More than 4.5 million people are estimated to have lost access to food assistance since Congress enacted the 2025 Republican reconciliation law, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which examined data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
According to the report, the sharp decline in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation — about 11 percent — marks the steepest drop in nearly three decades.
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A historic drop in food assistance
The last time SNAP saw a decline of this magnitude in such a short period was after Congress cut the Food Stamp Program in 1996, according to the CBPP. At that time, participation fell 11 percent — about 2.7 million people — in the nine months between March and December 1997.
This time, the decline spans every state but Alaska. Forty-four states have seen participation fall by 5 percent or more, and 23 states have seen drops of 10 percent or more, according to data tracked by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
State-by-state picture
Some states are seeing far steeper declines than others. Arizona leads the nation with a 48 percent drop in SNAP participation from July 2025 through June 2026, using the most recent available state data.
Other states also showing significant declines include:
- Texas: down 17 percent, or nearly 600,000 people
- Louisiana: down 21 percent, or about 170,000 people
- Massachusetts: down 16 percent, or nearly 175,000 people
- Florida: down 19 percent (21 percent using more recent state data)
- Oklahoma: down nearly 18 percent
What’s driving the losses?
The 2025 Republican reconciliation law makes several significant changes to SNAP, according to the CBPP. It shifts a portion of benefit costs to states for the first time — between 5 and 15 percent beginning in 2027 — and expands work requirements to adults up to age 65, as well as parents and caregivers of children ages 14 and older.
The law also eliminated work requirement exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth. It narrowed states’ ability to waive time limits in areas with high unemployment, and it ended eligibility for many people with lawful immigration status.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the law cuts SNAP by nearly $187 billion through 2034 — the largest cut in the program’s history — and that more than 2.4 million people per typical month will lose SNAP entirely once changes are fully in effect.
States under pressure to cut errors
Beyond direct eligibility cuts, the law is also reshaping how states run their SNAP programs. Because states’ error rates in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 will determine how much they must pay starting in fiscal year 2028, states are under pressure to reduce errors quickly.
Error rates measure over- and underpayments — mostly the result of unintentional mistakes by agencies and households, not fraud, according to the CBPP. In an effort to lower those rates, some states are requiring more frequent income verification and documentation, which can create barriers for eligible households or cause delays in receiving benefits.
What comes next
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is tracking state SNAP participation data and unemployment trends to identify patterns linked to the 2025 Republican reconciliation law. The organization notes the full impact of the law is still unfolding, as states continue to implement eligibility restrictions and take measures to lower error rates.