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County officials say One Big Beautiful Act will raise Medicaid and SNAP costs and administrative burden
Summary
DSS Deputy Commissioner Nicholle Lacey and Director Tana Pestor told the committee that HR 1 (the "One Big Beautiful Act") will shorten Medicaid recertification periods, raise SNAP administrative and benefit cost shares for Jefferson County, and could result in hundreds of SNAP closures; the county provided estimated cost figures and caseload impacts.
Deputy Commissioner Nicholle Lacey and Income Maintenance Director Tana Pestor presented an overview of the One Big Beautiful Act/HR 1 and its local fiscal and program impacts. They said Jefferson County currently serves 7,617 individuals receiving Medicaid and cited a figure of $20,567,036 for weekly shares of Medicaid costs; the county also serves 13,118 SNAP recipients and households received $31,603,225 in SNAP benefits in 2025. Lacey said the Act imposes stricter eligibility rules and will increase recertification frequency for Medicaid from every 12 months to every 6 months effective Jan. 1, 2027, raising administrative workload and increasing the risk that residents will lose coverage.
Lacey outlined SNAP-specific impacts: the county's administrative share will rise from 50% to 75% effective Oct. 1, 2026 (an estimated $1,250,000 annual county cost), and a 15% benefit cost-shift effective Oct. 1, 2027 could increase county costs by an estimated $4,530,211. She also said stricter ABAWD rules and eliminated exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans and former foster youth under 24 will likely reduce participation; staff reported 589 SNAP closures/penalties in May 2026 and expected an additional 224 individuals to be affected in June 2026. Officials warned reduced SNAP participation could weaken local economic activity (county cited a $1 → $1.54 local economic multiplier for SNAP dollars).
