Implications of this Year’s Rapid Changes in U.S. Nutrition Policy

This year, Congress and the Executive Branch, specifically the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have passed laws and used the authority of the Secretary to cut funding and eligibility standards for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), cease measurement of household food security, and more. These actions will change how Americans participate in domestic nutrition programs and how we understand hunger in the U.S. 

For 50 years, Bread for the World has advocated to protect and strengthen federal nutrition programs, and that holds true today. With the year ending, and the government shutting down on October 1^st, this is the moment to take stock of these major decisions and reflect on what’s ahead in 2026. 

Congress passed the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on July 4th, cutting SNAP by $187 billion over 10 years. This will entail stricter work requirements, the termination of SNAP-Ed, changing SNAP eligibility standards, freezing adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan, and shifting greater SNAP benefit and administrative expenses onto states. These changes are expected to dramatically lower SNAP enrollment and the federal government’s cost share. They are predicted to increase hunger and poverty, especially for children. The work requirement provisions took immediate effect, and the law is also expected to have downstream impacts on school meal access and grocery retailers. 

In September, the USDA announced via press release that the Economic Research Service (ERS) would no longer produce the Household Food Security Report. The latest data available are from 2023, and the USDA is delayed in releasing the 2024 Household Food Security report. 

For 30 years, the agency has collected data and produced a report that measures the ease with which respondents can put food on the table. Bread and countless other institutions use this data to understand food security across populations and geographies, to design and scale nutrition interventions, for academic research, and to complement narrative storytelling on hunger and poverty. Ending this data collection and report permanently will leave a huge gap in our understanding of domestic hunger and food insecurity. 

In July, the USDA announced the department’s new interpretation of “Federal Public Benefit” and how it applies across agencies, including programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This announcement was featured in the Federal Register, a place where federal departments and agencies can post notices to the public about changing laws or regulations. Anti-hunger advocates who focus on immigrant populations expressed concern that these changes could cause a chilling effect, meaning households may forego seeking out the food assistance they need, especially for children. 

SNAP is a federal public benefit and only U.S. citizens and certain eligible non-U.S. citizens can enroll. Other programs, like school meals, WIC, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which supplies food banks, are also federal public benefits, but states don’t typically screen for immigration status. The USDA’s announcement in the Federal Register affirms that states can screen for immigration status – whether states choose to will be something to look out for in 2026. 

In August, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to reorganize the USDA, which would shrink and consolidate agency regional offices, including within the FNS. Right now, FNS operates 7 regional offices that serve all 50 states, U.S. territories, and some Tribal Nations. The announced reorganization plan would reduce regional offices to 5, change regional office locations, and force federal workers to relocate or quit. Regional offices are a first point of contact for state agencies administering federal nutrition programs, and provide technical assistance, grant support, accountability and oversight, and more. Democratic lawmakers and advocates expressed concern that reductions of this size would weaken FNS’s ability to effectively support administering agencies and the people enrolled in FNS programs. 

In the same month, the USDA announced the approval of waivers for 12 states to exclude certain foods from SNAP, including soft drinks, candy, and energy drinks. These waivers are intended to “strengthen the integrity of and restore the nutritional value of the SNAP program.” Bread supports the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and affirms that increasing access to healthy food, rather than limiting access, is crucial to ending hunger. Further, research evaluating nutrition incentive programs show that those surveyed consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables, which are associated with a healthy diet. These waivers will go into effect on January 1, 2026, and will be re-evaluated by FNS after two years.

If this feels like a dizzying amount of policy change to federal nutrition programs, it is, and this is not an exhaustive list. As researchers and advocates, we must analyze and track these changes, while also bearing witness to the impacts on our neighbors, and share those stories with our elected leaders. This moment requires our attention, prayer, and creative thinking to ensure that our federal nutrition safety net is effective and protected in the future. 

Sakeenah Shabazz is Deputy Director of the Policy and Research Institute (PRI) at Bread for the World