A new report highlights abuse of work requirement waivers for food stamps.

The report from the Foundation for Government Accountablity is "Waivers Gone Wild," which decribes how states took advantage of waivers given during tough economic times to free approximately one-third of Americans from ever getting a J-O-B.

"It turns out," says Kristina Rasmussen of FGA, "that state governments are abusing loopholes within the food stamp program so that able-bodied adults, who are supposed to work, train or volunteer in exchange for their food stamp benefits, are being completely waived from that requirement."

The work requirements in food stamps date back to 1996 when a Republican-led Congress and President Bill Clinton passed bipartisan welfare reform.

The work requirements have been in place ever since, says Rasmussen, but some states have since learned how to abuse the system.

She says states such as California and Illinois are guilty after their lawmakers asked the federal government to waive requirements.

"And they're doing so in economic boom times," she complains.

Other states listed in the report are Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

The FGA report complements a House Oversight Committee hearing held May 9 that addressed waste, fraud, and abuse in SNAP.

The official announcement of the hearing shows that witnesses from USDA and the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and FGA senior fellow Sam Adolphsen, were scheduled to testify.