HB498 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Public assistance, revised procedures and limitations required for various public assistance programs administered by the Human Resources Dept.

Summary

HB498 would tighten Alabama's public assistance programs by strengthening SNAP and TANF rules, adding ID checks and residency reviews.

What This Bill Does

HB498 tightens SNAP rules by aligning asset limits with federal standards, banning waivers of work requirements and categorical eligibility for SNAP, and establishing new disqualification periods for noncompliance. It also requires SNAP benefits to be terminated if a recipient fails to cooperate with child support or is delinquent on support, and it adds a requirement to place a photo on EBT cards. For TANF, the bill imposes a 36-month lifetime limit on cash benefits, sets sanctions for noncompliance, requires a signed eligibility agreement, and establishes residency review and out-of-state purchase checks; Medicaid would implement identity, earnings, and asset verification checks across multiple data sources.

Who It Affects

• SNAP recipients and applicants in Alabama who use EBT cards and may face stricter asset limits, loss of eligibility for noncompliance, and a photo on their EBT card.
• TANF recipients and households (and related Medicaid applicants) who would face a 36-month lifetime limit on cash benefits, new sanctions for noncompliance, residency/out-of-state purchase checks, and a requirement to sign an eligibility agreement.

Key Provisions

• Limit SNAP resource limit standards to the federal asset limits and prohibit categorical eligibility for non-cash, in-kind, or other benefits.
• Prohibit the department from seeking or renewing any SNAP work-requirement waivers and from granting categorical eligibility for SNAP.
• Establish SNAP disqualification periods: 3 months for the first noncompliance, 6 months for the second, and 12 months for the third or subsequent noncompliance; extend disqualification to other means-tested programs when applicable.
• Terminate SNAP benefits for failure to cooperate with child support enforcement or delinquency on court-ordered support; termination ends when cooperation and arrears are resolved.
• Require the recipient’s photograph on the EBT card (with guardians for minors) and allow sharing of photos through certain agencies.
• Impose a 36-month lifetime limit on TANF cash benefits; apply sanctions for TANF noncompliance (three-month sanction for the first instance, termination for the second).
• Deny TANF benefits to any adult in a household where another adult has committed public assistance fraud; require a signed written agreement outlining continued eligibility and sanctions.
• Require department efforts to identify TANF purchases made outside the state and establish a benchmark for out-of-state transactions to trigger residency reviews.
• Medicaid to implement identity, earnings, and asset verification checks using multiple data sources and checks.
• Authorizes rulemaking by the Department of Human Resources and the Medicaid Agency to implement these provisions.
• Effective date: the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Assistance