With the government shutdown ended and funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assured through September 2026, millions of Americans are about to start getting regular food aid again.
But the strain on the nation’s largest anti-hunger program isn’t going to let up entirely, and more of the burden is about to shift to the states.
The reconciliation package — the sweeping bill passed by Republicans last summer — has set in motion some of the most significant changes to SNAP in decades. The law expands work requirements, restricts eligibility for certain immigrant groups and forces states to shoulder most of the program’s administrative costs.