Senate Republicans on Friday unveiled revisions to President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” sharpening error-rate calculations for SNAP funding shares and adding waiver authority for noncontiguous states ahead of a critical vote.
Senate Republicans’ latest iteration of President Trump’s supplemental nutrition assistance program overhaul tightens the methodology by which states could be required to share in benefit costs and introduces new exemptions for Alaska, Hawaii, and other noncontiguous jurisdictions.
Under the proposal, states whose payment error rates exceed 6% in fiscal 2028 would cover a portion of SNAP benefit costs that are currently fully federally funded. The updated text permits states to choose whether their 2028 match is based on error-rate data from fiscal 2025 or fiscal 2026; in fiscal 2029 and subsequent years, calculations would revert to using data from three years prior.
A newly added “waiver authority” would allow Alaska, Hawaii, and other noncontiguous states to bypass payment requirements if they are “actively implementing a corrective action plan” and taking steps to reduce errors. The change follows pushback from Alaska Republicans concerned about the accuracy and timeliness of the data.
“Our big thing is the data to be used, the data to be used on the error rate,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told The Hill ahead of the bill’s release. “So, that’s important to make sure that the data is as accurate and reflective of the year you’re judging as possible.”
Department of Agriculture figures show Alaska’s combined overpayment and underpayment error rate topped 60% in fiscal 2023, compared with a national average of 11.68%. Sullivan said Alaska’s error rate was significantly lower before the coronavirus pandemic and that new figures, expected soon, will reflect continued improvement.
As drafted, the sliding-scale cost share for states with error rates of 6% or higher could range from 5% to 15% of the benefit costs.
The bill also narrows exceptions to proposed SNAP work requirements, raising the age at which nondisabled adults must work up to 64. However, it restores exemptions for parents or guardians of children under 14 and for “Indians, Urban Indians, California Indians, and other Indians who are eligible for the Indian Health Services.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, summarized the broader challenge: “We’re still in trouble on SNAP. The implementation is still next to impossible for us.”
Republicans argue the measures will incentivize states to reduce payment errors, while Democrats warn they could force states to cut benefits. The proposal also includes farm provisions designed to pave the way for a bipartisan farm bill, though its prospects remain uncertain.
Absent from the latest draft are exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals, and foster care alumni — protections that Congress approved in a 2023 bipartisan agreement. Committee aides emphasized that individuals deemed physically or mentally unfit for employment would not be required to meet the 20-hour-per-week work requirement.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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