Legislative and Executive Branch Developments Affecting the United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

For more than forty years, the United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly Food Stamps) has offered nutrition assistance to nearly forty million eligible individuals and families each month. This article first provides a brief overview of the evolution of the United States’ largest domestic food security and nutrition safety net program. Then, the article reviews Congressional actions taken regarding SNAP during the 2018 Farm Bill deliberations, appropriations for fiscal years 2017 through 2020, and oversight (in)activities. The article focuses on Congressional activities regarding block grants; participant eligibility; benefit adequacy, issuance, and redemption; and strengthening SNAP’s nutritional impacts. Next, the article discusses a variety of executive orders, administrative actions, initiatives, nominations, budget proposals, and tweets with SNAP implications put forth thus far by President Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States. These actions include the America’s Harvest Box, natural disaster responses, the public charge rule, tariffs on Chinese imports, and various agency relocations and reorganizations. The article reflects on how each of these legislative and executive developments might impact SNAP\u27s organization, operations at the federal, tribal, state and retailer levels, and, ultimately, eating patterns and health of participating and eligible children and families, persons with disabilities, and elders