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House committee advances bill banning most state SNAP work‑requirement waivers; advocates say bill removes needed flexibility
Summary
The House Appropriations Committee voted 11–6–1 to advance House Bill 2122, which would generally bar DES from applying for federal waivers of SNAP work requirements for able‑bodied adults without dependents, a change supporters say promotes work and opponents say removes necessary flexibility.
House Bill 2122, which would bar the Arizona Department of Economic Security from seeking or accepting most federal waivers of SNAP work requirements for able‑bodied adults without dependents, received a due‑pass recommendation from the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 5.
Sponsor Representative Willoughby described HB 2122 as a simple statutory change to prevent the state from applying for federal waivers of SNAP work requirements for that population except where federal law requires or state law authorizes. "We are not trying to take anybody off of SNAP," one proponent said; he added that the bill is intended to ensure able‑bodied adults engage in work or training when jobs are available.
Opponents argued the bill would remove the state’s ability to respond to local labor conditions and emergencies. Drew Schaffer of the William E. Morris Institute for Justice and other witnesses noted federal law (7 U.S.C. §2015(o)(4) and related guidance) allows states to use waivers in areas with limited job availability; they said removing the option would limit the state’s capacity to respond when jobs are scarce, such as after a natural disaster or in remote tribal areas.
Several rural and tribal witnesses reiterated concerns that local transportation, broadband and employment opportunities differ across Arizona; testimony from Flagstaff Family Food Center and other local providers described increases in food assistance demand and warned that removing waiver authority could increase hunger in hard‑to‑serve areas.
The committee recorded an 11–6–1 vote to recommend HB 2122 advance. Multiple members said they support work opportunities but wanted to preserve flexibility for areas with demonstrably limited job availability; those members asked staff and the sponsor to continue stakeholder engagement as the bill proceeds.
Why this matters: HB 2122 would curtail Arizona’s ability to request federal waivers that allow the state to exempt certain areas or populations from SNAP work requirements when local labor market conditions or emergencies make compliance infeasible. Advocates warned the bill removes a tool used to protect food access in tribal and remote communities; supporters said it would promote work participation where jobs are available.
