Arizona House Republicans are hoping to implement reforms under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — or H.R. 1 — at the state level. On Monday, a House committee advanced legislation that they say would “strengthen the integrity” of the federal food assistance program known as SNAP.
Over 600,000 Arizonans used SNAP in December according to the Department of Economic Security most recent Statistical Bulletin.
Arizona DES saw about a 5% staff shortage last year due to federal funding cuts to aid programs and cuts to state funding. The department is still reeling from those shortages. Brett Bezio with state DES said, in a statement to AZPM, that SNAP applicants receive a response up to 36 days after submitting, signifying a delay in aid reaching families.
Democrats on the committee voted against advancement of the reforms on Monday. Some questioned whether the new requirements would be reasonable given decreased staffing, while others said these reforms would not benefit the qualified residents who are experiencing delays due to those shortages.
The most comprehensive bill introduced was sponsored by Republican Rep. Michael Carbone. If implemented, it would require the DES to identify purchases made out of state with an Electronic Benefits Transfer card.
It would also require routine checks on recipients with lottery or gambling winnings of $3,000 or more; changes in employment or income; changes in status according to the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
The bill also demands public transparency by requiring DES to publish statistics regarding fraud and violations of government aid on its website.
Republican Rep. Nick Kupper sponsored a bill that would require the state’s SNAP payment error rate to be no more than 3% by 2030. That rate is how the U.S. Department of Agriculture measures the accuracy of states’ eligibility determinations.
“This bill — I’m pretty proud about it. I think it smartly gives DES years to get to 3% and it lets them set their own benchmarks on how to get there. It’s not overly prescriptive of how to do it,” he said.
Democratic Rep. Patricia Contreras voted against the bill, arguing that it would set unrealistic expectations for state employees.
“It just seems to me that, with no additional staff, no additional funding, there’s no need to stress out our staff even more to try to get down to this 3%,” Contreras said.
According to the USDA, Arizona’s SNAP error rate was over 8% in 2024. Under H.R. 1, states with error rates above 6% could face unplanned costs.
Kupper said the difference between 3% and the 6% error rate requirement would save Arizona $80 million.
“Imagine what else we could do with that 80 million to help these families eat,” he said.
Democratic Rep. Alma Hernandez voted against the bill alongside Contreras and three others.
“I don’t think anyone here will say that we are for waste and fraud, but I think we should look at: What are we doing to actually help those that need it right now the most and whose families are going hungry?” Hernandez said.
Republican Rep. Chris Lopez sponsored a bill that would require able-bodied adult recipients who are under the age of 60 and working less than 30 hours a week to take an employment or training course, unless they meet any other exemptions.
Lopez introduced another bill that would bar DES from obtaining work requirement waivers for able-bodied adults without dependents unless the state or federal governments require it. It also prohibits the department from exercising the state’s discretionary exemptions for SNAP work requirements.
After being passed out of committee, the four bills will likely go to the House floor.
