On July 11th, 2023, Senate Bill 35 passed, eliminating the asset limit test for SNAP benefits in Michigan. This was the culmination of months of advocacy work by ACCESS and the Michigan League of Public Policy to eliminate the asset limit test so that more low-income families could battle food insecurity, without the administrative burden and time commitment of determining their assets. Part of this advocacy work involved educating the Michigan legislature on how historically marginalized groups are more likely to face food insecurity due to the racial and economic disparities plaguing the nation, through a targeted phone2action campaign and testimony in support of Senate Bill 35. This campaign included key statistics on the following-
- In Michigan, in 2018, 37.8% of Black households received SNAP benefits.
- 1 in 3 families of Middle Eastern and North African descent experience food insecurity.
- About 16% of Arab Americans receive SNAP benefits.
- From 2009-2013, 28.7% of Latino households in Michigan received SNAP benefits.
- In Michigan, 1.3 million people rely on SNAP benefits to be able to feed their families. An estimated 62% of Michigan SNAP recipients are children, the elderly, or people with disabilities.
- 11.4% of households in Michigan are food insecure, and most of these households have children or elderly with disabilities.
With the passing of Senate Bill 35, Michigan joins 36 other states in eliminating the burdensome requirement on food assistance, ensuring families can get the help they need to put food on the table without being forced to sell their car or empty their savings. It will give families more financial stability and reduce the amount of red tape and paperwork for health department case workers, so that they can focus on helping people. It was important that ACCESS utilized the voices of our clients who were impacted by the asset limit test to show lawmakers how the policy amplified food insecurity for families throughout Michigan. Below is an example of a powerful story that was shared through our campaign-
“My teenage son lives with me. Because he had a summer job that was putting money in his bank account, our SNAP benefits were cut. His income was too much for us to qualify, even though it was just a summer job, and we still did not have enough to cover our bills and buy food. We had to use food vouchers that ACCESS gave us, in the summer, and then reapply for SNAP when school started back up and his job was over. The way my culture is, people don’t just move out right when they turn 18. Even once he is 18, we will still need SNAP because he’ll still be a part of my household and needs to be fed.”
This bill will go into effect on the 91st day after the Michigan Legislature adjourns its final session of 2023, and could not have been possible without the support of the American Heart Association – Voices for Healthy Kids.
If you have any questions regarding this campaign, please contact our State Policy Associate at [email protected].
To read Sara Ismail’s Q&A with the Michigan League for Public Policy, click here.
