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A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to improve the calculation and reduce the taxpayer cost of payment errors under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.
1/30/2025, 11:56 AM
Summary of Bill S 302
In addition to addressing payment errors, the bill also includes provisions for other purposes related to the SNAP program. These provisions may include measures to streamline administrative processes, enhance program efficiency, or improve access to benefits for eligible individuals and families.
Overall, Bill 119 s 302 is focused on making targeted improvements to the SNAP program in order to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively and efficiently to provide food assistance to those in need.
Congressional Summary of S 302
Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act
This bill requires states to recoup any overpayments of benefits made to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and adjusts the formula for determining a state's liability rate for overpayments.
As background, the SNAP quality control system measures how accurately SNAP state agencies determine a household’s eligibility and benefit amount and determines overpayments of benefits and underpayments. States that have comparatively high payment error rates for two consecutive years are assessed a penalty (i.e., liability amount). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) must use a statutory formula to determine the liability amount.
Under current law, FNS must set a tolerance level for excluding small payment errors in the calculation of payment error rates (e.g., $56 or less in FY2024). This bill reduces the tolerance level for excluding small errors to $0 for FY2025 and each succeeding fiscal year.
The bill also requires state agencies to recoup any overpayments of benefits made to SNAP beneficiaries.
The bill adjusts the liability rate formula to reduce the state payment error rate based on the percentage of overpayments recouped by the state. Further, the bill increases the multiplier used in the liability rate formula to 25% (from 10%).
