GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 1270 which directs the Department of Social Services to convene a work group to analyze and develop a proposal to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow individuals in the custody of state or local correctional facilities in the Commonwealth to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits prior to release custody.

This is an unnecessary work group without clear policy direction from the General Assembly.

The Department of Social Services previously prepared waiver requests to allow individuals in custody at state or local correctional facilities to apply for SNAP benefits prior to release in 2016 and 2021; in neither case was the waiver submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

If the General Assembly would like the Department of Social Services to submit this waiver, it should pass legislation directing as such.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.