SENATE MEMORIAL 22

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Timothy M. Keller

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING LEVERAGING ADDITIONAL FEDERAL DOLLARS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL NEW MEXICANS AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

     WHEREAS, the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program, formerly known as the food stamp program, is a program of the United States department of agriculture; and

     WHEREAS, the supplemental nutrition assistance program is one hundred percent federally funded; and

     WHEREAS, the supplemental nutrition assistance program brings federal dollars into New Mexico communities in the form of benefits that are redeemed by participants of the program at local stores; and

     WHEREAS, the benefits of the supplemental nutrition assistance program ripple throughout the economies of a community, the state and the nation by helping farmers, retailers and other businesses as well as families; and

     WHEREAS, supplemental nutrition assistance program expenditures can help stabilize the economy by stimulating economic activity during a recession; and

     WHEREAS, in November 2008 alone, more than twenty-eight million federal dollars ($28,000,000) in the form of benefits from the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program supported the New Mexico economy; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico could increase the amount of benefits each participant receives, thereby bringing additional federal money into the state by changing the formula for calculating income from multiplying weekly income by a factor of four and three-tenths to multiplying weekly income by a factor of four; and

     WHEREAS, the United States department of agriculture regulations permit states to use their own public assistance conversion standards; hence, the human services department has the flexibility it needs to use a factor of four rather than the four and three-tenths factor calculation formula;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the human services department be requested to change the formula for calculating income when devising household supplemental nutrition assistance and cash assistance program budgets from a four and three-tenths factor per week each month to a factor of four per week each month; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the human services department report to the interim legislative health and human services committee by November 30, 2009 whether it has made the suggested change in the supplemental nutrition assistance program budgeting policy and, if so, the amount of additional federal dollars generated by the change; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of human services and the chair of the interim legislative health and human services committee.

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