Sponsors (16)
The bill makes SNAP easier to access and maintain for vulnerable people by extending certification periods and easing medical-deduction rules, but increases fiscal and improper-payment risks and could create state-by-state benefit disparities and implementation uncertainty.
Low-income households with no earned income will get up to 36 months of continuous SNAP certification, reducing recertification paperwork and lowering the risk of benefit disruptions.
Elderly and disabled SNAP recipients will be able to self-attest monthly medical expenses over $35 to claim a standard medical deduction, which can raise eligibility or benefit amounts for those with high medical costs.
State governments (and their low-income residents) will be allowed to adopt a higher standard medical deduction if they provide evidence, letting benefits better reflect local medical cost realities.
Taxpayers and program budgets may face higher costs because longer certification periods can delay detection of eligibility changes, increasing the risk of overpayments.
Taxpayers and state agencies may see higher improper-payment risk because allowing self-attestation of medical expenses without stronger verification can increase errors or fraud.
Low-income individuals may experience uneven SNAP benefit levels across states because giving States discretion to set larger standard deductions can produce geographic disparities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows 36-month certifications for no-earned-income households and lets states offer a standard medical deduction for elderly/disabled members who self-attest monthly expenses over $35.
Introduced August 26, 2025 by Josh Riley · Last progress August 26, 2025
Expands eligibility and simplifies some rules for federal nutrition benefits by allowing households with no earned income to receive a 36-month certification period and by letting states use a standard medical-expense deduction for elderly or disabled household members who self-attest to monthly medical costs above $35. The bill also includes a small technical text insertion and becomes effective 180 days after enactment, but it does not apply to certification periods that begin before that date. These changes reduce how often certain low- or no-earned-income households must recertify, give states an option to simplify medical-expense verification for seniors and people with disabilities, and allow states to set a larger standard deduction if they can show higher typical medical costs.