Sponsor
Kristen McDonald Rivet
Representative · D-MI
Representative · D-MI
The bill aims to boost SNAP benefits for households receiving state energy assistance by allowing those payments to increase the SUA, but it also risks reducing benefits for some if assistance is counted as income and could create uneven state implementation and extra administrative work.
Low-income households that receive state energy assistance (e.g., LIHEAP) can have those payments treated as out-of-pocket utility expenses and counted toward a higher SNAP standard utility allowance (SUA), which may raise their SNAP benefit amounts.
Clarifies that State energy assistance payments are treated as income for SNAP rules, reducing ambiguity for state agencies and applicants and improving consistent eligibility determinations (which should speed decisions and reduce errors where implemented uniformly).
Some low-income households could see reduced SNAP eligibility or lower benefit amounts in months when state energy assistance is counted as income, offsetting or eliminating gains from a higher SUA.
If States vary in how they apply the rule or define 'similar' payments, households could experience inconsistent treatment and unequal benefit outcomes across States.
The $20 threshold and 12-month lookback requirement may increase administrative workload for State agencies to verify past small payments, causing additional processing burden and potential delays for applicants.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes LIHEAP and similar energy payments trigger eligibility for a state's heating/cooling standard utility allowance and treats such payments/expenses in SNAP calculations.
Introduced January 14, 2026 by Kristen McDonald Rivet · Last progress January 14, 2026
Amends the SNAP eligibility and deduction rules so households that receive Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or similar energy-assistance payments can qualify for a State’s standard utility allowance that reflects heating and cooling costs. It also clarifies that state energy-assistance payments counting as money payable to the household and energy expenses paid on a household’s behalf count as out-of-pocket expenses for deduction purposes. The changes take effect July 4, 2025.