On July 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBB). The law contains several provisions that affect our programs.
FNS is issuing this set of questions and answers to clarify questions concerning the provisions of the Dec. 17, 2024, final rule, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. FNS expects these questions and answers will assist SNAP state agencies in implementing and complying with SNAP policy, especially able-bodied adults without dependents time limit policy.
SNAP state agencies must establish procedures to screen for and apply the general work requirements and ABAWD work requirements and time limit. The SNAP Work Rules Screening Checklists and Flow Chart were developed to assist SNAP state agency staff in determining if an individual is subject to any of the SNAP work requirements.
ABAWDs can receive SNAP for only 3 months in a 3-year period if they do not meet certain work requirements. This page includes information on waiver status for states by quarter.
The purpose of this guide is to consolidate guidance and policy on serving able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs).
While SNAP is intended to ensure no one in our land of plenty should fear going hungry, its rules also reflect the importance of work and responsibility.
FNS is issuing this set of questions and answers in response to inquiries received from SNAP state agencies concerning implementation of Section 311 (a), Section 311 (b), and Section 314 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
On Dec. 5, 2019, the FNS final rule, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, will publish in the Federal Register. The rule revises the conditions under which FNS would waive, when requested by states, the able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) time limit in areas that have an unemployment rate of over 10 percent or a lack of sufficient jobs. In addition, the rule limits the carryover of unused ABAWD discretionary exemptions.
The attached questions and answers provide policy clarification in response to changes made by Section 4005 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, enacted on Dec. 20, 2018, to the SNAP Employment and Training program and certain Able-bodied Adults without Dependents work policies.
In December 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published a proposed rule entitled “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents”. This action supports the Agency’s commitment to self-sufficiency by more broadly applying SNAP’s work-related program standards for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs).