U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman announced that the Senate parliamentarian has approved the committee's revised provisions concerning state cost-share and alien SNAP eligibility. These revisions are in compliance with the Byrd rule.
"This paves the way for important reforms that improve efficiency and management of SNAP while encouraging responsible use of taxpayer dollars. In 2023 alone, over $10 billion was misspent when administering this program – underscoring the need for stronger accountability. Our commonsense approach encourages states to adopt better practices, reduce error rates, be better stewards of taxpayer dollars, and prioritize the resources for those who truly need it," Boozman stated.
The revised plan offers states a choice between using either Fiscal Year 2025 or Fiscal Year 2026 payment error rates to determine their state match requirement starting in Fiscal Year 2028. From Fiscal Year 2029 onward, states will calculate their match based on payment error rates from three fiscal years prior. If a state's payment error rate exceeds six percent, it must contribute a set percentage of its SNAP benefits cost.
State payment error rates are published annually at the end of June.
