Overview
- The USDA published the proposed rule Tuesday and opened a mandatory 30-day public comment period that begins formal rulemaking and could delay or change any final action.
- The agency projects the change would remove about 3.2 million households, roughly 6.3 million people, from SNAP in fiscal 2029 and cut about $44.6 billion in federal benefits over five years.
- Broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) lets states enroll people who receive certain TANF benefits without separate SNAP income checks and the rule would end automatic eligibility for households that qualify only through noncash TANF services.
- USDA estimates the rule would strip nearly 1.78 million children of automatic free school-meal status and cause losses in other nutrition programs while raising state administrative work by about $929 million even as states save a net $5.2 billion from lower benefit costs.
- The proposal builds on 2025 SNAP changes that already reduced enrollment by millions, has drawn widespread criticism from Democrats and anti-hunger groups, and faces possible congressional action and legal challenges before any 2029 implementation.