HR 5860 — SNAP BACK Act.

Summary

Appropriates necessary funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) when interim or full-year appropriations have not been enacted.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately obligate and make available all appropriated funds for SNAP and WIC, and prohibits federal and executive branch officials from withholding or delaying these funds except when explicitly authorized by statute.
Requires state agencies to continue accepting and processing SNAP and WIC applications for eligible individuals and to provide benefits within five days of fund obligation.
Prohibits enrollment freezes, waiting lists, or participation restrictions in SNAP and WIC due to funding delays or appropriations lapses.
Requires continuous operation of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems and prohibits suspension or deactivation of EBT cards due to temporary funding delays.
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to reimburse states or federally recognized tribes that use emergency funds to cover lapses in federal SNAP and WIC funding.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. (D-NM) [#1]

2 cosponsors

Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa (D-NM) [#3]
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe (D-NM) [#2]

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Melanie A. Stansbury’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

Employer not reported $121,292
SINGLETON SCHREIBER LLP $7,600
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO $7,222
LAMB ENTERPRISE GROUP $6,600
CALCULEX INC. $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Melanie A. Stansbury → · Outside spending →

Actions (3)

Dec 2, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture. · house
Oct 28, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
Oct 28, 2025 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Text versions (1)

Introduced in House · Oct 28, 2025

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 28, 2025

Ms. Stansbury (for herself, Ms. Leger Fernandez, and Mr. Vasquez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To require the immediate release of funds appropriated for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC), and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “SNAP BACK Act.”

SEC. 2. APPROPRIATION.

(a) In General.—In fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, for any period during which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations for that fiscal year have not been enacted for the Department of Agriculture, there are appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture, such sums as are necessary to provide uninterrupted benefits under—

(1) the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C 2011 et seq.); and

(2) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT TO RELEASE FUNDS.

(a) Immediate Obligation of Funds.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, immediately upon enactment of this Act, obligate and make available all funds appropriated by Congress for—

(1) the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and

(2) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.

(b) Prohibition on Withholding.—No officer or employee of the executive branch, including the Office of Management and Budget, or U.S. Department of Agriculture may withhold, delay, or otherwise impede the release or obligation of such funds for any reason not explicitly authorized by statute.

(c) Requirement to Enroll.—

(1) Continued enrollment.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that, all State agencies administering SNAP or WIC continue to accept, process, and approve applications for individuals and households that meet the statutory eligibility requirements for such programs.

(2) Access to benefits.—Individuals determined eligible under paragraph (1) shall receive benefits as soon as funds are available, and no later than five days after the Secretary obligates the funds made available under subsection (a).

(3) Prohibition on enrollment freeze.—No Federal or State official may institute an enrollment freeze, waiting list, or other restriction on participation in SNAP or WIC due to any delay or withholding of funds.

SEC. 4. CONTINUITY OF EBT CARD ACCESS AND PROCESSING.

(a) Uninterrupted Operation.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure the uninterrupted operation and functionality of all Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems used to distribute SNAP and WIC benefits, including during any lapse in appropriations or due to an administrative delay.

(b) Timely Disbursement.—State agencies administering SNAP or WIC shall, upon receipt of Federal funds, immediately load benefits onto EBT cards for eligible households without additional delay.

(c) Prohibition on Suspension of Benefits.—No Federal or State agency may suspend, deactivate, or otherwise restrict the use of EBT cards due to any temporary funding delay.

SEC. 5. REIMBURSEMENT OF STATES OR TRIBES.

(a) Reimbursement of State or Tribe.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall reimburse any State of federally recognized American Indian Tribe that makes an emergency appropriation of State or tribal funds to cover a lapse in Federal funding for these programs up to the amount expended by the State or tribe. <all>

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