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Arkansas DHS emergency rule raises SNAP resource limit to $5,500 under Act 675 of 2023
Summary
The Legislative committee reviewed and approved an emergency rule from the Arkansas Department of Human Services to implement Act 675 of 2023, adding a broad-based categorical eligibility definition and raising household resource limits to $5,500; the rule was approved to take effect 12:01 a.m. April 5, 2025.
The Arkansas Legislative committee reviewed and approved an emergency rule from the Department of Human Services to implement Act 675 of 2023 and change broad-based categorical eligibility for SNAP recipients.
Christy Putnam, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, told the committee the rule “adds an eligible definition” and updates resource limits to $5,500 for households in compliance with Act 675 of 2023. She said the department initially sought state match funding but, after technical assistance and legal clarification, identified a benefit that could be extended to all SNAP-eligible households and prepared the rule within about a week.
Members asked why the rule took time to reach the committee. Putnam responded that the issue was complicated in practice and that further legal and technical review clarified the department’s path.
Without further questions, the committee reviewed and approved the proposed emergency rule; review and approval were recorded as effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025.
The approval is a formal step to put the department’s interpretation of Act 675 into effect through an emergency rule; the committee did not record additional amendments or a roll-call vote in the transcript.
