The Guam Legislature on Friday approved an emergency appropriation of up to $13,100,000 to the Department of Public Health and Social Services to fund November 2025 benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) if federal SNAP/WIC funding remains paused.

The appropriation, passed as Bill No. 14 S with amendments, draws from fiscal year 2025 net unobligated excess revenue and directs DPHSS to use federal funds first if federal funding is restored, to reimburse the general fund for any local advance, and to publicly report the households served and any federal reimbursements within 30 days of issuance.

Why it matters: The department told the Committee of the Whole it received a USDA Food and Nutrition Service notice on Oct. 10 that November SNAP disbursements may be delayed because of a U.S. federal government shutdown. DPHSS, which does not directly hold federal SNAP benefit funds, said it needs local money to load EBT cards through its vendor and to keep WIC redemptions and operations running while federal officials remain unavailable.

Acting DPHSS officials and program managers told senators the local ask was based on recent average usage and added sources of one-off funds. "On Oct. 10, we received notification from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service that instructed all states and territories to pause on the release of November benefits," Francine Salas, chief human services administrator for the Division of Public Welfare, said at the hearing. "We estimate roughly $12,300,000 would be needed just for the SNAP program for the month of November." Salas also detailed WIC funding already received and the program's remaining balance.

What the legislature approved: The amended bill authorizes up to $13,100,000 (about $12.3 million for SNAP and $800,000 for WIC) from FY25 net unobligated excess revenue to DPHSS "to fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits for the month of November 2025." The bill includes language requiring DPHSS to: 1) use federal funds first if a federal appropriation is enacted; 2) reimburse the General Fund within five business days of receiving federal reimbursement; and 3) publish a public report within 30 days listing households served, total benefits issued and any reimbursements received or pending.

Details and context reported to the committee: DPHSS provided the following figures and operational details during questioning:
- SNAP: a three-month average of 40,328 individuals, comprising 14,739 households. DPHSS told senators that a local appropriation sized at roughly $12.3 million reflects the typical monthly benefit volume plus a modest cushion for likely added enrollments tied to the shutdown.
- WIC: 6,200 enrolled participants as of September; current WIC discretionary/rebate-derived funding reported at about $806,228 (589,306 in general funding plus ~216,922 from infant formula rebates). DPHSS said daily WIC settlements had reached $456,940.36 and the remaining balance would sustain WIC redemptions only through Oct. 26 without supplemental funds.
- Payroll/operations: DPHSS said daily labor costs average roughly $9,000 and about $100,000 per pay period; DPHSS estimated current personnel funding would run to about Nov. 12 absent federal cash flows.
- Vendor and delivery: DPHSS uses Fidelity Information Services (FIS) as the EBT vendor. Officials said the vendor can accept local funds and load EBT cards and that benefits are normally issued on a staggered schedule (based on the last digit of recipients' Social Security numbers). Officials proposed releasing funds in two allotments (an initial allotment to begin November benefits and a reserve to be used only if the federal shutdown persists).

Reimbursement uncertainty: DPHSS and administration officials told senators they had no definitive confirmation from USDA about reimbursement; multiple witnesses said other states and territories were concerned that federal reimbursement may not occur. The bill's new language directs DPHSS to reimburse the general fund promptly if federal reimbursement is received.

Committee and legislative action: Committee debate produced three technical amendments requiring (among other items) that DPHSS use federal funds first when those funds are available, report issuance metrics within 30 days, and return any federal reimbursement to the general fund. The full Legislature passed the amended bill on a roll call showing 13 yays and two excused.

What happens next: The appropriation is available for DPHSS to use if federal funding remains paused on Nov. 1. The bill also allows for the appropriation to be available only until the federal government resumes funding, whichever comes first. DPHSS officials said they planned to stagger issuance and to request the second allotment only if the shutdown persisted into mid-November.

Votes at a glance
Bill: Bill No. 14 S (as amended) — "An Act to appropriate the sum of up to $13,100,000 from fiscal year 2025 net unobligated excess revenue to the Department of Public Health and Social Services to fund SNAP and WIC for the month of November 2025." Outcome: Approved. Tally: 13 yeas, 0 nays, 0 abstentions, 2 excused.

Bottom line: The Legislature authorized a contingency appropriation to prevent an immediate lapse of SNAP and WIC benefits on Nov. 1, while directing DPHSS to prioritize federal funding and to report promptly if reimbursements occur. DPHSS warned the appropriation is intended as a time-limited stopgap and that longer shutdowns could require further actions.