Incident: Severe Storm
When: Oct. 19, 2024
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- On Nov. 21, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) request to operate Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in Chaves County in response to a severe storm and flooding that began on Oct. 19, 2024. President Joseph R. Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration designating Chaves County as eligible for federal Individual Assistance on Nov. 1, 2024. The state plans to operate the D-SNAP Dec. 4 – 11, 2024, excluding Sunday, Dec. 8, in the zip codes of 88201, 88202, 88203, 88230, 88232, and 88253.
- On Nov. 19, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) 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 a severe storm and flooding that began on Oct. 18, 2024. The waiver applies the following zip codes of 88201, 88202, 88203, 88230, 88232, and 88253 of Chaves County and is in effect through Nov. 25, 2024.
- On Nov. 18, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico HSD request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended and accompanying regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. This waiver approval allows SNAP households in seven (7) counties: Chaves, De Baca, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero, and Roosevelt to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Dec. 17, 2024, in order to increase access to food after power outages as a result of a severe storm and flooding that began Oct. 19, 2024. Retailers may need as much as 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for sale of hot foods.
Past Responses
- 2024
Incident: Wildfires
When: June 17, 2024
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- On July 26, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) request to modify and extend the 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 initial waiver was approved on June 21, 2024, and applied to Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. This modification includes Otero County and specified zip codes in Rio Arriba (87548, 87510, 87537, 87566, 87412) and San Juan (87037, 87364, 87401, 87402, 87410, 87412, 87413, 87415, 87416, 87417, 87418, 87419, 87420, 87421, 87455, 87461) counties. The modification allows the waiver to run through Aug. 16, 2024, for all approved counties.
- On July 24, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico HSD request to modify and extend Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in response to the impact of wildfires and flooding that began on June 17, 2024. Due to these incidents, President Joseph R. Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration with Federal Individual Assistance for Lincoln County, and the Mescalero Apache reservation on June 20, 2024. The declaration was amended on June 23, 2024, to add Otero County and Mescalero Apache reservation and on July 11, 2024, to add Rio Arriba and San Juan counties for Individual Assistance. The initial waiver approved on July 3, 2024, applied to Otero County, the Mescalero Apache Reservation, and specific zip codes in Lincoln County (88312, 88345, 88355, 88346 and 88340) and allowed the state to operate D-SNAP from July 10, 2024, through July 12, 2024, and July 14, 2024, through July 17, 2024. This modification approves D-SNAP operations in specified zip codes in Rio Arriba (87548, 87510, 87537, 87566, 87412) and San Juan (87037, 87364, 87401, 87402, 87410, 87412, 87413, 87415, 87416, 87417, 87418, 87419, 87420, 87421, 87455, 87461, 87499) counties from Aug. 12, 2024, through Aug. 17, 2024, and Aug. 19, 2024.
- On July 19, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico HSD extension request 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. The initial waiver, approved on June 27, 2024, 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. The extension waiver approval allows SNAP households in all 33 counties and the Mescalero Apache Reservation to continue to purchase hot foods through Aug. 25, 2024.
- On July 3, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico HSD request to operate D-SNAP in Otero County, the Mescalero Apache Reservation, and specific zip codes in Lincoln County (88312, 88345, 88355, 88346 and 88340) in response to the impact of wildfires and flooding that began on June 17, 2024. Due to these incidents, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration with federal individual assistance for Lincoln County, and the Mescalero Apache reservation on June 20, 2024. The declaration was amended on June 23, 2024, to add Otero County and Mescalero Apache reservation. The state plans to operate the D-SNAP July 10, 2024, through July 12, 2024, and July 14, 2024, through July 17, 2024.
- On June 27, 2024, FNS approved the New Mexico HSD 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 HSD 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.
- 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.