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Arkansas DHS adopts emergency rule to implement Act 675, raises SNAP resource limit to $5,500
Summary
The Arkansas Department of Human Services presented and the committee approved an emergency rule implementing Act 675 of 2023 that defines broad-based categorical eligibility and updates SNAP resource limits to $5,500 for eligible households; the rule was approved to take effect 12:01 a.m. April 5, 2025.
The Judiciary Committee — House reviewed and approved an emergency rule from the Arkansas Department of Human Services to implement Act 675 of 2023, including a definition for broad-based categorical eligibility and an updated resource limit of $5,500 for households meeting the provision. The committee voted to review and approve the proposed emergency rule, with the approval being effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Christy Putnam, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, told the committee the rule package implements requirements from Act 675 and explained the department’s timeline. "This is a complicated issue to understand, but we made it more complicated than it needed to be," Putnam said, adding that initial work included searching for state match funding before obtaining technical assistance and legal clarification. She said, after that guidance, staff were "able to identify a benefit that could be extended to all SNAP household eligible households and then go ahead and do the rule." Putnam said the department revised the rule within about a week after receiving technical assistance.
The rule adds a definition for broad-based categorical eligibility and updates resource limits to $5,500 for households deemed eligible under the act. Committee members asked for more expeditious processing of rulemakings in future meetings; one member said, "If we could, let's work to be a little more expeditious on these rules." Putnam replied, "You and I both want that."
No separate vote tally was recorded on the transcript; the committee approved the emergency rule without objection, and the rule was set to be effective at the date and time noted above.
The committee did not record additional statutory citations during the discussion beyond the referenced Act 675 of 2023 and technical/legal clarifications obtained by DHS staff. The department indicated the action followed legal guidance it had received before finalizing the rule.
