Connecticut HB 5416: AN ACT CONCERNING FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5416
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2296

Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

Introduced by:
(VA)

AN ACT CONCERNING FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 17b-105a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 2
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek a waiver from 3
federal law to allow persons who live in an area in which (1) the 4
unemployment rate is greater than ten per cent, or (2) there is an 5
insufficient number of jobs to provide such persons with employment, 6
to be exempt from the three-month participation limit of the 7
supplemental nutrition assistance program implemented pursuant to 8
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. 9
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement vehicle 10
evaluation provisions in accordance with 7 CFR 273.8(f)(4). 11
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to 7 USC 12
2014(e)(6), shall implement the federal option to mandate the use of a 13
standard utility allowance, to be used in place of actual utility costs, for 14

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purposes of calculating the excess shelter deduction of applicants for, or 15
recipients of, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. 16
Pursuant to 7 USC 2014(e)(6)(C)(iii)(III), the commissioner shall not 17
prorate a standard utility allowance based upon the fact that an assisted 18
household shares the utility with an individual who is not a member of 19
the assisted household. 20
(d) Not later than December 31, 2024, the Commissioner of Social 21
Services shall enter into a contract with an outside vendor to update the 22
system utilized by the Department of Social Services to administer the 23
supplemental nutrition assistance program for the purpose of enabling 24
the department to stagger the distribution of program benefits so that 25
benefits are distributed, in accordance with federal law, to cohorts of 26
program beneficiaries designated by the commissioner at multiple 27
intervals during each month. Not later than March 1, 2026, the 28
commissioner shall commence staggering the distribution of such 29
benefits to such cohorts of beneficiaries each month, in accordance with 30
federal law. Not later than April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the 31
commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 32
11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 33
cognizance of matters relating to human services regarding the 34
staggering of distribution benefits pursuant to this subsection. 35
(e) The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available 36
appropriations, provide to veterans the same level of supplemental 37
nutrition assistance program benefits as such veterans would have 38
received under such program without a work requirement, before such 39
a work requirement exemption for veterans was eliminated in the Food 40
and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended by P.L. 119-21. 41
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) There is established the 42
Connecticut Farmers' Market/Veteran Nutrition Program which shall 43
be provided for from funds available to the Commissioner of 44
Agriculture and from other sources as such funds may become 45
available. The program shall supply Connecticut-grown fresh produce 46

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to veteran participants through the distribution of vouchers that are 47
redeemable only at designated Connecticut farmers' markets. For 48
purposes of this section, "veteran participant" means a veteran, as 49
defined in section 27-103 of the general statutes, who is sixty years of 50
age or older and (1) is currently residing in elderly housing, (2) is a 51
participant of a registered congregate meal site, or (3) has been 52
identified by a municipal veterans committee, director or 53
representative, as described in section 27-135 of the general statutes, as 54
being at nutritional risk. The program is designed to provide both a 55
supplemental source of fresh produce for the dietary needs of veterans 56
who are judged to be at nutritional risk and to stimulate an increased 57
demand for Connecticut-grown produce at Connecticut farmers' 58
markets. For purposes of this section, "fresh produce" means fruits and 59
vegetables that have not been processed in any manner and chicken 60
eggs. 61
(b) The program shall be administered by the Commissioner of 62
Agriculture who shall maintain all conditions for its operations. 63
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 17b-105a
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 New section

Statement of Purpose:
To (1) provide to veterans the same level of benefits under the
supplemental nutrition assistance program that they would have
received under such