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Lawmakers hear appeals to expand SNAP staffing and simplify enrollment to speed benefits to eligible households
Summary
Advocates, health groups and the food retail industry urged the House Finance Committee to fund increased staffing and process changes for SNAP so eligible households receive benefits faster; witnesses cited a rise in demand and a high federal return on investment.
Advocates, social workers and food-industry representatives told the House Committee on Finance that staffing and process improvements at the Department of Human Services would speed access to SNAP benefits and deliver large federal reimbursements to the state.
Betty Lou Larsen of Catholic Charities Hawaii said modernizing SNAP operations and adequately staffing application processing would stabilize families and reduce downstream pressures on child welfare and emergency services. “We really support this bill because we feel the right to be most efficient, it prevents families from falling into the child welfare system,” Larsen said.
Hawaii Public Health Institute’s Nate Hicks described SNAP as a major federal inflow to the state — “bringing in over $600,000,000 every year” — and said demand for SNAP has risen more than 50% since before the pandemic while state staffing levels have not kept pace. He highlighted a high return on investment: hiring a single additional worker could bring roughly $2 million in federal benefits to eligible families, he said, and those dollars circulate in local economies.
Social-work practitioner Kaylee Bigley and community outreach witnesses described delays that leave unsheltered and low-income households without timely food support and urged expedited hiring and simplified procedures. Alexis Chapman of the Hawaii Food Industry Association emphasized the role of SNAP dollars in supporting retailers, farmers and the local food supply chain.
Department of Human Services staff stood on written comments and said they support the intent and offered technical comments. Testimony from Catholic Charities, AARP, Aloha Care and other providers called for appropriations to increase caseworker capacity, invest in processing systems, and clarify avenues for federally reimbursable staffing.
Committee members followed with questions; the committee advanced the relevant measures in block decision-making and requested additional technical language or budgeting details where needed.
