Rep. Doggett and Texas Democrats Press USDA to Ensure Texas Meets SNAP Application Processing Requirements, Eliminates Backlog

Contact: Alexis.Torres@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C.—With a federal government shutdown looming, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) and the Texas Democratic delegation urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to take prompt corrective action regarding the failure of Governor Greg Abbott’s Administration to follow federal requirements when processing food assistance applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Federal law requires states to process SNAP applications and recertifications within 30 days, which the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has failed to meet since July 2021. Texas is now apparently headed toward a 200-day application processing delay.

“Governor Greg Abbott’s indifference continues to make life harder for many Texans. One in five Texas children don’t have enough to eat, and, instead of the State helping families in putting food on the table, his Administration refuses to provide timely assistance to the hungry.” said Rep. Doggett. “As House Republicans march us toward an unnecessary government shutdown that could potentially disrupt food assistance even further, the Biden Administration should not wait. Now is the time for federal intervention to protect our most vulnerable neighbors.”

“Nearly 3.5 million Texans received SNAP benefits last year and 79% of participants were in families with children,” wrote the Members. “The long-term health and wellbeing of these children are in jeopardy as food assistance delays exacerbate the childhood hunger and poverty crisis that plagues our State and Nation.  Texas ranks 45^th in the Nation for child wellbeing and 20% of Texas children live below the poverty line and in hunger, disproportionately Latino and African American children.  Timely access to food assistance is critical to alleviating this crisis and reducing inequities.”

A recent whistleblower report from HHSC staff details significant delays in the processing and receipt of SNAP benefits. As of September 1, 2023, the waiting period for a family’s application to be assigned for an eligibility review by HHSC staff surpassed 100 days. The report states that in August only 68 percent of individuals receiving food assistance had renewal applications processed timely before experiencing a loss in benefits. Meaning, until this backlog of unprocessed renewals is addressed, “over 32,000 individuals could have experienced a loss of benefits for September.” Without swift intervention from USDA, these delays are expected to exceed 200 days by year-end.

Over the past few months, Doggett has demanded the Biden Administration hold Governor Abbott accountable for his indifferent leadership, which has resulted in the wrongful loss of health care access and food assistance for thousands of Texans. Most recently, Doggett, along with every Texas Democratic Congressperson, called upon the Biden Administration to audit HHSC’s faulty IT system and pause the state’s Medicaid coverage terminations.

The full letter, with all signatories, can be viewed below and here.

Dear Secretary Vilsack, Deputy Under Secretary Dean, and Administrator Long:

We write regarding the State of Texas’s failure to comply with federal requirements concerning the processing of applications for food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  Federal law requires States to process SNAP applications and recertifications within 30 days, a requirement Texas has failed to meet since July 2021.  We strongly urge you to immediately find Texas out of compliance with application processing time requirements and proceed directly to corrective action procedures under 7 CFR 276.4(d).

As of September 1^st, vulnerable families were waiting over 100 days to have their applications assigned to an eligibility worker for review.  State employees have expressed their deep concern in the enclosed whistleblower letter that these delays are likely to exceed 200 days by year-end.  One-third of SNAP applicants are now facing substantial delays—well beyond federal requirements of a 95% application processing success rate.  Thousands of Texans are left without food for months as these backlogs persist and worsen.

These families require immediate assistance, yet they are left in limbo for months as parents struggle to figure out how they will feed their children and are forced to make difficult tradeoffs between paying rent, utility bills, gas, and more.  These delays are also increasing pressure on local food banks, nonprofits, and religious charitable organizations working to supplement these gaps with limited resources.

Nearly 3.5 million Texans received SNAP benefits last year and 79% of participants were in families with children.  The long-term health and wellbeing of these children are in jeopardy as food assistance delays exacerbate the childhood hunger and poverty crisis that plagues our State and Nation.  Texas ranks 45^th in the Nation for child wellbeing and 20% of Texas children live below the poverty line and in hunger, disproportionately Latino and African American children.  Timely access to food assistance is critical to alleviating this crisis and reducing inequities.

This situation is worsening by the day under Governor Abbott’s indifferent leadership.  Please act now to protect the health and livelihood of our most vulnerable and marginalized neighbors.