SNAP Next Step Act of 2025
The SNAP Next Step Act of 2025 would broaden access to workforce and employment services for SNAP (food stamp) households by allowing state agencies to use certain SNAP administrative funds to recruit and place “covered individuals” into employment and training programs run under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It defines who counts as a covered individual and directs states to offer these employment and training activities to them. The bill also creates an on-state “Employment Calculator” website feature to help SNAP participants see whether working (and earning wages) would yield higher benefits than staying on benefits. Overall, the bill is intended to help SNAP participants move more readily into work through expanded training options and clearer financial comparisons between benefits and earnings.
Key Points
- 1Definition of “covered individual”: A person in a SNAP household who is (a) unemployed or underemployed; (b) eligible for SNAP or exempt from rules; (c) not in a family receiving TANF assistance; (d) not enrolled in a state Employment First program. States may use administrative funds to recruit and place these individuals in WIOA employment and training activities.
- 2Expanded eligibility for training: State agencies may use SNAP administrative funds to support recruitment and administration of WIOA employment and training activities for covered individuals.
- 3Employment Calculator: States can create a publicly accessible calculator on their website to help SNAP participants compare current benefits with potential benefits after entering or increasing employment. Using this calculator is treated as an administrative cost under SNAP.
- 4Administrative funding approach: The bill specifies that the costs of the employment calculator and related recruitment/training activities would count as administrative costs under SNAP (not new program funding).
- 5Relationship to existing law: The bill would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, specifically section 6(d)(4), integrating WIOA activities into SNAP administrative planning and participant services, while referencing WIOA program definitions and activities.