SNAP Cuts Could Cost Texas $1B a Year, Food Banks Warn

Food access advocates in Austin and across Texas are sounding the alarm over a new House Republican proposal that would slash billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and shift some of the cost burden to individual states — a move critics say would deepen hunger in the capital city and beyond.

The plan, introduced by the GOP-led House Agriculture Committee, would require states with high SNAP error rates — determined by how accurately aid is distributed — to cover up to 25% of benefits. In comparison, others would pay at least 5%. The changes are part of a broader push to cut federal spending to offset Trump-era tax cuts.

The proposal also includes stricter work requirements for adults over 50 and parents of children as young as 7, and eliminates eligibility for some immigrants under humanitarian protections.

Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, a network that includes the Central Texas Food Bank serving the Austin region, warned the changes could leave Texas responsible for more than $1 billion annually in SNAP costs. “This would be the largest rollback of food assistance in U.S. history — at a time when 1 in 6 Texas households already struggles to afford food,” she said.

According to the Central Texas Food Bank, demand for food assistance in the Austin area remains high due to inflation, rising housing costs, and stagnant wages.

Brian Greene, President of the Houston Food Bank, said the proposed cuts would harm not just low-income families but also working-class households that are “already stretched thin trying to make ends meet.”

Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee say the cuts could increase monthly food costs by $175 for a family of four.

“SNAP is a vital tool to fight hunger in Austin,” said Derrick Chubbs, CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. “Shifting the burden to states only weakens our ability to serve families when they need help the most.”