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SNAP Benefits Get An Overhaul

When lawmakers left Washington earlier this month without passing a Farm Bill, some of the disagreement centered on nutrition funding and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

One of the most significant differences between the House and Senate Farm Bills was with the nutrition programs, including SNAP. The Senate's version cut nutrition spending by $4.5 billion while the House delved deeper into the programs, cutting $16 billion. After the House committee markup, some Senators voiced disagreement over the deep cuts proposed by the House.

Notably, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said the House version changed eligibility for benefits, whereas the Senate version made changes to decrease fraud.

"USDA has a zero tolerance policy for SNAP fraud," Concannon said. "These additional measures reaffirm our ongoing commitment to ensuring these dollars are spent as intended–helping millions of people in need get back on solid economic footing."

The retailer sanctions proposal allows USDA to not only permanently disqualify a retailer who traffics, but also assess a monetary penalty in addition to the disqualification. Financial penalties would be proportional to the amount of SNAP business the store is conducting, which will help ensure that the financial punishment more closely fits the crime. Currently, when a retailer is found guilty of fraud or abuse, USDA can either disqualify the retailer from participating in SNAP, or issue a financial penalty, but not both.

The announcement also included new requirements for states to take specific actions that would catch fraud and abuse on the front end and ensure that ineligible people do not participate in the program. The new standards strengthen integrity by giving States an additional tool to identify cases that may require further investigation and review when an applicant or recipient is found in a Federal database.

"These requirements will make us better at identifying potential fraud and abuse before it occurs, as well as help us hold bad actors even more accountable than in the past and discourage them from abusing the public's trust," Concannon said.