Incident: Wildfires
When: June 17, 2024
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- On June 27, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico Health and Human Services Department (HHSD) to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, and companion regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. This waiver approval allows SNAP households in all 33 counties in New Mexico and the Mescalero Apache Reservation to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through July 26, 2024, in order to increase access to food after wildfires that began June 17, 2024. Retailers may need as much as 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for sale of hot foods.
- On June 21, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico HHSD request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to wildfires that began on June 17, 2024. The waiver applies to Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The waiver is in effect through July 17, 2024.
Past Responses
- 2022
Incident: Wildfires
When: April 6, 2022
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- On Sept. 7, 2022, FNS approved New Mexico’s request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, and companion regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The waiver applies to all counties in the state of New Mexico. This waiver approval will allow SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Sept. 30, 2022. Retailers may need as much as 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for sale of hot foods.
- On June 13, 2022, FNS approved New Mexico’s extension request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, and companion regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The waiver applies to all counties in the state of New Mexico. This waiver approval allows SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through July 12, 2022.
- On June 2, 2022, FNS approved New Mexico’s request to operate D-SNAP in 5 IA declared counties (Colfax, Lincoln, Mora, San Miguel and Valencia) in response to the impact of wildfires that began on April 6, 2022. The state agency will begin the application period on June 7, 2022, and will operate until June 13, 2022.
- On May 17, 2022, FNS approved New Mexico Human Services Department’s request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages and wildfires that began on May 1, 2022 through May 10, 2022. The waiver applies to the following four counties: Colfax, Mora, San Miguel and Taos. The waiver will be in effect through June 10, 2022.
- On May 14, 2022, FNS approved New Mexico’s request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, and companion regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The waiver applies to all counties in the State of New Mexico. This waiver approval will allow SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through June 13, 2022. FNS has notified SNAP authorized retailers in all counties in the State of New Mexico of the hot foods waiver approval.