State budget staff outline cuts tied to moving SNAP to statutory funding, request $20M to make summer EBT permanent

Legislative Fiscal Division staff and Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials told the Section B subcommittee on Feb. 20, 2025, that moving federal SNAP benefits to a statutory appropriation would sharply reduce the division's House Bill 2 budget and asked lawmakers to approve a set of decision packages that include a $20 million biennial request to make the summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program permanent.

The change matters because the Human and Community Services Division’s fiscal 2025 base totaled about $292.9 million; the executive request in House Bill 2 would show roughly $129.1 million in fiscal 2026 and $128.9 million in fiscal 2027, a biennial reduction of about $327.8 million — roughly a 56% decrease — concentrated in federal benefits and claims, Legislative Fiscal Division analyst Josh Pollet told the committee.

“That would go up by $345 million if you did not accept this decision package,” Pollet said, explaining how the governor’s submission treats SNAP authority differently than prior practice. Pollet framed that figure as a comparison to the governor’s submitted budget and noted it should not be read as an increase relative to historically enacted budgets.

DPHHS Division Administrator Chappelle Smith described the programs covered by the division and laid out the department’s request. The division supports SNAP, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and other food and emergency-assistance programs. Smith said the department is asking lawmakers to: (1) bring summer EBT administration and benefits into HB 2…