SNAP work rules tightened; states lose flexibility in weak economies
H.R. 1528 — America Works Act of 2025 · Filed by Dusty Johnson (R-SD) · 10 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 24, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to standardize and tighten work requirements for able-bodied adults. It narrows the exceptions to work requirements by removing certain categories of people previously exempt, and it restricts states' ability to waive work requirements even in high-unemployment areas—allowing waivers only when unemployment exceeds 10 percent and only with the governor's explicit support. The bill primarily affects low-income adults without dependents or caregiving duties.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to standardize and restrict work requirements for SNAP recipients by narrowing exemptions and limiting state waiver authority. It is a policy measure aimed at reducing SNAP access for able-bodied adults without dependents.
What the text implies
- Removal of unspecified exemptions in paragraph (3) may affect populations not explicitly listed in the new exceptions—the bill text does not state what prior exemptions are being removed, only what remains.
- The 10 percent unemployment threshold for state waivers is a fixed standard that may not reflect regional economic variation or seasonal employment patterns.
- Requiring gubernatorial support for waivers centralizes waiver authority at the state executive level, potentially limiting local or county-level flexibility.
- The bill does not address implementation timelines, transition periods, or how states should handle individuals currently receiving benefits under prior exemptions.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill narrows exemptions from work requirements and restricts states' ability to waive those requirements, making it harder for low-income adults to access SNAP benefits without employment. While the bill does preserve exemptions for minors, seniors, the medically unfit, parents of young children, and pregnant women, it removes flexibility for other vulnerable populations and limits state responsiveness to local economic conditions.
Named in the bill
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, U.S. Department of Agriculture (implied—administers SNAP), State agencies
Where it stands
10 cosponsors: 10 Republicans.
- Feb 24, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Feb 24, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Agriculture · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,238 characters) on Sep 21, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,522 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-21.
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