Proposal would require citizenship checks for Georgia families to access food aid

State House lawmakers approved new requirements for families applying for food assistance in what was one of the final votes on a key legislative deadline day, with the proposal passing after midnight Saturday. 

However, advocates have pushed back on the legislation, arguing that the changes would not adequately address errors within the system and urging lawmakers to instead increase funding for the department that oversees the program.

House Bill 947, sponsored by Dallas Republican Rep. Martin Momtahan, would implement new data-matching and verification procedures for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants, including a check of their citizenship status, before a family can access benefits. It would also prevent families enrolled in the program from using their benefits to purchase food or drinks “in a food service establishment,” or any beverages, such as a coffee or smoothie, that are “prepared, mixed, or blended in a food sales establishment” like a convenience store.