Department of Health and Human Services removes request to expand food assistance eligibility

The Bulletin incorrectly reported on Sept. 21 that changes to the SNAP program had been approved by the Executive Council on Wednesday.

The Department of Health and Human Services removed a request to expand eligibility for a food assistance program during the Executive Council’s meeting on Wednesday.

The request would have increased eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Currently, households earning up to 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible. The proposal would extend the program to those earning up to 200 percent of the poverty level.

Karen Herbert, the department’s division director of economic and housing stability, told the Executive Council the department needed more information about how changing the eligibility would impact the Department of Education.

The Department of Education provides free and reduced lunch to students who are eligible for SNAP.

Herbert said the department needs to figure out how many children would be covered by SNAP under the expanded eligibility in order to determine the financial impact on the Department of Education. She said the department plans to bring the proposal forward again once it has more information.