSP caseload would place an increased
burden on the current Income Support Division staff that would determine
program eligibility. The average caseload per worker is currently approximately
610 cases. Increasing participation to
the 80% of 76,000 cases mentioned in HJM 64 would be an increase of
approximately 16,000 cases and would increase per worker caseloads by 40 cases
each month assuming other programs remained stable. From a different
perspective, 16,000 cases would require an additional 26 full time employee
holding caseloads steady.
MW/yr:njw