Hunger is worsening in Kentucky, following national trends, and yet 63,000 fewer Kentuckians are receiving food assistance due to the cuts passed by Congress last summer in H.R.1. This comes at a time when Kentuckians are already struggling to afford basic needs. Food prices have risen 27.6% in the last five years and will continue to worsen due to higher fuel prices resulting from the war in Iran. And other rising household expenses like rent and utilities are squeezing family budgets, making it more difficult to afford food.
The General Assembly could have taken steps to alleviate rising hunger in the commonwealth, but neglected to take action to improve food security. While lawmakers did take a few modest steps to protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our best tool against hunger, much more is needed.
Strongest tool in the fight against hunger included in the budget, but senior meals weren’t
Despite passing a budget that makes deep cuts to vital services for Kentuckians, SNAP administrative funding was secured. The increased administrative costs of running SNAP required by H. R. 1. were allocated with $43.5 million in 2027 and $58 million in 2028 to cover the increased state cost. The rest of the department that operates SNAP (Department for Community Based Services) was not as lucky, with an over 9% cut that could ultimately disrupt services like SNAP.
Additionally, lawmakers chose not to include funding that could be necessary to pay for SNAP benefit costs in 2028, also required by H.R. 1. This additional, potential state cost will be based on a yet-to-be-determined payment error rate – the measure of too few or too many benefits being distributed. Lawmakers appear to be hoping that the rate will be low enough to exempt Kentucky from this additional cost.
While SNAP administration is secure, the future for senior meals is less certain. The budget cuts funding for the Department of Aging and Independent Living, which operates senior meals, by $22 million over the biennium compared to the governor’s budget. It will cost approximately $18 million over the biennium to fully fund the senior meals program with no waitlist.
General Assembly decided not to create more barriers and costs to SNAP
In addition to funding SNAP administration, the General Assembly decided not to move two bills that would have created additional barriers and costs to the program. At a minimum, Senate Bill 257 would have taken up staff time and administrative funding needed to bring down payment error rates; at worst, it would have increased errors while creating barriers for participants, like new complex and burdensome paperwork requirements and asset tests.
The second bill, Senate Bill 265, would have further restricted what people can buy with their benefits, with consequences and costs for retailers that would contribute to rising grocery prices for all of us . Similar to past bills limiting SNAP, both of these bills were backed by the Florida-based extreme anti-government organization Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA).
Bills to improve food assistance programs didn’t move
Several bills that would have made some improvements to food security and nutrition didn’t move. House Concurrent Resolution 9 would have encouraged the federal government to reestablish exemptions for veterans from the recently expanded, counterproductive SNAP work reporting requirements. House Bill 522 and Senate Bill 135 would have ensured Kentuckians continue to receive food assistance during a government shutdown. And House Joint Resolution 88 would have required the Department of Education to study the needed expansion of free school meals.
With one in six Kentuckians struggling to keep food on the table, the General Assembly must take more than modest steps to keep Kentuckians fed. While it is helpful that we will continue to administer our strongest tool against hunger, SNAP, and that lawmakers avoided creating barriers to it, this session left a lot to be desired when it comes to food security. Kentucky decision-makers will continue these critical conversations in the interim, as House Bill 781 established a working group related to the SNAP Employment and Training Program and Senate Joint Resolution 23 established a food is medicine workgroup. Ultimately, we must expand access to all our anti-hunger tools to create a Kentucky where everyone can afford to eat.
