SNAP Cuts Mitigation Hub: Responding to H.R. 1

From Farmers to Families: How H.R. 1 Deepens America’s Hunger Crisis

The harmful Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provisions in the budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1) passed in July threaten to undermine decades of progress in reducing hunger in America, disrupt the food system, strip food away from millions of people, burden already strained state budgets, and threaten the economy.

ACT NOW: Tell Congress to Reverse Course, Protect SNAP

Urge Congress to repeal the harmful SNAP cuts in H.R. 1. Use the FRAC Action Network to easily send your Members of Congress a pre-populated email, or craft your own.

Email Your Members of Congress

SNAP Cuts Hurt Us All

The far-reaching consequences of H.R. 1 will be felt in every corner of the country.

Although the fallout will be local, the design is federal. Despite strong opposition from governors, advocates, and public health leaders, this law shifts financial and administrative responsibility for SNAP to states and localities — while restricting eligibility, expanding time limits, and eliminating core nutrition education programs.

H.R. 1 prioritizes tax cuts for the wealthy over essential food assistance that stabilizes families, strengthens local economies, and prevents poverty.

The impacts of H.R. 1 will be felt throughout our communities.

Families

One analysis found H.R. 1 will reduce income for the poorest 20 percent of people in the U.S. by an average of 3.8 percent.

Food Retailers

Within six months, as participants lose SNAP, small grocers could see sales decline by as much as 6.7 percent.

Farmers

Farmers stand to lose $24 billion over the next decade as household food purchases decline.

SNAP cuts “mean more strain on our budget, less resources to go towards public safety, to go towards schools, infrastructure, and other critical services.”

– Chris Hollins, city controller, Houston, Texas (The Cost of Cuts: The Economic Fallout of SNAP Reductions)

How H.R. 1 Will Force Families, States to Make Impossible Choices

Learn about the harmful provisions below.

— Increasing Administrative Costs on States —
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– State Cost-Sharing of Food Benefits –
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– Expanding Time Limits –
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– Restricting Noncitizen Eligibility –
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– Freezing Thrifty Food Plan Adjustments –
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– Limiting Access to Deductions –
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Ripple Effects: The Impact of SNAP Cuts on Child Nutrition

While H.R. 1 did not directly cut the child nutrition programs, the cuts to SNAP will have a major impact on school meals, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Summer EBT.

Learn more in FRAC’s policy brief, Cuts to SNAP Threaten the Child Nutrition Programs.

Impact on School Meals
H.R. 1’s SNAP cuts put the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) at risk. CEP is a federal program that allows schools and school districts in high-need areas to provide school meals at no charge to all their students. The SNAP cuts will make hunger worse and have ripple effects for the school meals programs, including threatening schools’ ability to implement CEP. As children lose access to SNAP, their automatic eligibility for free school meals is severed, and federal reimbursement for meals served in CEP schools decreases, jeopardizing the program’s financial viability and children’s access to free school meals.
Impact on WIC
While the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was not directly impacted by H.R. 1, the ripple effect of these cuts will reach far and wide. The National WIC Association estimates that based on the SNAP cuts alone, hundreds of thousands of infants and young children are at risk of losing their automatic eligibility for WIC. The impact would likely be even greater with Medicaid and TANF cuts taken into account. 
Impact on Summer EBT
The SNAP cuts enacted in H.R. 1 will have ripple effects on Summer EBT. As more children lose access to SNAP, hunger will increase, making the Summer EBT program even more vital to keeping children fed in the summer when they cannot access school meals.

“My husband is a disabled combat veteran. He cannot work and I have to stay home and care for him and our small children. Cuts to SNAP would make things much harder to survive.”

– Amanda, Michigan (SNAP Matters: Quotes from Participants)

H.R. 1 Action Center

Urge Congress to Reverse SNAP Cuts

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Take the FRAC SNAP Challenge

The average SNAP benefit is only $6 per person per day.

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City Playbook: Preparing for the Impacts of H.R. 1 on Food Security and Local Economies

FRAC’s City Playbook is designed to help municipal leaders understand the scope of what’s coming, anticipate challenges, and prepare coordinated responses with state, federal, and community partners.

Download the Playbook

State Playbook: Supporting State Economic Stability and Strength After H.R. 1 SNAP Cuts

On paper, H.R. 1 is a federal law, but in practice, its burdens will fall squarely on the shoulders of children, families, and state and local governments. Learn how H.R. 1’s wide-ranging cuts undermine this proven federal nutrition program and how states can prepare.