Bigger cuts mean less support for child nutrition

The Senate Agriculture Committee will consider measures on Thursday aimed at supporting child nutrition programs but the provisions do not provide a real fix for the child hunger crisis imposed by H.R. 1 that is already underway.

“Four and a half million people — including at least 1.5 million children — have already lost benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since passage of H.R. 1 one year ago,” said Chad Bolt, Senior Vice President for Economic Security at First Focus Campaign for Children. “The Senate Farm Bill proposal is a disappointing missed opportunity for Congress to reverse course. The bill does nothing to help states afford the new administrative costs going into effect this October. It does not provide additional time for states to bring down their error rates. And most gallingly, it sets in motion an even bigger blow for some states than originally dealt by H.R. 1 just a few years from now. None of this will help hungry families put food on the table.”

H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, will slash nearly $200 billion from SNAP over the next decade, with states required to pay a larger share of benefits starting next year and a larger share of administrative costs starting this October. In anticipation of those increased costs, states are already taking steps to reduce enrollment — which so far has resulted in 4.5 million fewer people participating in SNAP. States could even be forced to abandon the program altogether.

The Senate Farm Bill proposal includes a one year delay of the SNAP state cost shift, but also:

  • maintains the administrative cost shift, which takes effect 10/1/26
  • keeps error rates based on this fiscal year, so it actually does NOT give states more time to bring down their error rates
  • increases the cost share some states will have to pay in 2031 from 15% to 20% — an even larger cut to SNAP than H.R. 1.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program and first line of defense against food insecurity. Sixteen million children and their families rely on SNAP — not just for nutrition, but as a program that improves children’s health, educational outcomes, and overall well-being.

Read the fact sheet The Senate Must Put Kids First in Any Farm Bill Legislation.