WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has directed state agencies to halt the full issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November, following a new order from the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a memorandum issued Friday, Patrick A. Penn, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, informed regional and state SNAP directors that the Supreme Court had granted the USDA an administrative stay of a lower court ruling in Rhode Island State Council of Churches, et al. v. Rollins.
As a result, states are instructed not to issue full SNAP payments and must instead continue issuing reduced benefits at 65 percent of the maximum allotment, as outlined in earlier guidance.
“States must not transmit full benefit issuance files to EBT processors,” the memo states. “Any state that has already done so must immediately undo those steps.”
The USDA warned that failure to comply could lead to federal penalties, including the cancellation of administrative funding and requiring states to repay overissued benefits.
The order reverses earlier actions prompted by a Rhode Island federal court decision that required the federal government to restore full benefits. That ruling is now on hold pending further review.
The agency said it remains committed to keeping states updated as the legal process continues and encouraged state agencies to contact their regional Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) offices with any questions.
