{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-strengthens-work-requirements-snap", "Johnson Strengthens Work Requirements for SNAP", "2025-02-24", "2025", "2025-02", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) re-introduced his America Works Act to reinforce work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Federal law requires ABAWDs younger than 55 years old to participate in work, training, or education for 20 hours a week. However, several states have identified loopholes to not enforce work requirements. Johnson introduced similar legislation last Congress.\n\n\u201cWork is a powerful pathway out of poverty,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cTime and time again, work requirements for able-bodied adults have proven to be effective. My bill makes improvements, including closing loopholes some states use to game the system.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe power of work is transformative, enabling Americans to achieve independence and thrive,\u201d said Tarren Bragdon,President and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability. \u201cRep. Johnson\u2019s America Works Act ensures able-bodied adults on food stamps move from dependence to self-sufficiency, strengthening families, communities, and our economy.\u201d\n\nThe America Works Act of 2025 would:\n\nAmend the definition of able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) by:\n\nRaising the age limits of an ABAWD from 18 to 55 to 18 to 65, consistent with the age individuals become eligible for Medicare.\n\nExempting parents or other member of a household with responsibility for a dependent child under 7 years of age.\n\nCurrently, any parent or household member with a dependent child under 18 is exempt.\n\nEliminate states\u2019 ability to group areas with high-unemployment areas with lower-unemployment by explicitly tying waivers to county or county-equivalent unemployment rates.\n\nThe Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 included several reforms to limit states\u2019 ability to misuse waivers for SNAP work requirements, but several states have exploited the geographic waivers through combining areas of low unemployment with areas of high unemployment to maximize their eligibility for SNAP requirements.\n\nThe America Works Act is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Warren Davidson (R-OH).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T23:42:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-strengthens-work-requirements-snap"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0640190448611975, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}