Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to "right‑size" SNAP following the government shutdown, including requiring many beneficiaries to reapply and launching structural reforms. USDA data from 29 Republican‑led states reportedly identified about 186,000 deceased recipients and 500,000 potential duplicate cases. The shutdown disrupted November distributions, though benefits have been reported as restored. Starting in 2028, states with payment error rates above 6% risk losing federal SNAP funding, which the CBO says could affect roughly 300,000 people.
SNAP to Be 'Right‑Sized' After Shutdown — Reapplications and Structural Reforms Announced
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to "right‑size" SNAP following the government shutdown, including requiring many beneficiaries to reapply and launching structural reforms. USDA data from 29 Republican‑led states reportedly identified about 186,000 deceased recipients and 500,000 potential duplicate cases. The shutdown disrupted November distributions, though benefits have been reported as restored. Starting in 2028, states with payment error rates above 6% risk losing federal SNAP funding, which the CBO says could affect roughly 300,000 people.
03:49 AM, 11/20/2025Politics
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will undergo what she called a "right‑sizing" and a series of structural reforms even after routine funding resumed following the recent government shutdown.
Speaking on NewsNation Now, Rollins said the administration plans to require many beneficiaries to reapply as part of an effort to identify and remove improper enrollments.
"We have to make sure for those that really need this benefit that we are able to make sure that it's going to the right people," Rollins said. "So, we're making a lot of structural changes in SNAP."
Rollins said the administration will unveil the proposed changes the week after Thanksgiving. She also noted that, prior to the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) received data from 29 Republican‑led states indicating roughly 186,000 deceased individuals remained listed as SNAP recipients and about 500,000 people may have been receiving duplicate benefits.
A USDA spokesperson described the changes as part of an effort to reduce fraud, waste and abuse. The spokesperson said the administration plans to use standard household recertification processes, ongoing analysis of state data, further regulatory work and closer collaboration with states to improve program integrity.
The USDA also points out that states already require periodic updates from SNAP recipients on address and income. In fiscal 2024, SNAP reached an average of 41.7 million people per month, with federal spending of about $99.8 billion—roughly $187.20 per recipient per month.
The recent 43‑day shutdown disrupted November SNAP distributions. A lower court had ordered the administration to fully fund benefits in November, but the Supreme Court blocked that order; states responded in different ways, drawing on contingency funds, issuing partial payments, or channeling assistance to local food banks. Rollins told CNN that benefits would be restored in full by Monday.
Looking ahead, starting in 2028, states with a SNAP payment error rate above 6 percent may lose federal funding for the program. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that meeting this threshold could lead states to reduce or eliminate benefits for about 300,000 people combined.
Officials say the aim of the effort is to preserve assistance for eligible households while tightening program controls. The administration has signaled that additional details about the proposed structural changes will be released after the Thanksgiving holiday.