Louisiana House adopts urgent resolution asking LDH to temporarily fund SNAP during federal shutdown

The Louisiana House on Oct. 29 adopted an urgent resolution asking the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to identify up to $150,000,000 to cover roughly one month of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits while a federal government shutdown leaves federal SNAP payments suspended.

Representative McFarland, who presented the measure, said the request is temporary and intended to bridge benefits while federal funding is unavailable. "This urgent request is only for the time period of which those SNAP benefits have been suspended by the federal government," McFarland said during floor debate.

The resolution, described in debate as an "urgent request," asks LDH to use existing budget authority to cover the gap immediately and notes that the Legislature could access the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund by a two-thirds vote if additional state support is required. McFarland said lawmakers intend to seek reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) once federal appropriations resume. "They're not obligated to, but I believe it would be imperative that we would ask for that funding," he said.

Lawmakers discussed practical and procedural limits. Representative Newell and others asked how the resolution differs between two draft texts, HCR 2 and HCR 3; McFarland said the changes were technical, moving language about the Revenue Stabilization Fund between paragraphs. Members also questioned whether the state has mechanisms to stop state-funded SNAP payments if federal benefits are restored; McFarland said LDH would be expected to cease state-level funding once federal dollars resume.

During debate lawmakers also cited counts of recipients that the resolution references: about 700,000 individuals receive SNAP in Louisiana, including roughly 88,000 elderly recipients, 120,000 disabled recipients and 356,000 households with children. McFarland and other members emphasized the broader economic impact, saying the SNAP program supports about $1.9 billion in annual retail activity in the state.

Representative Cruz pressed for detail on amounts, and McFarland described the $150 million figure as intended to cover approximately one month of benefits; he and other lawmakers said the Legislature could consider drawing on the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund thereafter but that doing so would require procedural steps that cannot be completed immediately.

The House approved the resolution by a recorded voice and machine vote, with the clerk reporting 97 yays, 0 nays. The clerk then opened the machine for coauthors; the tally returned 70 coauthors. Immediately after the vote the House took a separate, unanimous motion to adjourn until 9 a.m. Monday.

The resolution urges LDH and asks the governor and legislative leaders to press for federal reimbursement, but it does not itself appropriate state funds. Lawmakers who spoke repeatedly framed the measure as an emergency bridge for SNAP recipients while federal funding is suspended.

Votes at a glance

- Urgent request (HCR, drafts referenced as HCR 2 and HCR 3): Adopted, recorded tally 97 yays, 0 nays. Coauthor machine recorded 70 coauthors. Motion text: urges and requests LDH to identify up to $150,000,000 to cover one month of SNAP benefits during the federal suspension and contemplates use of the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund by two-thirds vote if necessary. Mover/second: not specified in the transcript. Outcome: approved.

- Motion to adjourn until 9:00 a.m. Monday: Passed without objection. Mover: Representative Thompson (as stated during the floor proceedings).

Ending

The resolution asks LDH to act under its existing budget authority and directs legislative leaders to pursue federal reimbursement from USDA; it does not itself appropriate state funds. Lawmakers said the measure is meant as a temporary step to prevent a lapse in benefits while the federal shutdown continues.