State and Federal Updates
Throughout any potential public policy changes, The Idaho Foodbank will advocate for the people we serve and support safety net programming for people in need, particularly around food assistance
Latest updates
April 8, 2026 -The 2026 session of the Idaho Legislature has ended and there were a couple of bills that The Idaho Foodbank was following due to their impact on the work we do and food insecurity.
After significant public opposition from various community organizations, church groups, and food banks and other nonprofits in Idaho, the Idaho Legislature did not advance House Bill 764 out of Committee. This bill would have created criminal liability for organizations that ‘knowingly’ provide certain types of services and/or aid to undocumented immigrants.
The language used in the bill around ‘knowing’ the client’s immigration status was extremely vague and could be interpreted as holding charitable organizations accountable for simply serving someone who is suspected of not having legal status. Some specific examples of activities that could be interpreted as illegal under this bill include providing food assistance at a food pantry, providing overnight emergency shelter, or transporting a child to an afterschool program. We appreciated so many members of our partner network engaging with legislators to share information about how this bill would have negatively impacted charitable organizations. You can read news coverage of the Committee Hearing in the Idaho Press.
House Bill 730 was a bill related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that was passed in the Idaho Legislature after some changes were made to the original version of the bill. It was then signed into law by the Governor. This bill increases the amount and frequency of data checks and income verification requirements that the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare has to do for someone to receive SNAP. Idaho already has a robust verification system for SNAP beneficiaries. The Idaho Legislature also passed additional funding for the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare to implement the new requirements in this bill. We are concerned that this bill will lead to an increase in Idaho’s low SNAP Error Rate, which has new significance under the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). The SNAP Error Rate is a measure of both overpayments and underpayments in a state’s SNAP Program. You can learn more about the OBBB and SNAP Error Rates here.
We will continue to monitor implementation impacts of House Bill 730 on SNAP in Idaho, which is an important program for serving Idahoans who are food insecure.
- Feb. 15 2026 – SNAP Update
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Beginning February 15th, Idaho SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) dollars have new restrictions on what food you can purchase. SNAP dollars cannot be used to purchase candy and soda. The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare has created two charts to help people figure out if the new purchase restrictions apply to specific food or beverages.
“Candy” is defined as a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of confections, bars, drops, or pieces. “Candy” does not include any preparation containing flour or that requires refrigeration.
- Update 12/3/25
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SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits were delayed in November due to the government shutdown. The federal government has re-opened and SNAP and other US Department of Agriculture programs have been funded for the rest of the federal fiscal year. As of November 20th, all Idaho SNAP beneficiaries received their benefits for that month and December SNAP benefits will be sent on the regular schedule. Federal employees also received their paychecks after the government re-opened.
Over 130,000 Idahoans receive SNAP. At The Idaho Foodbank, we continued to communicate with our statewide network of over 400 partners – which includes schools, churches, senior centers and other community food pantries – to respond to increased need and re-allocate resources. Specifically we have:
Spent an additional $400,000 for food purchases statewide
Increased deliveries and quantities to our food pantry partners and mobile pantry distributions
Contracted for additional transportation to move more food, faster
Increased volunteer shifts to be able to move more food, quickly
We are continuing our response of increasing the amount and frequency of food deliveries to our partners through the end of the year. We know that many of our partners emptied their shelves to serve more people when SNAP benefits were unavailable. The Idaho Foodbank is increasing the food available to our partners to help re-stock their food supply.
We appreciate the strong community response to support the entire charitable food network during this time and we will continue to communicate with policymakers about the impact of government policy on food insecurity.
- Update 11/13/2025
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Congress passed and the president signed legislation to restore funding for the federal government and end the shutdown. The package includes three appropriations bills to fund some departments for the full government fiscal year (through Sept. 30, 2026), including USDA and federal food and nutrition programs like SNAP, WIC and TEFAP.
It also includes a continuing resolution that funds remaining departments and agencies through Jan. 30, 2026. USDA has confirmed that most states will receive SNAP benefits funds within 24 hours of the government reopening. The exact timing of benefits deployment will differ by state based on actions they have taken to date. weeks
- Impact on Need for Food Assistance – (Updated 11/6/2025)
SNAP Benefits: SNAP benefits have been delayed until the federal government reopens and funding resumes. There have been court rulings related to the U.S. Department of Agriculture using contingency funding to pay SNAP benefits. The timing of when SNAP benefits could be issued and the amount people will receive is unclear. At this point, The Idaho Foodbank is continuing with our plans for responding to an increase in need due to the uncertainty of when SNAP benefits may be delivered.
The Idaho Foodbank has been reaching out and continuing to communicate with our statewide network of over 400 partners – which includes schools, churches, senior centers and other community food pantries – to address increased need. At this point, we have made additional food purchases to distribute statewide; increased deliveries to our food pantry partners and mobile pantry distributions; increased volunteer shifts to be able to move more food, quickly.
132,000 Idahoans receive SNAP benefits. This will increase the demand for food assistance from food pantries, senior centers, etc. During an extended government shutdown, there may also be an increased demand for food assistance from federal employees and their families who experience disrupted paychecks. Even federal employees required to work during the shutdown typically don’t receive paychecks until the government reopens.
Idaho Foodbank Government Program Status
The Idaho Foodbank’s government-sourced food programs remain stable in the near term. We administer two government programs (TEFAP and CSFP senior food boxes) with orders placed several months in advance, so there’s no immediate impact to our inventory. As context, 11% of our food comes from government programs. We’re maintaining close communication with state agencies and will monitor any potential impacts if the shutdown extends for several weeks
- Impact on Need for Food Assistance – (Updated 10/24/2025)
SNAP Benefits: Beginning November 1, SNAP benefits will be delayed until the federal government reopens and funding resumes. 132,000 Idahoans receive SNAP benefits. This will increase the demand for food assistance from food pantries, senior centers, etc. During an extended government shutdown, there may also be an increased demand for food assistance from federal employees and their families who experience disrupted paychecks. Even federal employees required to work during the shutdown typically don’t receive paychecks until the government reopens.
WIC benefits: Expected to continue in Idaho until mid-November.
SNAP benefits: Beginning November 1, SNAP benefits will be delayed until the federal government reopens and funding resumes. Applications can still be submitted, though processing may experience delays.
Idaho Foodbank Government Program Status
The Idaho Foodbank’s government-sourced food programs remain stable in the near term. We administer two government programs (TEFAP and CSFP senior food boxes) with orders placed several months in advance, so there’s no immediate impact to our inventory. As context, 11% of our food comes from government programs. We’re maintaining close communication with state agencies and will monitor any potential impacts if the shutdown extends for several weeks
SNAP, WIC, and School Meal Programs
SNAP benefits: Beginning November 1, SNAP benefits will be delayed until the federal government reopens and funding resumes. Applications can still be submitted, though processing may experience delays.
WIC benefits: Expected to continue in Idaho until mid-November.
School meal programs: Expected to operate normally through November.
- SNAP One Pager – October 2025
Download this one page overview of the SNAP program and proposed changes. Updated in October 2025
- SNAP One Page Overview – June 2025
Download this one page overview of the SNAP program and proposed changes.
- Op-Ed on SNAP – June 13
- Story on Food Insecurity in Idaho City — May 28
- Story on Food Insecurity in Parma – May 23
What is SNAP?
- SNAP (formerly called Food Stamps) helps alleviate hunger by providing funds to purchase food for households with incomes at or below 130% of the federal poverty level (an income of $33,566 per year for a family of three)
- SNAP primarily serves working families, seniors, veterans, and children. Of Idaho households enrolled in SNAP 51% have children, 34% have an elderly adult, and 56% have a person with a disability. *
- SNAP cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, non-food items, or hot prepared foods.
- It is the largest anti-hunger program in America. Currently 135,000 Idahoans use SNAP.
One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Budget Reconciliation
August 1, 2025
The budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress in July has states pay for 75% of the program administration costs. It has states pay for a portion of the cost of SNAP benefits when a state’s SNAP Error Rate is 6% or higher. Idaho’s most recent SNAP error rate was 3.4%.The bill also:
• Expands work or job training requirements and more restrictive SNAP time limits for older adults and parents. Individuals up to age 65 would be subject to work requirements to receive SNAP. SNAP currently includes work requirements and phases out benefits as income rises.
• Limits future updates to the formula used to set SNAP benefits to reflect rising food costs and the cost of eating a nutritious diet. Today, the average benefit is still only about $6 per person per day.
• Eliminates funding for the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program, which provides education about nutrition and healthy eating for SNAP beneficiaries.
- 132,000 Idahoans currently use SNAP
- 51% Have Children
- 34% Have an Elderly Adult
- 56% Have a person with a disability
Share Information and Awareness about the Importance of SNAP
Contact Senator Crapo and Senator Risch and ask them to reject budget reconciliation language that would lead to SNAP funding cuts or threaten the effectiveness of the program.
Why SNAP is important:
- SNAP has been shown to reduce childhood food insecurity and the negative impact on cognitive and academic development as children grow older. Also, it allows families to transition to self-sufficiency and financial stability.
- SNAP not only allows families to purchase much-needed healthy food, but it also makes a positive impact on the local economy. Every dollar in SNAP benefits spent generates an additional $1.50 in local economic activity, helping create revenue for local food retailers and food producers.
- SNAP is an important part of the safety net that pairs with the charitable food provided by food banks. For every 1 meal provided by the nationwide network of food banks, SNAP provides 9 meals.
What Can You Do to Help?
Contact Senator Crapo and Senator Risch and ask them to reject budget reconciliation language that would lead to SNAP funding cuts or threaten the effectiveness of the program.
