Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act
Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act
Plain Language Summary
# Plain Language Summary: Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act **What the bill would do:** This bill would require states to recoup (collect back) any overpayments made to SNAP recipients—people who received more food assistance benefits than they were entitled to. It would also change how the government calculates penalties for states that make too many payment errors. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects state welfare agencies that administer SNAP (the federal food assistance program) and potentially SNAP recipients. It could also impact the federal Food and Nutrition Service, which oversees the program. **Key provision:** The most significant change eliminates the current "tolerance level" for small errors.
Right now, states aren't penalized for very small overpayments (currently $56 or less). This bill would eliminate that cushion entirely starting in 2025, meaning even tiny payment mistakes would count against a state's error rate and could trigger federal penalties if error rates remain high for two consecutive years. **Current status:** The bill is in committee (S. 302, 119th Congress), meaning it has been introduced but has not yet been voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments ActThis bill requires states to recoup any overpayments of benefits made to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and adjusts the formula for determining a state's liability rate for overpayments.As background, the SNAP quality control system measures how accurately SNAP state agencies determine a household’s eligibility and benefit amount and determines overpayments of benefits and underpayments. States that have comparatively high payment error rates for two consecutive years are assessed a penalty (i.e., liability amount). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) must use a statutory formula to determine the liability amount.Under current law, FNS must set a tolerance level for excluding small payment errors in the calculation of payment error rates (e.g., $56 or less in FY2024). This bill reduces the tolerance level for excluding small errors to $0 for FY2025 and each succeeding fiscal year.The bill also requires state agencies to recoup any overpayments of benefits made to SNAP beneficiaries.The bill adjusts the liability rate formula to reduce the state payment error rate based on the percentage of overpayments recouped by the state. Further, the bill increases the multiplier used in the liability rate formula to 25% (from 10%).
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.