Cutting Federal SNAP Dollars Will Only Make Kansas Kids Hungrier

SNAP is our nation’s most effective tool for combating hunger. Cutting this vital program would cause more Kansas kids to go hungry and would hurt the Kansas economy.

The Current State of Childhood Food Insecurity in Kansas

• The most recent available data showed the childhood food insecurity rate in Kansas is 19.1%, meaning about 1 in 5 Kansas kids don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
  
  
• In 42 of 105 counties, more than 20% of Kansas children experience food insecurity.
  
  
• Rural counties have some of the highest food insecurity rates in the state, particularly in both northwest and southeast Kansas.
  
  
• About 187,000 Kansans utilize SNAP to help them get through the month.
  
  
• More than 65% of SNAP participants are in families with children.
  
  
• Because of federal cuts that have already occurred this year, Kansas food banks are seeing huge reductions in the amount of food they’re receiving, which decreases the number of people they’re able to serve.

Congress' Proposed Cuts to SNAP

The House budget resolution directs the House Agriculture Committee to identify $230 billion in “savings” over the next 10 years. It seems that the magnitude of proposed cuts cannot be made without reducing SNAP benefits, restricting SNAP eligibility, or some combination of both.

It is not clear where the proposed cuts will come from, but options that have been floated include:
Rescinding the update to the Thrifty Food Plan	Capping household benefits	Shifting costs to state by requiring a state match
According to an analysis by the Urban Institute, rolling back the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan program would mean that a modestly priced meal would cost 59% more than the maximum SNAP benefit in Kansas.	Circulated in January 2025, this would cap the maximum household SNAP benefit equal to a family of six. So a family of eight could only receive the maximum monthly amount for a family of six. This would result in a $366 per month loss of benefits for a household of eight, placing added strain on larger Kansas families.	Shifting 10% cost share to the state would increase the Kansas budget by $41 million in 2026. With state budget projections in the red by 2028, it may prove difficult to find the money for this new cost and potentially force the state to cut costs in other areas (like K-12 education) to make up the difference. If state lawmakers are unable to find a solution, the federal government would terminate SNAP benefits to Kansans.

The Proposed Cuts Would Have Downstream Impacts on the Kansas Economy

• If passed, these cuts would hit the Kansas economy as soon as 2026.
  
  
• Federal SNAP funding to Kansas would decrease by $96.4 million and the funding loss would trigger a broader statewide economic impact of $122.3 million in lost economic output from food sales and other connected industries.
  
  
• A George Washington University study projects Kansas would lose 600 jobs with the proposed cuts to SNAP. Proposed Medicaid cuts would hit the state even harder, with an estimated job loss of 4,900.
  
  
• Around 2,100 Kansas retailers that accept SNAP would see their bottom lines affected because of customers having smaller grocery budgets. This could lead to the closure of grocery stores, which would be especially devastating to rural communities.
  
  
• Reductions in SNAP or Medicaid will also cause families to lose auto-enrollment access to the Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Program (FRPL), further exacerbating food insecurity. Since the income thresholds for these programs are less than the FRPL income thresholds, these populations already qualify for FRPL and can be auto enrolled.

Around 91,000 Kansas kids in 2023 (monthly average) relied on SNAP to have enough to eat for every meal. If Congress sticks to the drastic SNAP budget cuts as proposed, many of these children will go hungry. Thousands of kids are relying on the Kansas Congress delegation to keep them fed so they can grow and thrive. We urge them to protect SNAP funding for the good of Kansas kids, families, and communities.

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