Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) would strengthen the accountability of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act would increase the accuracy of the SNAP payment error rate calculations by amending the tolerance level from $54 to $0. Currently, officials said, the USDA only counts as an error overpayment or underpayments that are more than $54. Officials said the bill would also increase the liability states face if they have a high payment error rate.
“The American people elected President Trump and Republican majorities in Congress to cut waste from government and get our budget under control. With over $36 trillion in debt and counting, we have no time to waste to pinpoint every possible area to save taxpayer dollars and hold bureaucrats accountable,” Feenstra said. “Every month, taxpayers shell out about $1 billion in SNAP overpayments, which is absolutely ridiculous and must change. That’s why Senator Ernst and I introduced legislation to strengthen the integrity of the SNAP program by establishing a zero-tolerance policy on benefit overpayments.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP overpayments in 2022 occurred in almost 1 in 10 payments (9.84 percent) and underpayments occurred in 1 in 50 payments (1.7 percent). Between 2019 and 2022, the USDA said, overpayments had increased by 3.66 percent.
“Bureaucratic blunders are leaving billions of dollars on the table as Americans are starved to keep up with the ever-growing $36 trillion debt,” Ernst said. “SNAP plays an essential role in helping feed families, that’s why we need to strengthen its integrity by holding states accountable for growing error rates, implementing a zero-tolerance policy, and snapping back overpayments.”