Legislators Can Save Texas $33 Million Annually by Streamlining SNAP Six-Month Eligibility Checks
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For Immediate Release: 03/26/25
Contact: Wesley Story
HB 2202 and SB 1031 would lead to cost savings, workload reduction and decreased error rates.
TEXAS – The Feeding Texas network of food banks and more than 80 organizations in the Texas Food Policy Roundtable urge lawmakers to pass HB 2202 / SB 1031. These companion bills would streamline six-month SNAP eligibility checks and decrease error rates by using technology and verified data sources to save the state time and money.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) currently faces a significant backlog of SNAP and Medicaid applications. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has placed HHSC under a Corrective Action Plan, but the agency has struggled for years to meet federal timeliness standards.
“Thousands of Texans eligible for SNAP are going without critical food assistance while they wait for applications to be processed, which places undue strain on Texas food banks,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. “Streamlining the six-month eligibility check using technology and verified data sources offers a systemic solution to reduce workload and improve timeliness for HHSC. This process will not only reduce administrative burden and save costs but also decrease error rates, ensuring timely food assistance to vulnerable Texans.”
HHSC requires SNAP recipients to provide updated information about their household circumstances every six months to ensure that they are still eligible. Under the current system, HHSC employees must manually review, verify and process each six-month eligibility check for SNAP beneficiaries. By utilizing technology and verified data sources to process these checks, the state could save millions a year in reduced administrative costs.
This process, known as “periodic reporting,” will also minimize the risk of human error in data handling and eligibility determination. Fewer errors result in fewer costly corrections and adjustments. These updated eligibility checks would still undergo rigid, manual Quality Control measures to ensure the automations are working as intended. Texas is currently one of only 5 states to not adopt this streamlined process.
“Texas is behind the curve,” Cole said. “Forty-five states have already implemented this automated process and seen significant cost savings. It’s time the state’s eligibility process reflects our technological progress.”
Georgia recently implemented periodic reporting and saw a 25% reduction in workload for their eligibility staff. Applied to Texas’s eligibility workforce, this change would save over $33 million in state funds per year.
“Adopting streamlined six-month periodic reporting offers multiple benefits to HHSC and SNAP participants, including cost savings, workload reduction, and effective program management,” Cole said. “This legislation is all about improving government efficiency. We hope lawmakers will recognize the value it brings to our state by saving time and money, while also getting critical food assistance to Texans facing hunger.”
The Feeding Texas network and the Texas Food Policy Roundtable call on lawmakers to authorize HHSC to pursue this innovative solution in processing six-month eligibility checks by passing HB 2202 / SB 1031.
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Feeding Texas is a network of 20 food banks and leads a unified effort for a hunger-free Texas. Learn more and find your local food bank at feedingtexas.org.
