SNAP

Jul 4, 2025: New nutrition provisions enacted in budget reconciliation.

  • Reduces federal benefits for SNAP 
  • Adds new work requirements for adults between 55 and 64. Work requirements now apply to (1) adults 18 to 64 and (2) adults with children at least 14 years of age or older. Eliminates exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and individuals aging out of foster care 
  • Limits waivers to areas with unemployment rates over 10% and to noncontiguous states (e.g., Alaska, Hawaii), areas with unemployment rates that are 1.5 x the national unemployment rate. No limit on the duration of the waiver 

Oct 1, 2025 (FY2026): Eliminates mandatory funding for the SNAP Nutritional Education and Obesity Prevention Grant programs. 

  • $536M was provided under FY2025 appropriations. Will eliminate formula grant funding for states to provide domestic food assistance, nutrition, and fitness education programs for many low-income households 

Oct 1, 2026 (FY2027): Federal reimbursement of state administrative costs.

  • Starting FY2027, the federal government will reimburse 25% of states’ administrative costs for SNAP 

FY2027 (exact start date unclear): Changes to eligibility.

  • Amends federal law to shorten the list of eligible population. Strikes text in Food and Nutrition Act of 2007 that allowed refugees to receive SNAP benefits. 
  • Eligible: U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (5 years after grant of status), Cuban and Haitian migrants, and Compacts of Free Association (COFA) migrants from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau 
  • Ineligible: refugees, asylees, victim of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence  

Oct 1, 2027 (FY2028): Cost-sharing will start for states. In the past, states only covered administrative costs. Starting Oct 1, 2027, states are required to pay for foods benefits.

If a state has an error rate between:  

  • 6-8%: contribute 5% of SNAP benefit costs  
  • 8-10%: contribute 10% of SNAP benefit costs  
  • >10%: contribute 15% of SNAP benefit costs  

*A state’s contribution is tied to its payment error rate from three fiscal years prior 

** If a state’s payment error rate for FY2025 or FY2026 x 1.5 comes out to a figure higher than 20%, then cost sharing is delayed until 2030. 

Source: Congress.gov