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H.R. 2811House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2025

Sponsored by Don BaconRep. Don Bacon (R-NE)
Introduced April 10, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 1:06 AM UTC

The SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2025 amends the Food and Nutrition Act to let state agencies hire private contractors to help with SNAP certification and other program functions when they face spikes in applications or staffing shortages. The hiring must follow state contracting rules, avoid any incentives to delay or deny benefits, and the contractor cannot have a financial stake in approved retailers. States must notify the USDA secretary, and the information is posted publicly, with an annual report to Congress. The authority is temporary and ends once application backlogs are cleared, and it cannot override existing labor agreements.

Key Provisions

  • States may contract private firms, at reasonable cost, to perform SNAP certification or other SNAP duties, provided the contract does not incentivize delays or denials and the contractor has no financial interest in approved stores.
  • The contracting authority can be used during pandemics, natural disasters, seasonal workforce cycles, or any temporary staffing shortage that slows application processing.
  • State agencies must notify the USDA secretary of their intent, and the secretary must publish the notification and supporting data on the USDA website within 10 days.
  • The USDA secretary must submit an annual report to the House and Senate agriculture committees describing actions taken, data supporting state notifications, and recommendations for future authority adjustments.
  • The temporary staffing authority ends when the application backlog is cleared and cannot override any existing collective bargaining agreements or memoranda of understanding.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

April 10, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 10, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

April 10, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued April 10, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2811

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 10, 2025

Mr. Bacon (for himself and Mr. Rouzer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow for blended workforces to carry out the supplemental nutrition assistance program under certain conditions, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

(a)

This Act may be cited as the SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2025.

2.

SNAP staffing flexibility

(a)

Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act (7 U.S.C. 2020) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(y)

SNAP staffing flexibility

(1)

In general

Notwithstanding section 11(e)(6)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, a State agency (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008) may, by contract with the State agency at a reasonable cost in accordance with the State agency’s standard contracting rules, hire a contractor to undertake supplemental nutrition assistance program certification or carry out any other function of the State agency under such program so long as—

(A)

the contract does not provide incentives for the agency or contractor to delay eligibility determinations or to deny eligibility for individuals otherwise eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits; and

(B)

the contractor has no direct or indirect financial interest in an approved retail store.

(2)

Use

A State agency may use the authority provided in paragraph (1) when the State experiences increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or an inability to timely process such applications from causes that include but are not limited to—

(A)

pandemics and other health emergencies,

(B)

seasonal workforce cycles,

(C)

temporary staffing shortages, and

(D)

weather or other natural disasters.

(3)

Requirements

A State agency that hires a contractor under paragraph (1) shall ensure such action—

(A)

is consistent with all principles under section 900.603 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations; and

(B)

is part of a blended workforce and does not supplant existing merit-based personnel in the State.

(4)

Notification

A State agency shall notify the Secretary of its intent to use the authority provided in this section and shall provide any information or data supporting State agency increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or any inability to timely process such applications.

(5)

Public availability

Not later than 10 days after the date of the receipt of a notification submitted by a State agency under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall make publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture the notification submitted by such State agency and any accompanying information or data supporting such notification so submitted.

(6)

Annual report

The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, an annual report that contains—

(A)

a description of measures taken to address increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications and any inability to timely process such applications;

(B)

information or data supporting State agency notifications provided pursuant to paragraph (4); and

(C)

recommendations for changes to the Secretary’s authority under this Act to assist the Secretary, States, and local governments of States in preparing for any future increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or inability to timely process such applications.

(7)

Temporary staffing shortages

In cases of temporary staffing shortages, the authority provided to State agencies under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

expire when the backlog of supplemental nutrition assistance program applications has been eliminated; and

(B)

not override any collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding in effect between the State and employees of the State or of a local government of such State.

.