Proposed federal change to SNAP puts more Oklahomans at risk of going hungry, advocates say

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahomans could be at higher risk of being food insecure if a proposed rule change to a federal food assistance program becomes reality, an advocate said. 

The proposal, posted Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would end a current practice that allows automatic eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, if they are meeting the requirements and receiving benefits from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, another federal aid program. 

SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, provides aid to more than 36 million people across the country, including over half a million Oklahomans. The USDA estimates this rule change would impact over 17% of participants, which is about 3.2 million households or 6.3 million individuals by the 2029 budget year when the rule would be fully implemented. 

The change would reduce SNAP spending by $44.6 billion over five years and ensure the program benefits the truly needy, according to the proposal. 

But SNAP has already been subject to a series of Congressional changes that made millions ineligible and the rule change posted Tuesday could add to this number. 

Jessica Dietrich, director of government relations and public policy at Hunger Free Oklahoma, said its “terrible news” for Oklahoma and all states. Hunger Free Oklahoma  works to ensure all Oklahomans have access to affordable and nutritious food.

There are two aspects to the proposed change, she said. 

The change that would most impact Oklahoma families is reimplementation of strict asset limits to be eligible for SNAP, Dietrich said. This means assets that are available and could be used to purchase food, like a savings account, could count against a family’s eligibility, Dietrich said. 

Dietrich said that under current policy, if someone is slightly over income limits but qualifies for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, or TANF, it doesn’t matter but this rule change would create a hard cutoff at 130% of the poverty line – which equates to an income of $42,900 for a family of four. 

“If you don’t use SNAP or have a loved one that uses the program, it might be easy to think that it doesn’t affect you but that’s less money flowing into our local grocery stores,” she said. “And it could be the difference between a grocery store, especially in a rural area, staying open or having to close because they don’t have enough income.”

Oklahoma is already one of the most food insecure states, Dietrich said, with 1 in 5 people and a quarter of children in the state facing food insecurity. 

The change would also burden state agencies and make SNAP less efficient, she said.

“Our state, and every state, is already facing so many new rules that they have to implement into very antiquated technology that doesn’t pivot as easily as someone in the public might think,” Dietrich said. 

Adding another step where paperwork needs to be gathered will overload agencies and overwhelm families, she said. It will likely also impact the state’s error rate which could cost Oklahoma more money. 

SNAP has already been subject to a series of changes under the Big Beautiful Bill passed last year by Congress. This includes work requirements to maintain eligibility for SNAP as well as requiring states to lower their error rates or pay a larger share of the program’s cost. 

Error rates refer to payment inaccuracies, which are not necessarily fraud and can be underpayments or overpayments. 

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services, which administers SNAP, does not yet have a reliable estimate of how many Oklahomans would be impacted by the rule change, said Nazarene Harris, an agency spokesperson. They’re still reviewing the proposal to understand how it would impact eligibility for the program in the state. 

Since the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services has worked to lower its error rate to 11.04% through additional training, oversight and quality control to improve payment accuracy, Harris said. An error rate of 6% is needed to prevent Oklahoma from shouldering a larger share of the program’s cost. 

Since November 2025, Oklahoma’s SNAP participation has declined by about 70,000 participants which is consistent with national trends, Harris said. While Congress made changes to eligibility, she said participation can change for many reasons and cannot entirely be attributed to the Big Beautiful Bill. 

The posted rule is open for public comment until Dec. 10.