Food assistance is on the chopping block. Again. We have until December 10 to let them know how we feel about it.
On November 10, 2026, USDA proposed a rule that would change who automatically qualifies for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).¹ By USDA’s own estimate, 6.3 million people nationwide would lose their benefits.² That’s about 1 in 6 people on SNAP today.²
What’s changing?
Right now, 46 states use something called “broad-based categorical eligibility.”³ It’s a mouthful (we know!), but the idea is simple: if a family already qualifies for certain other assistance, they can get SNAP without filling out a second, duplicate set of eligibility paperwork. In most of those states, this also helps working families whose income is a little over the federal cutoff, and families who have managed to put a little money in savings.³
The new rule would end that for almost everyone. Only families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance (along with Supplemental Security Income and General Assistance recipients) would still qualify automatically.⁴ Everyone else would have to pass strict federal income limits and a federal asset test, meaning a family’s savings could disqualify them.⁵
Who gets hurt?
Working families with incomes just above the poverty line
Families who have saved even modest amounts for an emergency
Kids. About 1.78 million children would lose automatic access to free school meals. Most would still qualify, but only if their families fill out a separate application.⁶ About 42,000 kids could lose Summer EBT.⁶
New moms and babies. About 5,500 people would lose WIC.⁶
And many families still on SNAP get more paperwork, because most states would have to start checking households’ savings and assets.⁷ More paperwork means more people falling through the cracks (even people who still qualify). It also means more chances for mistakes, and that matters: states now pay up to 15% of their SNAP benefit costs if their error rates run high.¹⁰
By the numbers
6.3 million people lose SNAP²
$44.6 billion cut from federal food assistance over five years⁸
1.78 million kids lose automatic school meal eligibility⁶
What can you do?
USDA has to consider public comments before this rule becomes final. Comments are due December 10, 2026, only 30 days after the rule was published.⁹ Don’t wait.
How to submit a comment:
Go to regulations.gov and search for docket number FNA-2026-0661.⁹
Click “Comment.”
Tell USDA who you are and why this matters. Personal stories carry weight. If you’re a SNAP participant, a school food worker, a farmer, a grocer, a pantry volunteer, or a parent, say so.
You can also email your comment to sm.fn.snappdbrules@usda.gov with “FNA-2026-0661, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Reforming Categorical Eligibility” in the subject line.⁹
Not sure what to say? Start here (and add your own anecdote or feelings; a copy-pasted comment is less effective):
I am writing to oppose the proposed rule “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Reforming Categorical Eligibility” (FNA-2026-0661). USDA’s own analysis shows this rule would take food assistance away from 6.3 million people and remove automatic school meal eligibility for 1.78 million children. In my community, I have seen the impact of free schools meals on students. I urge USDA to withdraw this rule.
Your comment doesn’t have to be long or perfect. It just has to be in by December 10.
The USDA only knows you object if you tell them! Speak up for your neighbors, your kids, and your community.
Sources
All citations are to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Reforming Categorical Eligibility,” Proposed Rule, 91 FR 72454, Federal Register Doc. 2026-22936 (November 10, 2026), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/11/10/2026-22936/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-reforming-categorical-eligibility
Publication date and rule title. Header and summary.
6.3 million people and 17.6% of participants. Regulatory Impact Analysis summary.
46 states using BBCE; 37 with higher income limits; 41 with no asset limit. Background section.
Who remains categorically eligible. Summary of Proposed Approach; Household Burden section.
Households must meet federal income and resource limits. Paperwork Reduction Act section.
School meals, Summer EBT, and WIC impacts. Regulatory Impact Analysis summary.
States required to assess more households’ resources. Paperwork Reduction Act section.
$44.649 billion reduction in federal SNAP benefits, FY 2027 to FY 2031. Regulatory Impact Analysis summary.
Comment deadline (30 days after publication), docket number, and submission methods. Dates and Addresses sections.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act, P.L. 119-21, Section 10105 (state SNAP benefit cost share based on payment error rate, beginning FY 2028).
