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Several states across the country are finding ways to support their SNAP recipients after the Trump administration said it would only partially fund the program in November, per Newsweek.
On Monday (November 3), the Trump administration announced that it would partially fund SNAP through an emergency reserve after two federal judges ordered the program stay in operation amid the ongoing government shutdown. The move will provide roughly half the usual monthly benefits.
States have responded with various steps to support families who rely on SNAP to buy their groceries.
Maryland, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia, along with the District of Columbia, are providing direct financial aid to SNAP recipients. Last week, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry authorized $150 million in state funding to support SNAP.
“Our priorities are specific—we’re going to protect the most vulnerable population in Louisiana, which is our kids, disabled, and elderly," Landry said.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced $30 million in emergency food assistance and additional millions in SNAP support. Vermont approved $6.3 million to cover 15 days of benefits and $250,000 for food banks.
In Maryland, Governor Wes Moore set aside $62 million to cover all November SNAP benefits.
“One of the first and most basic priorities of governing is to ensure that families do not go hungry," Moore said.
28 states have boosted funding for food banks, while several, including New York, Oregon, and Virginia, have declared states of emergency to unlock additional resources. However, fourteen states, including Texas, Florida, and Georgia, have yet to implement any SNAP support measures.
SNAP, the nation’s largest food assistance program, supports more than 42 million Americans. Colleen Heflin, a professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University, warned that uneven state responses will likely deepen disparities.
“Food insecurity will vary even more by state as a result of variation in state response to the SNAP funding crisis," Heflin said.
Heflin noted that while expanded food bank funding helps, it may miss vulnerable groups such as older adults and people with disabilities, who face barriers to accessing aid.
“All SNAP recipients are going to face heightened anxiety about their ability to feed themselves and their families due to the instability of this situation,” she said.
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