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I RESOLUTION OF THE CABARRUS COUNTY BOARD OF <br />1792 COMMISSIONERS REGARDING THE IMPACT <br />OF CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY <br />WHEREAS, In July of 2010, the state of North Carolina elected the <br />i categorical eligibility option under the USDA policy for the Food and Nutrition <br />Program <br />WHEREAS, In selecting the categorical eligibility option, the state of North Carolina eliminated <br />the assets test for eligibility for Food and Nutrition Program <br />WHEREAS, In selecting the categorical eligibility option, the state of North Carolina increased the <br />income limit to 200% of poverty <br />WHEREAS, Forty three states have implemented the categorical eligibility option greatly <br />expanding the number of recipients within the Food and Nutrition Program and increasing total <br />spending on the program to over $84.6 billion in 2011 <br />WHEREAS, Cabarrus County experienced an 18% increase in caseloads the year Categorical <br />Eligibility was implemented <br />WHEREAS, The North Carolina FAST system has been a burden on counties in processing the <br />applications and recertifications within the Food and Nutrition Program <br />WHEREAS, Categorical eligibility is an imprudent policy that automatically adds persons to the <br />food stamp rolls without determining whether they are economically needy. An analysis conducted for <br />the USDA by Mathematica Policy Research estimated that eliminating the asset limits in the food stamp <br />program would expand program caseload and costs by 22 percent in good economic times. In periods of <br />very high unemployment, this number presumably would be quite a bit higher. Future food stamp <br />expenditures could be substantially reduced if Congress eliminated categorical eligibility, restored <br />normal asset limits on eligibility, and reestablished the gross income eligibility standard at 130 percent <br />of the federal poverty level. (1) <br />Now therefore be it RESOLVED that the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners requests the <br />Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate the impact of Categorical Eligibility on counties <br />and reinstate an asset test as well as more reasonable income limits so that the truly needed are being <br />served with the program. <br />Adopted this 19 day of May, 2014. <br />Elizabeth F. Poole, Chair <br />Board of Commissioners <br />ATTEST: <br />Megan I.E. Smit <br />Clerk to the Board <br />(1): "Reforming the Food Stamp Program" Robert Rector and Katherine Bradley Attachment number 1 <br />F -4 Page 74 <br />