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DHS warns SNAP benefits for 690,000 Tennesseans would stop immediately in a federal shutdown; agency urges community response and outlines TANF pilots

Finance, Ways, and Means Committee · October 30, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence Carter told the committee a sustained federal shutdown would prevent SNAP benefits from being loaded, affecting about 690,000 Tennessee recipients and roughly $145 million in monthly benefits.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Clarence Carter told the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on Oct. 30 that a federal government shutdown would immediately disrupt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments for Tennessee and urged community organizations and local partners to step in while the state explores options.

Immediate SNAP impact: Carter said TennCare's DHS manages eligibility and a vendor loads benefits to EBT cards using federal lines of credit. If the federal government remains shut, the agency cannot load new benefits and "as of Saturday" roughly 690,000 SNAP recipients would not have their October benefits loaded; the state's monthly SNAP liability is about $145 million. Carter said the state…

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