Sacramento, CA — A lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Bonta and 20 other states argues that the Trump Administration is required to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits during the federal government shutdown.
SNAP funding is scheduled to be cut off at the beginning of November due to the lingering government shutdown. The SNAP program, formerly known as Food Stamps, is run through the US Department of Agriculture. State officials report that it helps provide food assistance to 5.5 million Californians.
“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: For the first time ever, SNAP benefits will not be available to the millions of low-income individuals who depend on them to put food on the table,” argued Attorney General Rob Bonta. “November SNAP benefits can and must be provided, even with the government shutdown. USDA not only has the authority to use contingency funds, it has a legal duty to spend all available dollars to fund SNAP benefits.”
The lawsuit argues that the federal government is required to make payments to SNAP because Congress funded $6 billion to the USDA in SNAP-related contingency funds through 2026 to continue funding the program during instances like the current government shutdown.
In a related move, California announced last week it will fast-track $80 million in state funds to stabilize food bank distribution and offset delays in federal CalFresh benefits.
