This memorandum adjusts the total number of exemptions available to each state for FY 2025. This includes adjustments in the number of exemptions available to states in which caseloads change by more than 10 percent.
We are committed to upholding Secretary of Agriculture Rollins’ priority to take swift action to minimize instances of fraud, waste, and program abuse, and to ensure American taxpayer dollars are spent with integrity and accountability. We are issuing this memo, both in support of that priority and in response to requests from SNAP state agencies and FDPIR administering agencies, for additional guidance on preventing dual participation and ensuring comparable disqualifications are applied in SNAP and FDPIR.
To ensure that tax dollars do not fund SNAP benefits to illegal aliens or other ineligible aliens, State agencies should carefully examine their identity and immigration status verification practices and make necessary enhancements.
Generally speaking, immigration status has changed recently for many aliens and state agencies are encouraged to continuously verify immigration status of all aliens in the state who receive SNAP.
This memorandum reiterates these fundamental objectives and their interaction with the Secretary of Agriculture’s authority to grant state SNAP agencies requests to waive the time limit on receiving SNAP benefits by ABAWDs who do not meet statutory work requirements.
President Trump made it clear in his Executive Order, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” the United States will uphold the national policy articulated in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA) that “aliens within the Nation’s borders not depend on public resources to meet their needs.”
In the event of a lapse in funding due the expiration of the current continuing resolution on March 15, 2025, state agencies should continue to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in accordance with federal statutes and regulations, following normal processes and timelines to send issuance files and to issue benefits through the end of April 2025.
Secretary Rollins today directed FNS to immediately clarify and enforce all rules restricting its beneficiaries to U.S. citizens and legal residents only.
This memo provides state agencies with guidance on allowable use of advanced automation technologies.
This memorandum is intended to clarify the impact of the American Relief Act of 2025 on upcoming SNAP benefit issuance.