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Committee debates SNAP integrity bill as sponsor warns of high error rate and federal penalties
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Summary
A House committee heard extended debate on the Georgia SNAP Integrity Act (HB947), which would tighten verification and recertification to reduce the state's 15.5% SNAP error rate. Sponsors said the changes seek to avoid substantial federal penalties; members pressed for cost estimates and clarified DHS’s role.
Representative Montahan introduced the Georgia SNAP Integrity Act (HB947), saying the state’s SNAP error rate is 15.5%—“the third highest in the United States”—and arguing that reforms are necessary to avoid substantial federal penalties. The bill would modernize eligibility verification, shorten certification periods for high‑risk cases, require timelier recertification, and add accountability measures for the Department of Human Services (DHS).
Montahan told the committee the bill targets errors that arise when broad‑based categorical eligibility produces overpayments; he said roughly 90% of the documented errors were overpayments and noted that, under current federal rules, an elevated error rate could trigger a federal adjustment with consequences in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He said DHS had been involved in drafting enforcement mechanics and described the bill as a tool to improve program sustainability and preserve benefits for eligible families.
Committee members sought detail on implementation costs and whether the bill goes beyond federal requirements. Representative Evans and others asked for the fiscal note and whether DHS requested the changes; Montahan said DHS had not requested the bill but had been willing to assist and that the committee was seeking an updated fiscal estimate. The presenter said an initial fiscal note of $300,000 did not appear accurate and that implementation costs could be substantially higher; he said the committee would request a revised number closer to the budget cycle.
Members also probed operational impacts: how eligibility verifications would be performed, whether the bill would impose unfunded mandates on DHS, and how the proposal would address work‑requirement verifications under federal law. Montahan said the bill narrows certification periods for high‑risk cases and requires faster follow‑up verifications (for example, within 30 days when zero income is reported) to reduce overpayments and lower the state error rate.
Montahan and other members emphasized that federal law governs eligibility standards and the state’s role is to verify them in a timely way. Several legislators said they supported the goal of reducing error rates but requested more detail on costs, staffing and the specific verification steps DHS will need to take. Montahan said he would continue to work with DHS, the Appropriations staff and committee members to refine the measure and produce an updated fiscal estimate.
The committee did not take a final vote on HB947 during the meeting; the sponsor encouraged members to engage in follow‑up conversations and to review updated fiscal information as it becomes available.
