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House and Senate SNAP proposals would raise Virginia costs and expand work rules, officials say
Summary
Virginia Department of Social Services Commissioner Williams briefed the committee on House and Senate reconciliation proposals that would change SNAP cost-sharing, expand work requirements and narrow exceptions, potentially increasing state expenditures by hundreds of millions in coming years.
Commissioner Williams of the Department of Social Services told the Senate Finance Committee on June 4 that proposals moving through Congress would change the federal-state cost‑share for SNAP benefits, expand work requirements and tighten exemptions — all of which would materially affect Virginia’s program and budget planning.
Under the House reconciliation proposal Williams described, Virginia would be required to contribute roughly 25% of the benefit amount (up from the current 50% federal/50% model for administrative costs and current federal benefit rules), producing an estimated state contribution of roughly $450 million to the benefit amount. The commissioner said the Senate version would cap Virginia’s contribution at a lower maximum of about 15% (roughly $270 million), and that each 5 percentage‑point change in the state share corresponds to about $90 million of fiscal impact for Virginia.
Williams warned the committee that the House proposal would also increase the administrative state share for program operations and expand work requirements for able‑bodied adults without dependents, including raising the relevant age range and narrowing categorical exceptions. She said Virginia’s current SNAP error rate (about 9.86% per the presentation) sits below the national average but could be remeasured under new definitions; the state would have only a limited number of months to influence the error-rate calculation tied to the benefit match (the bill would reference FY2025 federal fiscal-year data).
The commissioner outlined operational responses: investing in error‑rate reduction (systems and training), working with federal counterparts to simplify eligibility rules, and seeking waivers or transitional relief where feasible. Williams said lowering the error rate by 5 percentage points could reduce Virginia’s annual contribution by roughly $90 million. Asked about timing, she said most benefit changes would take effect October 1, 2027, while some administrative match changes in the House bill could begin as soon as October 1, 2025; the Senate generally delayed administrative-match changes to October 1, 2027.
Committee members voiced concern about administrative costs, the feasibility of reducing error rates, and the potential human and economic impacts of tightened SNAP eligibility. Williams and the department urged ongoing federal negotiations and suggested state investments targeted at reducing error rates would provide the largest fiscal returns.
