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Oregon officials warn HR1 changes could narrow access to SNAP/WIC supports that stabilize early childhood nutrition
Summary
OHA and ODHS officials told the committee that SNAP and WIC are critical to early childhood nutrition; they warned that federal policy changes (H.R. 1) could reduce adjunct eligibility, with downstream effects on school meal program qualification and other linked benefits.
State health and human services officials told the Senate Interim Committee that SNAP and WIC remain central to early childhood nutrition but that proposed federal changes could reduce eligibility and have cascading local effects.
Naomi Adlin Biggs, public health director at the Oregon Health Authority, described links between early-life nutrition and brain development and said that Oregon WIC served roughly 114,390 unique individuals in 2024. Jessica Amaya Hoffman, deputy director at the Oregon Department of Human Services, said Oregon’s SNAP program reaches about one in six Oregonians — roughly 757,000 people — and that the average household benefit in Oregon is about $313 a month.
Both presenters warned that H.R. 1 (federal rule changes discussed during the presentation) could remove adjunct eligibility pathways that currently allow some households to qualify for WIC and other benefits based on participation in related programs. They said narrowing SNAP eligibility also risks unlinking families from other supports — such as school categorical eligibility (CEP), utility or broadband discounts, childcare subsidies and Medicaid enrollment — because those programs often use SNAP participation as a gateway.
The agencies recounted state-level responses during a recent federal funding disruption: the governor directed ODHS to issue full SNAP benefits for eligible households on Nov. 7, ensuring most recipients received their benefits despite national uncertainty. Agency staff said the continued resolution secures funding for SNAP and WIC through the end of the current federal fiscal year, but they noted possible administrative impacts and urged preparation for future disruptions.
Why this matters: early childhood nutrition affects school readiness and long-term health; changes that reduce program access will disproportionately affect low-income families, children, older adults and people with disabilities.
What’s next: agencies plan outreach, surveys and continued monitoring of federal actions; the committee asked for more granular program data and for updates on adjunct eligibility effects.
