Sponsors (7)
The bill protects SNAP eligibility and benefits for vulnerable households by temporarily excluding certain COLA and SSI-related increases from countable income, at the cost of modestly higher program spending for taxpayers and some added timing-related administrative complexity for state agencies.
SNAP households — especially low-income individuals, seniors/retirees, and people with disabilities — will temporarily not have Social Security/SSI/RA/VA COLA increases or SSI-related section 1616 supplementary payments counted as income, helping them retain existing benefits or receive higher SNAP benefits.
Clarifying and technical ordering changes reduce administrative confusion for USDA and state/local agencies, which can speed eligibility determinations and reduce paperwork delays for applicants.
Taxpayers may face modestly higher SNAP program costs because excluding these income increases can maintain or raise benefits and extend eligibility for some households.
The temporary exclusion (through Sept. 30 each fiscal year) requires precise timing tracking and could create brief disparities or added administrative complexity for state and local agencies when determining when COLAs become countable.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 8, 2026 by Gwendolynne S. Moore · Last progress January 8, 2026
Changes how household income is counted for SNAP by excluding specified cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and certain VA benefits for the remainder of a fiscal year, and by excluding SSI section 1616 supplementary payments. The COLA exclusion applies only for households that were certified eligible or receiving an allotment in the month before the first month the COLA takes effect. All changes take effect October 1, 2027.