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Georgia Republican State Rep. Soo Hong is the sponsor of a bill, House Bill 129, that would allow low-income pregnant women to become eligible for food stamps and welfare.
The bill was approved in the state House almost unanimously and on Tuesday, it gained approval by the Senate Children and Family’s committee by a 50-1 vote.
The measure will go to Governor Kemp for signing. Once the bill is put into place, low-income pregnant women will be added to the list of those with eligibility to receive assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF.
Before this legislation, TANF applied to children living in a home with a single parent or both parents with one being incapacitated.
One drawback that may exclude many people from qualifying is that Georgia has work requirements and income guidelines.
Kemp and other proponents of the bill call it a good way to support women “before and after birth.” They aim to reduce the “rate at which new mothers and babies die.”
Another factor behind the bill is Georgia’s abortion ban after six weeks.
To support new mothers, the state also “extended Medicaid coverage for new mothers for a year after birth.”
“Georgia’s current standards are more restrictive than the federal government’s denying this assistance to pregnant women who are among the state’s neediest,” said Sen. Mike Hodges, floor leader for Kemp. “Expanding eligibility to pregnant women would continue to build on the steps Georgia has taken to improve maternal health for low income populations.”
In his State of the State address earlier in the year, Governor Kemp gave a preview of the proposed legislation.
“To support new mothers even more, my team is proposing legislation that will allow pregnant women, who qualify, to receive TANF benefits. Previously, they were unable to apply for such assistance until after the child was born,” Kemp said. “I know this measure is supported by many in this chamber, and I am grateful for your backing.”
“All we’re doing is making sure that our pregnant women and those who need it the most are going to be receiving benefits,” Hong said.
Senator Colton Moore attempted to amend the bill to keep benefits at the same level even if a woman becomes pregnant again.
“I feel that by removing that, we’re only going to incentivize more people to take advantage of the system,” Moore said. “And I just don’t feel comfortable with state dollars going to incentivize more children in that type of situation.”
He has a point. We’ve seen cases where women admit to having more kids to get more government money.
The amendment did not pass, however, and Senator Mike Dugan called it “insulting to women.”
“You’re assuming they’ve made themselves into a baby factory to earn a minimum amount of money per month,” Dugan said.
It doesn’t make much sense because it’s more expensive to raise more children, but it happens all too often.
