Feenstra, Ernst Introduce Legislation to Promote Fiscal Responsibility by Preventing Overpayments of SNAP Benefits
HULL, IOWA – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Red Oak) introduced the Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act, which would strengthen the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – commonly referred to as SNAP – by cutting down on overpayments of SNAP benefits. This legislation would increase the accuracy of SNAP payment error rate (PER) calculations by amending the tolerance level from $54 to $0. Currently, USDA only counts overpayments or underpayments that are more than $54 as an error.
This bill would also increase the liability that states will face if they have a comparatively high payment error rate, incentivizing states to improve processes to ensure SNAP is running properly at the state level.
“The American people elected President Trump and Republican majorities in Congress to cut waste from government and get our budget under control. With over $36 trillion in debt and counting, we have no time to waste to pinpoint every possible area to save taxpayer dollars and hold bureaucrats accountable,” said Rep. Feenstra. “One sector that needs serious reform is the SNAP program. Every month, taxpayers shell out about $1 billion in SNAP overpayments, which is absolutely ridiculous and must change. That’s why Senator Ernst and I introduced legislation to strengthen the integrity of the SNAP program by establishing a zero-tolerance policy on benefit overpayments. As members of our respective DOGE caucuses, we will continue to fight for fiscal sanity, government efficiency, and a balanced budget.”
“Bureaucratic blunders are leaving billions of dollars on the table as Americans are starved to keep up with the ever-growing $36 trillion debt,” said Sen. Ernst. “SNAP plays an essential role in helping feed families, that’s why we need to strengthen its integrity by holding states accountable for growing error rates, implementing a zero-tolerance policy, and snapping back overpayments.”
As reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, national overpayments of SNAP benefits occurred at a rate of 9.84% and underpayments at a rate of 1.70% in Fiscal Year 2022, for a total error rate of 11.54%. Since Fiscal Year 2019, overpayments have increased by 3.66% in just three years’ time.
Full legislative text can be found HERE.
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