The Farm Bill IS Disaster Relief — and Congress Let It Expire

Congress just let the Farm Bill expire at the end of September. The bill’s expiration brings a lot of uncertainty for farmers and American consumers, but there is particular concern and instability around disaster relief. 

It is appalling and irresponsible that Congress would let legislation that involves disaster food aid lapse in the midst of response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is utilized by more than 42 million people each month, is authorized under the Farm Bill. 

Right now, USDA is failing to meet its own standards to provide SNAP applicants with their deserved benefits on time. That means that families across the country are unable to access food assistance within 30 days, as required by federal law. Those impacted by disasters are required to receive food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) within just three days. 

The USDA just announced that approximately 982,930 households in Georgia, 152,572 households in North Carolina, and 54,692 households in Tennessee are estimated for this relief to help with grocery expenses.

If states across the country cannot provide hungry Americans with food assistance within one month’s time, how do we think the government is able to provide food aid within three days to those living through a natural disaster?

Families who have just narrowly survived hurricanes, for example, should not be picking up the pieces of their homes and properties, or mourning loss of life, and also wondering when their next meal will come. Failing to feed these Americans is disgraceful, unacceptable, and threatens the integrity of SNAP.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says the Biden-Harris administration will do “everything in our power” to help respond; so why don’t they allow Staffing Flexibility and authorize states to utilize the private sector to speed up D-SNAP application processing?

Staffing Flexibility in the Farm Bill Would Help Victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

USDA Secretary Vilsack has acknowledged the severe application backlogs and high error rates within SNAP, writing penalty letters to 47 states earlier this year, describing the states’ failures and fining some states millions of dollars. From 2019 to 2023, SNAP overpayment rates have surged by 50%, and some states’ error rates are over 60%.

The Center for Accountability, Modernization and Innovation (CAMI) urges the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to provide states with the tools necessary to make SNAP functional. 

USDA does not currently offer states the option to work with the private sector to help administer SNAP benefits. CAMI supports the inclusion of a Staffing Flexibility provision in the next Farm Bill to give states the option to enlist temporary administrative support. This would allow states to run SNAP more efficiently and accurately, eliminating current application backlogs, diminishing exorbitant wait times, and addressing payment error rates. This provision would provide states authority that already exists under TANF, CHIP, and Medicaid.

In the House, the Agriculture Committee included a provision in its Farm Bill that would allow states the Staffing Flexibility needed to address staffing shortages and distribute benefits quickly. The Senate Republican Farm Bill Framework also includes an authority for Staffing Flexibility which would allow contractors to perform the administrative function under SNAP.

Staffing Flexibility Provisions Have Broad State Government Support

The National Governors Association supports administrative flexibility in nutrition assistance programs, according to its outlined priorities in the Farm Bill; SNAP directors nationwide have endorsed the House provision; and the National Conference of State Legislatures also backs the House provision.

CAMI implores Congress to address this emergency by including SNAP Staffing Flexibility in the Farm Bill and acting on the Farm Bill as soon as possible. American families cannot wait more than a month to put food on the table, and feeding families impacted by disasters should be considered mandatory disaster relief.