With November just around the corner, and SNAP funding a day away from stopping, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use SNAP’s approximately $5-6 billion contingency fund to offer benefits to the approximately 40 million Americans who rely on it.
“We are anxiously awaiting additional information on how the most recent rulings will impact November SNAP/CalFresh recipients,” said Amy Gonzales, Chico State’s CalFresh director.
SNAP costs the federal government over $9 billion each month. So, contingency funds will not be enough to fund SNAP through November. More than 40 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits, including 5.5 million Californians.
However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can opt to use additional funds to supplement the cost that the contingency fund falls short of, according to reporting from The Hill.
The rulings — from Massachusetts and Rhode Island — come after a lawsuit filed by 25 Democratic-led states and other cities and private organizations. California was one of those states.
ABC reported that it’s still unclear how quickly benefits would be reloaded, reporting the “… process often takes one to two weeks.”
California’s monthly cost for CalFresh, California’s SNAP program, is approximately $1 billion, according to a report from California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.
California has also earmarked $80 million to relieve some of the impacts seen from a lapse in funding.
The campus community can still sign up for CalFresh. For questions and help with the application, visit the CalFresh Outreach office at the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center (MLIB 172).
Basic Needs has also established a fund, currently with $100,000, to help students who may see a lapse in funding. Students can submit their application for assistance here.
The Orion will update this story as more information becomes available.
Chris Hutton can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected]
