New Jersey's Democrat-led Legislature is planning to move forward with a measure to restore a federal food stamps waiver that the Christie administration recently stopped applying for.
The Assembly is scheduled to vote Thursday on legislation requiring the administration conduct a study on whether a need for the waiver exists. If it does, then the state must apply for the waiver.
Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration announced in December it would stop seeking a waiver for "able-bodied" adults without dependents for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once called food stamps.
Since 2009, New Jersey was able to waive a requirement that food-stamp recipients work at least 20 hours a week because of the struggling economy.
But the administration said the state cannot continue because the economy has improved.
