More Than 1 Million Children Lose SNAP Benefits After Federal Law Changes, New Report Says

More than 1 million children across the United States have lost access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following changes made under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

The analysis found that millions of Americans have been removed from the federal food assistance program since the legislation was approved in July 2025, with Arizona experiencing the largest decline in enrollment among the states studied.

Report

According to the CBPP, more than 4 million Americans were removed from SNAP between July 2025 and March 2026. The report examined participation trends across 19 states and found a significant reduction in enrollment following implementation of the new law.

Researchers said the decline coincides with changes to eligibility rules and increased state screening requirements introduced under the legislation.

Arizona

Arizona recorded the largest decrease in SNAP participation after the law took effect.

State data through May indicates that more than 450,000 Arizonans have left the program, reducing overall SNAP enrollment in the state by approximately half.

The report attributes the decline to changes in federal policy that tightened eligibility requirements and increased administrative responsibilities for states.

Children

Children accounted for a substantial share of those losing benefits, according to the analysis.

The CBPP estimates that more than 1 million children across the 19 states included in the study are no longer receiving SNAP assistance.

Louisiana experienced one of the largest reductions, with nearly one in four children previously receiving SNAP benefits no longer enrolled. Massachusetts and Texas each saw close to one-fifth of participating children lose access to the program.

Legislation

The report links the reduction in participation to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Republican reconciliation law enacted in 2025.

According to the CBPP, the legislation shifted a larger share of SNAP benefit costs to states based on their payment error rates while also making changes to eligibility and administrative requirements.

The organization said these policy changes have contributed to the nationwide decline in participation.

Response

The CBPP urged Congress to take action to prevent additional reductions in food assistance.

In a statement included in the report, the organization said, “Without immediate congressional action to delay this cost shift for all states, the unfolding emergency will only worsen as more children are cut off from the food assistance their families need to afford nutritious food.”

Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota also addressed the issue during a recent speech on the House floor. Omar introduced an amendment that would have reversed the SNAP reductions, but the proposal was not approved by the Republican majority.

Mayors

The latest figures also prompted a response from the US Conference of Mayors.

On Monday, the nonpartisan organization, representing cities with populations of at least 30,000, sent a letter to the Senate signed by more than 200 mayors urging lawmakers to reverse the SNAP cuts.

The letter described the country as facing a “deepening food security crisis” and emphasized the role SNAP plays in reducing hunger.

“SNAP remains the nation’s most effective and efficient anti-hunger program. It reduces poverty, supports local economies, and provides an automatic stabilizer during economic downturns,” the letter stated. “Hunger is not a partisan issue, and efforts to address food insecurity should rise above political divisions.”

The debate over SNAP funding and eligibility is expected to continue as lawmakers consider future federal budget and food assistance policies.

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