Senate Republicans Update SNAP Proposal
The latest iteration of the Senate Republican proposal, often referred to as President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” has undergone some significant changes regarding federal spending on the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This comes following recent objections raised by Alaska Republicans.
According to the new plan, states with a payment error rate higher than 6% since fiscal year 2028 will still be required to cover some SNAP benefits expenses, which are currently fully funded by the federal government. The revisions in the proposal aim to clarify how state contributions will be calculated based on this annual error rate.
States can opt to use data from either fiscal year 2025 or 2026 to determine their matching contributions for fiscal year 2028. Additionally, this latest bill introduces an “exemption authority” section. This allows certain states, including Alaska and Hawaii, to potentially bypass some requirements if they are found to be actively working on reducing their error rates.
This shift comes as Alaskan Republicans have recently voiced concerns about the initial proposal. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) emphasized the importance of accurate data in assessing payment errors. He noted that it’s critical for the evaluation year to reflect the situation as accurately as possible.
Under the proposed changes, states with higher payment error rates will have to shoulder a larger share of the costs. Specifically, if a state’s error rate is 6% or above, they could face an increase in their allocation share from 5% to 15%.
In Alaska, the payment error rate soared to over 60% in 2023, while the national average stood at around 11.68%. Senator Sullivan remarked that his state had previously maintained lower error rates but acknowledged the need for improvement, stating that costs are closely tied to these error figures.
When asked about the ongoing SNAP discussions, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) indicated that challenges persist in the implementation of these provisions, emphasizing ongoing issues with SNAP.
While Republicans aim to motivate states to reduce payment error rates, Democrats argue the proposed changes might force states to cut back on benefits for recipients.
The Senate proposal also tightens work requirements for able-bodied adults without disabilities, suggesting they should continue to work up until the age of 64. However, the revised text now includes exemptions for parents or guardians of children under 14 and specific groups eligible for Indian health services.
Significantly, the current draft hasn’t preserved exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals, and foster youth that were part of a bipartisan agreement in 2023. The committee has indicated that individuals considered unable to work due to physical or mental conditions remain exempt from the 20-hour work requirement.
Moreover, there are proposals aimed at limiting the federal government’s capacity to raise future monthly benefits and include provisions related to agriculture favored by GOP leaders, though Democrats are currently resisting these changes.
