Lawmakers Clash Over SNAP Funding Changes in Farm Bill Debate

By Mitch Coppes, Federal Government Affairs Manager, Goodwill Industries International

Congressional leaders are still looking for a path forward on a new multiyear farm bill after the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance its version earlier this month. The farm bill is a broad piece of legislation that covers agriculture, food, and nutrition programs. One of its most important sections is the nutrition title, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

SNAP provides food benefits to low-income households. It also supports state administrative costs, SNAP Employment and Training, and other related services. Congress usually renews the farm bill every five years. The last full farm bill was passed in 2018, and since 2023, lawmakers have relied on short-term extensions to keep programs running.

A major sticking point is a set of SNAP changes enacted in 2025 through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Those changes were intended to reduce federal SNAP spending by changing how benefits and administrative costs are funded and by tightening eligibility for some people. The law expands SNAP work requirements to more adults and makes it harder for some to qualify for waivers from those requirements.

The law shifts funding of food benefits from full federal support to a state cost-sharing requirement for states with payment error rates greater than 5 percent, with a state’s share based on its error rate. It also raises the state share of SNAP administrative costs from 50 percent to 75 percent.

Because these SNAP rule changes could strain state budgets and result in fewer people receiving benefits, Senate Democrats have pushed to delay the new cost-sharing requirement in the farm bill. They are seeking a two-year delay in implementing the requirement and rejected a Republican proposal to include a one-year delay in the bill that ultimately failed in committee. Moreover, the House passed its farm bill in April without including any such delay. Lawmakers will now try to reconcile the competing bills and priorities when they return from the August recess.

For Goodwill advocates, the debate over SNAP is about more than food assistance. Many individuals served by Goodwill rely on SNAP while they work to gain skills, find employment, and achieve greater economic stability. Changes that reduce access to benefits or place new financial burdens on states could make it harder for people to meet basic needs while pursuing training and workforce opportunities.

SNAP Employment and Training programs also help connect individuals with education, job training, and employment services that support long-term self-sufficiency. As Congress considers the future of the farm bill, Goodwill advocates have an important opportunity to educate policymakers about the relationship between nutrition assistance, workforce development, and economic mobility. Ensuring that individuals have access to both employment supports and basic necessities can help more people successfully enter and remain in the workforce.