H.R. 1528 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Agriculture, Feb 24, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStricter work requirements for food assistance
This bill tightens work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents who receive SNAP (the federal food assistance program). It raises the age limit for these requirements from 55 to 65, limits a caregiving exemption to parents of children under 7 instead of 18, and removes exemptions that currently protect homeless individuals, veterans, and certain people who aged out of foster care. It also changes how states can waive these requirements by looking at county unemployment rates instead of broader areas and removing waivers based on job availability.
How it affects you
If this becomes law, it would directly affect able-bodied adults receiving food assistance. More people would need to work or participate in job training to keep their SNAP benefits, including some in their 60s, people caring for older children, and individuals experiencing homelessness or veterans. States would have less flexibility to excuse people from work requirements in their areas.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 24, 2025)
America Works Act of 2025
This bill expands the applicability of work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). As background, these SNAP recipients have work-related requirements in addition to the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.
Specifically, the bill amends the exemptions to this requirement.
First, the bill applies the work requirements for ABAWDs to adults who are not over 65 years old, whereas these requirements currently apply to adults who are not over 55 years old.
Second, the ABAWD exemption for a parent or household member with responsibility for a dependent child is restricted to a dependent child under the age of seven. Currently, the child must be under the age of 18.
Third, the bill repeals the ABAWD exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and certain foster care individuals (those who are 24 years old or younger and were in foster care on the date of attaining 18 years of age or a higher age).
In addition, under current law, an ABAWD waiver program allows state exemptions based on an area having an unemployment rate of over 10% or an insufficient number of jobs. The bill amends the exemption to require the unemployment rate to be based on the rate for the county, instead of the area. Further, the bill repeals the provision that allows a state exemption if that area does not have a sufficient number of jobs.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1528
A BILL
America Works Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD-At Large) · Introduced Feb 24, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 28, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.”