The Trump administration moves to narrow access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with a proposed rule that could remove benefits from over 6 million people and free school meals from nearly 2 million, according to a USDA impact analysis. The proposal targets a pathway that lets families receiving some Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) support qualify for SNAP even when their income exceeds the program’s usual threshold.
The Department of Agriculture’s proposal would restrict broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE), which a majority of states use to expand SNAP access. It would end eligibility for families receiving non-cash TANF support, including childcare subsidies and employment training services. The proposed SNAP rule is the latest federal action affecting food assistance, after an estimated 5 million people were already terminated from SNAP under the 2025 law known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Trump Administration Moves Target a State Eligibility Path
Under BBCE, families receiving certain TANF assistance may also qualify for SNAP, even if they exceed SNAP’s threshold. TANF is a cash assistance program run by the Department of Health and Human Services. The proposed change would narrow which services can connect a family to SNAP.
A family of three with income above $35,500 and receiving certain TANF aid could be deemed ineligible, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Ty Jones Cox, the center’s vice president for food assistance, said families with children would lose help buying groceries while affordability concerns were prominent in the midterm elections.
The proposal argues that the “proliferation” of government programs has threatened SNAP’s integrity by weakening public trust that benefits go only to people within limits set by law. USDA said the changes are “long overdue.” A spokesperson told ABC News that BBCE had “bloated the welfare rolls for decades” and allowed people with income and assets above federal limits to receive benefits.
Critics Warn of Effects on Families and Students
Cindy Long, a former Food and Nutrition Service administrator who served under former President Barack Obama and during President Donald Trump’s first term, said the rule would “cut out a bunch of those services from getting you on SNAP.” She said TANF support for families has evolved over the years from cash benefits to childcare and job training.
Ariel Taylor Smith, senior director of policy and action for the National Parents Union, said the proposal could disproportionately affect students from historically underserved communities and children with disabilities. She told ABC News, “It’s the most un-American thing we can do — to not feed the children in our country.” Democrats in Congress have criticized the measure; Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown called the proposed cuts “just plain wrong” in a post on X.
The proposal could also affect eligibility for other nutrition assistance programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). It must undergo a 30-day comment period and would not take effect until 2029. The agency has proposed a change, not a final rule, and the next formal step is public comment. Family and child groups are likely to protest, while advocates say the proposal’s effect on families may be understated.
The dispute over eligibility rules follows other legal and regulatory fights over government oversight, including state action over restaurant fees and changes to compliance rules. The SNAP proposal’s comment period will give the administration an opportunity to receive public responses before the measure can advance.
Debate over administration policy has also reached international legal matters, as described in a separate extradition dispute. For the food assistance proposal, the immediate milestone remains the 30-day period for comments; the rule would not take effect until 2029.
