While millions of Americans are at risk of losing their food stamp benefits by November if the month long federal shutdown goes beyond Oct. 27 due to an inability for states to access federal funds, here in Nevada Republican Governor Joe Lombardo is resisting using state funds.
“The USDA has made clear that states cannot use their own dollars to fund federal SNAP benefits, even on a temporary basis, and cannot share SNAP household data with vendors to do so,” Republican Governor Lombardo wrote in a letter sent yesterday to three Nevada house members Steven Horsford, Dina Titus and Susie Lee
"It’s time for Nevada leaders to take charge and come up with a bipartisan solution to help the 495,000 Nevadans who receive food assistance," Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine, a Democrat, said in his own statement in an urgent plea to maintain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, despite the shutdown. “Because of our team’s responsible fiscal management and record investment returns, and the highest Rainy Day Fund balance in history, the State has the money to provide emergency financial assistance to Nevadans who will lose their SNAP benefits due to the shutdown."
Governor Lombardo in his letter says he’s directed “the Governor’s Finance Office, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Agriculture to expand support for food banks and community partners that serve SNAP beneficiaries. Preparations for this supplemental assistance are already underway. I am also prepared to engage the Nevada National Guard, who will be ready to assist with food distribution to those in need. These resources will be available to any Nevadans in need of assistance as a result of the federal shutdown, like the thousands of Nevadans who are currently not receiving paychecks. My administration continues to work closely with federal agencies and the White House to mitigate the effects of this shutdown on Nevada families.”
Several states including Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Illinois have recently announced November benefits will not be paid.
“You’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families, that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned recently.
SNAP benefits have been fully funded by the federal government, but starting in fiscal year 2028 the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill has laid out a plan for some states to begin sharing a portion of the costs, despite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office saying this could decrease household resources for lower-income families.
Under SNAP, supplemental funds for food and groceries are distributed through an Electronic Benefits Transfer card each month, with the amount received a factor of household income.