Support LB 192: Eliminate Sunset Date under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Chairman Hardin and members of the Health and Human Services Committee:

My name is Garret Swanson, G-A-R-R-E-T S-W-A-N-S-O-N and I am here on behalf of the Holland Children’s Movement, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that strives to fulfill its vision for Nebraska to become a beacon in economic security and opportunity for all children and families, in support of LB 192.

Good to see you again Senators, I know this bill is an extension of a previous bill that made it out of this Committee unanimously and passed on the floor. So I will not take up too much of your time. You all know the importance of addressing poverty in our great state.

What I can add to this conversation is that our sister non-profit organization, the Holland Children’s Institute has conducted polling on attitudes regarding important issues in Nebraska. Of the over 600 Nebraskans polled, 63% thought the State Government was not doing enough to help families meet their needs. 68% believed that increasing food assistance for families was important, with 36% describing it as extremely important.

Although passing this legislation is incredibly important, Nebraska is continuing to fall behind. The federal government gives the states a lot of leeway in what limit to set the Federal Poverty Level rate at for eligibility. While this bill expands eligibility to 165% of the eligibility level. Many states are moving to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level and even 200%. The FPL is calculated every year, and as we have seen with the price of important goods like eggs, the prices needed to survive can fluctuate very quickly.