To enact section 5101.546 of the Revised Code to establish a supplemental benefit allotment for certain recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits and to make an appropriation.
Summary
HB178 would create a state-funded supplemental SNAP benefit for certain Ohio households. The bill directs the Department of Job and Family Services to provide an additional allotment to households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when the household includes at least one person age 60 or older and the household’s monthly SNAP benefit is less than $50. The supplemental payment would raise the household’s total monthly SNAP benefit to $50.
The bill also makes an appropriation to support the new benefit, with General Revenue Fund funding of $12.495 million in fiscal year 2026 and $21.415 million in fiscal year 2027. In effect, it adds a new state supplement on top of federal SNAP benefits and creates a new statutory section, Revised Code section 5101.546, to govern eligibility and administration.
Impact
HB178 would amend Ohio law by adding section 5101.546 to the Revised Code and by creating a new ongoing state appropriation for SNAP supplements. It would require the Department of Job and Family Services to identify eligible households and issue state-funded payments that bring very low SNAP allotments up to $50 per month for households with an older adult. The bill would primarily affect low-income seniors receiving minimal federal food assistance, while also increasing state General Revenue Fund spending.
Sentiment
The available context shows the bill was introduced and referred to the House Community Revitalization Committee, but there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided material. Based on the bill’s structure and sponsorship, the measure appears to be framed as a targeted anti-hunger and senior-support proposal. Because no debate or vote history is available, there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill’s introduction and cosponsorship.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill text alone, would likely include the cost of the new state appropriation, whether the benefit should be limited to households with an individual age 60 or older, and whether setting the floor at $50 is the appropriate policy threshold. However, these concerns are not attributed to any named lawmakers or stakeholders in the available record.
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