COLUMBIA — As the longest federal government shutdown in history nears an end, a state representative who’s running for governor says South Carolina lawmakers need to ensure a future congressional stalemate doesn’t again threaten families’ ability to put food on the table.
The federal government usually provides 100% of the funding for grocery benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.
But Rep. Jermaine Johnson plans to file a bill ahead of the upcoming legislative session to automatically provide temporary state funding to cover the food benefits for South Carolinians in any future government shutdown or pause for any other reason.
“I was one of those kids who relied on food stamps to eat,” the Hopkins Democrat said. “I know exactly what these families are facing because I lived it. That’s why I am filing a bill to make sure South Carolina families never go hungry because Washington has failed them once again.”
The draft legislation provided to the SC Daily Gazette establishes what Johnson is calling the South Carolina Nutritional Bridge Fund, which the state Department of Social Services would administer.
In the case that the U.S. Department of Agriculture announces a disruption to the SNAP program, the state agency would work through an outside contractor to load families’ normal monthly benefits onto existing debit cards using the bridge money. This would allow families to continue using their cards to buy groceries until federal funding resumes.
The bill calls for $100 million to be set aside in the budget annually until the fund reaches a balance of $500 million.
By comparison, South Carolina residents currently receive about $105 million in SNAP benefits each month. That’s across more than 260,000 households, according to DSS data.
Under the proposal, only residents already enrolled in SNAP at the time of a shutdown would continue to receive benefits through the fund.
If the account begins running low or doesn’t have enough to fully fund benefits, the state would divide the money proportionately among recipients until depleted.
The government shutdown that began Oct. 1 resulted in a suspension of food benefits for November. In South Carolina, SNAP benefits go out to recipients on a staggered schedule over the first 19 days of each month, according to a chart provided to the Gazette.
That means anyone due their monthly allotment — which last month averaged about $190 per person — between Nov. 1 and Nov. 12 has already missed out.
With the halt looming, Gov. Henry McMaster on Oct. 28 activated the One SC Fund, the state’s disaster relief fund, to collect donations and distribute them to food banks as a way to help fill the gap. But even with a record number of people donating to the fund, the aid has been a fraction of the normal benefits through SNAP.
South Carolina has a surplus of tax collections, as well as reserves, that could be tapped. But only the Legislature has the authority to spend that money. And legislators aren’t scheduled to return to Columbia until mid-January.
Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston, asked McMaster to force the Legislature back, but under the rules governing the off-session, the governor lacks that authority too. Only the chambers’ leaders can call a special session. But even if they did, a debate on how much to spend from which account — or whether to spend anything since the USDA made clear it would not reimburse states — could drag on for weeks.
It was also unclear how DSS would distribute any state money. The state’s contract with a third-party vendor covers transfers from the federal government to benefit cards. Handling state money could require a different contract.
Johnson’s bill seeks to eliminate all of those hurdles with a law that automatically triggers a transfer. It would also give DSS the authority to make any changes needed to keep the money flowing.
At least four Democrats in the state House plan to sign on as co-sponsors. Johnson plans to submit his bill when pre-filing opens Dec. 16.
But pre-filing a bill doesn’t give it any special advantage in the session that starts Jan. 13.
Johnson didn’t say whether he’s gotten support, or how he hopes to get it, from Republicans who hold a supermajority in both chambers.
“D.C. dysfunction should never decide whether a child in South Carolina eats,” Johnson said. “If Washington has lost its moral compass, South Carolina will use its own. We will take care of our own and make sure no family goes hungry because politicians in Washington refuse to do their jobs.”
The longest government shutdown in history — a record set last week — is expected to end this week, after a vote late Sunday in the U.S. Senate broke the stalemate.
But it remains unclear when full November SNAP benefits will flow.
Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the SC Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier.
SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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