No, the Farm Bill Isn't Cutting SNAP Benefits

The 2026 Farm Bill

On Tuesday, June 23, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry released the first draft of the Agricultural Act of 2026, commonly known as the Farm Bill, after the House passed its version months earlier.

The House version of the bill passed by a 224-200 vote in April, with fourteen Democrats joining most Republicans in support (three Republicans voted against it).

Though the provisions related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have received lots of media attention, the Farm Bill is far more than that. The legislation contains commodity programs that provide support for farmers when crop prices fall, agricultural research funding, conservation incentives, and dozens of other agriculture-related policies.

One of the reasons the bill has received so much attention is because opponents have portrayed it as harmful to SNAP recipients. In reality, the bill does not reduce SNAP benefits and instead expands several aspects of the program. Much of the criticism stems from the fact that it does not reverse the SNAP changes enacted in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Much of the criticism aimed at the Farm Bill is really criticism of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Last year's law made the major changes to SNAP. The Farm Bill largely leaves those changes alone while expanding nutrition incentives and making other, small changes to the program.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act changed SNAP eligibility and access in several notable ways. It increased the requirements for individuals ages 18 to 65 to document at least 20 hours per week of work, volunteering, or approved training to remain eligible (with a multi-month grace period in many states). The law also narrowed non-citizen eligibility and made conditions for work requirement waivers stricter, among other changes.

Additionally, beginning in 2027, the law will shift more of SNAP's costs onto states. States with SNAP payment error rates above 6 percent––whether from overpayments or underpayments––will be required to shoulder a greater share of program costs, though Wisconsin's error rate is currently projected to remain below that threshold.

In total, the legislation is estimated to save the federal government nearly $200 billion over ten years (2025-2034).

In an effort to use the Farm Bill to reverse the SNAP changes enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a group of state attorneys general, including Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, sent a letter to members of the U.S. Senate:

"We the undersigned attorneys general write today to urge the Senate to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and eligibility protections in the upcoming Farm Bill and to reject efforts to perpetuate or expand the harmful cuts enacted last year in H.R. 1 and perpetuated by the House version of the Farm Bill."

The letter criticizes the "dramatic and unprecedented shift of federal responsibilities onto the states" and other provisions affecting SNAP eligibility and access.

It concludes, “the House-passed Farm Bill fails to meet this moment. Rather than strengthening the nutrition programs that millions of Americans rely upon, it largely preserves policies that will increase hunger and economic hardship. The Senate should take a different approach."

The Farm Bill SNAP Reforms

While much of the attention surrounding SNAP has focused on eligibility and work requirements, the Farm Bill largely leaves those policies unchanged.

Here is what the Farm Bill really does to SNAP:

Expands Healthy Food Incentives: The bill broadens nutrition incentive programs to cover frozen, canned, and dried fruits and vegetables, legumes, animal proteins, low-sugar yogurt, full fat dairy, and certain cheeses. Congressman Tony Wied's (CD-8) amendment expanded the healthy food incentives.

Hot Rotisserie Chicken Allowance: The bill allows SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken, whereas other hot and ready to eat foods are typically restricted.

EBT Security and Online Groceries: The bill increases Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card security, authorizes online grocery purchasing for SNAP recipients, gets rid of certain EBT transaction fees, and updates the rules for stores seeking SNAP authorization.

Requires Studies on Food Restrictions: The bill requires USDA to report to Congress on the results of state pilot programs testing restrictions on certain SNAP purchases, like sugary drinks or candy.

Program Oversight Changes: The bill requires a federal study of SNAP's administrative costs and directs USDA to publicly report all SNAP payment errors.

The Farm Bill should be debated on its merits, not on misconceptions. The eligibility, work requirement, and financing changes made to SNAP through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are not changes this Farm Bill makes. As the legislation moves through the Senate and lawmakers consider amendments, the debate should focus on what the bill actually does. The Senate has not yet scheduled a floor vote.