Connecticut SB 497: AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITIES TO MANAGE TRUCK TRAVEL.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 497
February Session, 2026

AN ACT PROVIDING FOOD SECURITY FOR VETERANS,
TRANSITIONAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE FOR OTHER PERSONS
AFFECTED BY FEDERAL PROGRAM CUTS, A FOOD AS MEDICINE
WAIVER PROGRAM, MEALS ON WHEELS PROVIDER RATE
INCREASES AND ALIGNING NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
APPLICATIONS WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2026) There is established an account to be 1
known as the supplemental nutrition assistance transitional benefit 2
account, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account. The account 3
shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account. 4
Moneys in the account shall be expended by the Department of Social 5
Services solely for the purposes of operating the Supplemental 6
Nutrition Assistance Transitional Benefit Program established pursuant 7
to section 4 of this act. 8
Sec. 2. (Effective July 1, 2026) Notwithstanding the provisions of 9
sections 3 and 4 of special act 26-1, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 10
2027, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall transfer 11
forty million dollars from the Federal Cuts Response Fund, established 12
pursuant to section 1 of special act 26-1, to the supplemental nutrition 13
assistance transitional benefit account established pursuant to section 1 14
of this act. 15
Sec. 3. Section 17b-105a of the general statutes is repealed and the 16

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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 17
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek a waiver from 18
federal law to allow persons who live in an area in which (1) the 19
unemployment rate is greater than ten per cent, or (2) there is an 20
insufficient number of jobs to provide such persons with employment, 21
to be exempt from the three-month participation limit of the 22
supplemental nutrition assistance program implemented pursuant to 23
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. 24
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement vehicle 25
evaluation provisions in accordance with 7 CFR 273.8(f)(4). 26
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to 7 USC 27
2014(e)(6), shall implement the federal option to mandate the use of a 28
standard utility allowance, to be used in place of actual utility costs, for 29
purposes of calculating the excess shelter deduction of applicants for, or 30
recipients of, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. 31
Pursuant to 7 USC 2014(e)(6)(C)(iii)(III), the commissioner shall not 32
prorate a standard utility allowance based upon the fact that an assisted 33
household shares the utility with an individual who is not a member of 34
the assisted household. 35
(d) Not later than December 31, 2024, the Commissioner of Social 36
Services shall enter into a contract with an outside vendor to update the 37
system utilized by the Department of Social Services to administer the 38
supplemental nutrition assistance program for the purpose of enabling 39
the department to stagger the distribution of program benefits so that 40
benefits are distributed, in accordance with federal law, to cohorts of 41
program beneficiaries designated by the commissioner at multiple 42
intervals during each month. Not later than March 1, 2026, the 43
commissioner shall commence staggering the distribution of such 44
benefits to such cohorts of beneficiaries each month, in accordance with 45
federal law. Not later than April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the 46
commissioner shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 47
11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 48

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cognizance of matters relating to human services regarding the 49
staggering of distribution benefits pursuant to this subsection. 50
(e) The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide a veteran, as 51
defined in section 27-103, with the same level of supplemental nutrition 52
assistance program benefits such otherwise eligible veteran received or 53
would have received before federal work requirements for the program 54
were changed pursuant to P.L. 119-21, irrespective of whether such 55
veteran is able to meet such work requirements. 56
Sec. 4. (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section, "vulnerable 57
person" includes, but is not limited to, (1) a homeless person or person 58
at risk of homelessness, (2) an adult diagnosed with autism spectrum 59
disorder who is not otherwise classified as disabled, (3) a young adult 60
aging out of the foster care system, (4) an adult who is a caretaker for a 61
child between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, (5) a person age fifty-62
five to sixty-four, inclusive, and (6) an asylee, refugee or other 63
immigrant with a visa or pending visa based on such immigrant's status 64
as a victim of human trafficking or domestic violence. 65
(b)