New York State Policy Priorities

• Fully fund SNAP administration: H.R.1 cuts federal funding for SNAP administration in half. New York must fully backfill federal cuts to ensure strong program operations.
• Sustain SNAP navigators: H.R.1 reduces federal funding for New York’s network of SNAP navigators, the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP), which helps low-income families connect with SNAP. To sustain SNAP navigators statewide, the FY27 budget must fund NOEP at $8.5M.
• Protect benefits with secure chip cards: More than 165,000 New York families have reported SNAP benefit theft due to skimming. Federal replacement funds have ended, leaving families without recourse. The FY2027 budget must fund the transition to more secure EBT chip cards.
• Guarantee a $100 minimum benefit: The federal minimum SNAP benefit of $24 per month is wholly inadequate to support food costs. A $100 minimum benefit can help increase SNAP participation and draw down more federal dollars.
• Provide food assistance for excluded New Yorkers: Many income-eligible New Yorkers are excluded from SNAP due to immigration status. New York should provide a state-funded food benefit for non-citizen households with children and immigrants newly excluded from SNAP due to H.R.1.
• Increase funding for Double Up Food Bucks NY (DUFBNY): Through DUFBNY, SNAP shoppers receive a dollar-for-dollar match on fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets and grocery stores, doubling SNAP’s purchasing power. $6M in the FY27 budget will broaden the reach of the program.

NYS WIC participation has grown 25% since 2020, but funding has not kept pace, resulting in staffing shortages, longer wait times, and reduced access to services. $30M in the FY27 budget will address growing demand, fund needed modernizations, and support outreach to an estimated 200,000 more New Yorkers who are likely eligible.

The Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program helps offset the cost of distributing more than 300 million pounds of food each year for emergency food providers. Nourish New York enables providers to purchase food directly from New York farmers. $75 million for each program is essential to help meet rising demand.

Universal school meals and Summer EBT support children’s food security and save families money. New York must sustain these investments in the FY27 budget and beyond.

Learn more about our state priorities:
Hunger Solutions New York’s FY2027 Human Services Testimony
Protect Access to SNAP and WIC
H.R.1 SNAP Cuts, Impacts, and Opportunities to Minimize Harm
Protect New Yorkers from SNAP Skimming