INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO) — Despite intense opposition from more than 80 advocacy organizations, the Indiana House of Representatives on Monday voted 62-31 to pass Senate Bill 1, a sweeping welfare reform package that critics warn will trigger a crisis of hunger and lost healthcare coverage across the state. The legislation, a top priority for Senate Republicans this session, significantly tightens eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). Advocates argue the bill’s “one-size-fits-all” approach ignores the realities of low-income families and those facing medical crises. Before the final vote, House Democrats introduced several amendments intended to shield high-risk populations from the bill’s strictest provisions. All were rejected by the Republican majority. These failed protections included: *Exempting cancer patients from new Medicaid work reporting requirements. *Counting education hours toward the mandatory 80-hour monthly work requirement. *Protecting family savings, which would have blocked a new rule lowering the SNAP asset limit to just $3,000—a move critics say punishes families for building emergency funds. *Reducing a “waiting period” that requires applicants to prove three months of work compliance before they can even receive health coverage. While supporters of SB 1 argue the bill combats fraud and waste, community leaders say the administrative burden will backfire. Erin Macey, Director of the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute, called the refusal to adopt federal-level protections “baffling.” “An estimated one in four Hoosiers will experience a significant medical event that takes them out of the workforce,” Macey said. “SB 1 is going to make programs like SNAP and Medicaid even harder to access for those who need them.” Emily Weikert Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, warned that the bill could exacerbate an already strained system. She pointed to a current “affordability crisis” and noted that the state is already facing $143 million in costs related to SNAP benefit errors. “Adding more red tape will only make it more expensive,” Bryant stated. “We are deeply worried that SB 1 will cause Hoosiers to go hungry, to lose healthcare coverage, and to accrue medical debt.” What’s Next? Senate Bill 1 now returns to the Indiana Senate for a final vote to concur on House changes. If approved there, it will head to the Governor’s desk. Advocates are urging lawmakers to reconsider, warning that the bill implements federal work policies “more harshly” than required, specifically omitting standard federal exemptions for residents in disaster areas or counties with high unemployment. The post Stricter Rules For Medicaid And SNAP appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less