The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) officials say the agency does not have the capacity to recreate a temporary system for those who may be affected by potential Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — despite ideas from lawmakers.
Officials at the state level said they’re only able to determine SNAP eligibility and communicate with a vendor who manages this “distribution mechanism” through benefit cards. SNAP funds are made available and activated by lines of credit from the federal government.
“We don’t have the ability to recreate that mechanism overnight,” Clarence H. Carter, Tennessee DHS commissioner, said. “It would be impossible in the short term for us to replace that existing distribution mechanism.”
During today’s meeting of the Tennessee House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, lawmakers asked Carter about what his office could do to provide solutions to Tennesseans in need.
“We have turned over every stone that is in the resource bag of the Department of Human Services to make available for our consumers,” Carter said. “All that we can do we have made available through FeedTN.org.”
Carter noted that faith-based organizations as well as local food banks coordinated “feeding opportunities,” however his office cannot replace what he referred to as a “$145 million mechanism.”
“There is a very efficient existing mechanism to deliver these food benefits,” Carter said. “Without that mechanism, it makes this issue very, very difficult.”
He explained that the state has historically partnered with the federal government to provide assistance since the inception of the SNAP program, and they cannot replicate that program overnight.
Rep. Larry J. Miller (D-Memphis) emphasized that money isn’t the issue, but getting those funds to the recipients is. When asked if the Department of Human Services had the funds to administer to those affected, Carter said they did not.
Lawmakers began to question Carter about other potential solutions to SNAP cuts. Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) asked if they could pull from Families First, the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program — if they had the means to replicate the existing SNAP disbursement.
DHS is exploring all opportunities to solve the crisis, and Carter acknowledged Parkinson’s remedy as something they are reviewing.
Parkinson asked if DHS could provide official letters on behalf of SNAP recipients that would serve as a voucher for reimbursement. He explained the letter would be distributed through regional DHS offices, and those eligible could use the letter to purchase needed food items.
Carter said for this to happen the grocers would have to accept credit for the items, while electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards act as cash transactions. He said this would be a “massive” and “timely” undertaking.
Parkinson asked for Carter and the department to look past being reimbursed by the federal government, if the state could take on the “$145 million hit.” Parkinson asserted this as a minor dent in a $56 billion budget.
“I would be happy to think that through,” Carter said. “I would tell you that it isn’t near as simple as you lay it out.”
While Parkinson and his colleagues said they understood these sentiments, they said they were still committed to finding solutions within their respective power. Rep. Karen Camper (D-Memphis) believed that discretionary funds could be used as they wait for leaders in Washington to open the government back up.
“The easiest way for all of this to get taken care of is for the government to get open to do its job,” Carter said.