MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama food bank leaders held a press conference Wednesday morning to ask the state’s congressional delegation to help secure a delay on SNAP-related fees under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Under the law, states that incorrectly distribute funds from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have to pay a greater share of costs starting in fiscal year 2028. Food bank leaders say more time would give the state a greater opportunity to lower its error rate and avoid the fees.
“I know SNAP has become a four-letter word in much of the country but in reality, our neighbors across the state rely on this program every day,” said Michael Ledger, CEO and president of Feeding the Gulf Coast.
How the error rate works
SNAP error rates are a combined percentage of overpayment and underpayment of SNAP benefits. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states with an error rate of 6 percent or more must pay a greater share of SNAP costs.
However, the bill gives a buffer period to states with error rates greater than 13.3 percent. Specifically, it says states qualify for a buffer if “the payment error rate of a State multiplied by 1.5 is equal to or above 20 percent.” That means a state with an error rate of 13.4 percent or greater in fiscal year 2025 will have its fees delayed until fiscal year 2029. The same applies to fiscal year 2026; any state with an error rate of 13.4 percent or greater will have its fees delayed until fiscal year 2030.
In fiscal year 2025, Alabama’s error rate was 9.52 percent. That is high enough for the state to be penalized, but not high enough to receive a buffer period under the act.
Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., have fiscal year 2025 error rates that make them eligible for the buffer period.
“We are a critical safety net, but we were never built to replace the federal nutrition support that lets families buy groceries consistently and with dignity,” said Nicole Williams, CEO of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.
Appeal to Alabama’s senators
At the press conference, food bank leaders asked U.S. Senators Katie Britt, R-Alabama, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, to add a buffer period for Alabama into the 2026 Farm Bill.
Sen. Britt’s office provided the following statement:
“Senator Britt and her team are in constant communication with local leaders across the state to ensure that those eligible for SNAP benefits receive them without disruption and that the state’s payment error rate is properly addressed. Senator Britt does not sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee and therefore will have no opportunity to offer amendments to the farm bill until it advances to the Senate floor.”
Sen. Tuberville’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The following states and territories had payment error rates of less than 6 percent for fiscal year 2025: Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.