HB666 lowers the minimum age for household members to qualify for a state-provided supplemental benefit under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from 62 to 60 years old. It also increases the amount of this supplemental benefit from $40 to $50.
The Maryland State House of Representatives passed HB666 on March 13, 2024 by a vote of 125 to 12. We have assigned pluses to the nays because Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a socialist and unconstitutional, federally funded program that enables government dependency and erodes personal responsibility. This bill seeks to broaden SNAP’s reach by enabling recipients to use taxpayer-funded benefits in additional ways, further entrenching reliance on government aid. Federal programs always come with strings attached, increasing state dependence on federal oversight while diminishing individual freedom and accountability. Additionally, SNAP selectively benefits certain groups, allowing the government to help some, but not others. Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution does not authorize social-welfare programs, and states should not be complicit in advancing federal welfare expansion.
