PROMOTING THE EXPANSION OF SNAP ELIGIBILITY TO INCLUDE GRADUATE EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS, students otherwise eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits must work 20 hours a week or more to be eligible for SNAP; and

WHEREAS, for example, graduate teaching and research assistants who work for Oregon universities are prohibited from working more than 19.6 hours per week; and

WHEREAS, under federal law, graduate employees are generally barred from utilizing SNAP, as they are considered students with only part-time employment; and

WHEREAS, we find it unacceptable that one class of employees who do not earn a living wage is denied access to SNAP:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will support legislative efforts to change the state and federal eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program such that they no longer prohibit graduate employees from participation.