HB2206

THE CONTEXT: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget and help the family afford nutritious food. It is administered by the U.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would require DES to reduce the SNAP payment error rate as reported by the USDA to not more than 3% by December 30,, require DES to submit a quarterly report to the Legislature within 30 days after the end of the quarter, beginning in FY 2027, that details the monthly progress towards reducing the payment error rate and includes strategies and barriers that may be present in reducing the payment error rate, and require DES, if it fails to meet annual interim targets or reduce the payment error rate by 3% by December 30, 2030, to: a; submit a corrective action plan to the Legislature within 60 days that includes an analysis of why the targets were not met and timelines for correcting the payment error rate; b; pay 50% of any federal liabilities that may be imposed due to the excess payment error rates; and c; implement a corrective action plan.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to turn the Legislature's standard for snap into an enforceable rule. It would require DES to reduce the SNAP payment error rate as reported by the USDA to not more than 3% by December 30,, and would also require DES to submit a quarterly report to the Legislature within 30 days after the end of the quarter, beginning in FY 2027, that details the monthly progress towards reducing the payment error rate and includes strategies and barriers that may be present in reducing the payment error rate, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.