SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

State lawmakers considered Wednesday streamlining the application process for federal benefits so people who qualify for cash assistance and food assistance can receive both through one application.

More than 5 million people are no longer getting food aid in the wake of a slew of cuts and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As changes to the program continue to unfold, rural Americans face unique problems.

The federal law requires states to attain error rates below 6% or face paying a percentage of the state’s SNAP benefits, depending on the error rate level.

Rising grocery and fuel prices, immigration enforcement fears and the scaling back of SNAP benefits are among the factors advocates are concerned are contributing to the trend.

The One Big Beautiful Bill requires states to pay for some food assistance based on error rates. Advocacy groups want the penalties delayed to avoid SNAP service cuts.

Starting April 1, Texans will no longer be allowed to use food stamps to buy sweetened beverages and candy.

Advocates say the federal government's new work requirements and immigration crackdown has limited food stamp participation. The state says the recent decline is part of normal fluctuations in enrollment.

An audit of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program usage, conducted by the Legislative Post Audit Department, found that between $700,000 and $1.2 million in federal fiscal years 2023 and 2024 may have been paid to recipients living outside Kansas.

Some Texans on SNAP say the ban on using food stamps to buy sugary drinks and candy prevents quick fixes to low blood sugar conditions.

Texas has a 91% Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, accuracy rate — which could mean the state will be responsible for more than $700 million in benefits costs. If Texas has to cover part of the benefits costs, it would be the first time since the program started in the 1960s.