AN ACT CONCERNING FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS.

HB 5416 restores veterans' access to full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by requiring Connecticut to seek a federal waiver exempting veterans from work requirements. It also establishes the Connecticut Farmers' Market/Veteran Nutrition Program, providing veterans aged 60+ at nutritional risk (identified through elderly housing, meal sites, or municipal committees) with vouchers for fresh, Connecticut-grown produce at local farmers' markets. The bill mandates that veterans receive SNAP benefits equivalent to what they would have received before a 2008 federal change eliminated their work requirement exemption. These provisions directly affect Connecticut veterans who qualify under the new program criteria.