Press Contact:
Laura Brooks
lbrooks@godspantry.org
606-584-4572
Statement from Michael Halligan, President and CEO of God’s Pantry Food Bank, on Senate SNAP Cost-Shifting and Administrative Burdens
As Congress continues to debate budget reconciliation and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), God’s Pantry Food Bank remains concerned not only about proposals that risk reducing benefits for vulnerable families but also about provisions that would shift significant program costs and administrative responsibilities onto the states.
Proposals that shift federal SNAP costs to states may appear to reduce federal spending, but they only transfer the financial and administrative burden to state governments and, ultimately, to local taxpayers. This approach leaves vulnerable Kentuckians exposed to the decisions of already-strained state budgets.
Kentucky has worked in good faith to optimize SNAP. In fact, Kentucky is one of only seven states that have fully implemented the National Accuracy Clearing house (NAC), an innovative data-matching system designed to prevent individuals from receiving SNAP benefits in multiple states. The NAC, launched in 2024, is designed to strengthen program integrity, reduce improper payments, and protect benefits for those who are truly eligible, all while using advanced security measures to protect personal information.
Rather than introducing new layers of state-administered bureaucracy or increased work requirements that may exacerbate errors and disqualify eligible households, federal policy should focus on optimizing tools like the NAC that enhance accuracy without sacrificing access. Administrative burdens, which cost $11 billion annually for state and federal taxpayers, not only make programs harder for struggling families to navigate but also increase the potential for processing mistakes. Why not reduce these burdens rather than pass them off to the states?
Kentucky has demonstrated its commitment to program integrity and security. The solution to improving SNAP is not cost-shifting or increasing complexity, but strengthening federal-state partnerships, investing in proven technologies, and simplifying systems for both families and administrators.
As part of our ongoing effort to educate policymakers and the public, God’s Pantry Food Bank urges Kentucky’s senators to reject proposals that transfer SNAP costs to the state level and to instead support a bipartisan Farm Bill that preserves federal responsibility, maintains program consistency nationwide, and allows states to continue innovating through systems like the National Accuracy Clearinghouse.
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Editor’s note: This is part three of a three-part series on the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill. Part one is available here, and part two is available here.
About God’s Pantry Food bank:
1 in 6 people in Kentucky do not know when they will receive their next meal – in Central and Eastern Kentucky, it is 1 in 5. We empower more than 500 food pantries and meal programs across Central and Eastern Kentucky. Our vision: A nourished life for every Kentuckian. Our mission: Reducing hunger by working together to feed Kentucky communities. Visit godspantry.org to learn more.
