H.R. 5950: Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025

Introduced Nov 7, 2025101 cosponsors

Sponsor

Jahana Hayes

Democrat · CT-5

Bill Progress

IntroducedNov 7

Committee

Pass House

Pass Senate

Signed

Law

Latest Action · Nov 7, 2025

1/4

Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

Your food benefits shouldn't depend on a shutdown

3 min readLast updated July 28, 2026

Why it matters

The bill would keep SNAP and WIC benefits flowing through any fiscal year 2026 Agriculture funding lapse — and let states recover missed benefit costs dating back to September 30, 2025.

H.R. 5950 is a temporary safety valve for three nutrition programs: SNAP, WIC, and certain nutrition block grants. If Congress has not passed either a full-year Agriculture funding bill or a stopgap funding measure, the bill automatically provides whatever money is needed to keep those programs operating.

It also looks backward, not just forward. The bill says funding can cover missed benefits and eligible state costs going back to September 30, 2025, through the day the bill becomes law.

That matters because states often have to decide whether to keep issuing benefits during a federal funding lapse. Under H.R. 5950, states that kept the programs running in line with federal rules could be reimbursed for both benefits and administrative costs.

This is not a permanent rewrite of how food aid is funded. The backstop ends as soon as Congress passes Agriculture funding for fiscal year 2026, or on September 30, 2026, whichever comes first.

H.R. 5950 Bill Summary

What H.R. 5950 actually does.

SNAP and WIC keep running during a funding lapse

If Congress has not passed Agriculture funding for fiscal year 2026, the bill would automatically provide the money needed to keep SNAP and WIC operating without interruption.

Nutrition block grants get the same protection

The same automatic backstop would also apply to the consolidated nutrition block grants covered by the bill, not just SNAP and WIC.

Missed benefits can be paid back

The bill applies retroactively to missed benefits and eligible costs from September 30, 2025, through the day it becomes law.

States can recover the costs of keeping aid going

States that continued these programs during a lapse could be reimbursed for benefit costs and administration, as long as they followed federal rules while doing it.

The backstop ends once regular funding passes

This emergency funding lasts only until Congress enacts Agriculture appropriations for fiscal year 2026, or until September 30, 2026, whichever comes first.

Emergency spending gets folded back into the regular budget

Once Congress later passes the normal funding bill, spending made under this act would be charged to the appropriate federal funding stream.

Who benefits from H.R. 5950?

Families using SNAP for monthly groceries

If your household depends on SNAP, H.R. 5950 aims to keep benefits from being delayed during a fiscal year 2026 Agriculture funding lapse.

Pregnant women, infants, and young children on WIC

WIC participants would be protected from interruptions if Congress misses an Agriculture funding deadline.

States deciding whether to keep benefits flowing

States that keep SNAP, WIC, and covered block grants running during a lapse could be reimbursed later for eligible benefit and administrative costs.

Communities served by covered nutrition block grants

Areas receiving the bill's covered block-grant nutrition support would get the same temporary shutdown protection as SNAP and WIC.

Who is affected by H.R. 5950?

Households that rely on federal food aid

These households would see the biggest direct effect, because the bill is designed to prevent benefit interruptions during a funding lapse.

State agencies administering food assistance

Agencies may still have to keep programs operating during a federal lapse, but the bill creates a reimbursement path if they follow federal requirements.

Congress and federal budget negotiators

Lawmakers would still need to pass Agriculture funding, but this bill would reduce the immediate risk that a lapse cuts off food assistance first.

Federal budget officials

They would need to account for emergency spending first, then charge those costs back to the regular Agriculture funding stream once Congress enacts it.

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Tracking floor activity — no debate on H.R. 5950 yet. Updates when a legislator speaks on the record.

HR5950 Legislative Journey

1 actions

House: Committee Action

Nov 7, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

About the Sponsor

Jahana Hayes

Democrat, Connecticut's 5th congressional district · 7 years in Congress

Committees: Agriculture, Education and Workforce

View full profile →

Cosponsors (101)

No new cosponsors in 165 days — momentum stalled

This bill has 101 cosponsors: 100 Democrats, 1 Republican. Cosponsors represent 33 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 30 more.

100Democrats1Republican·33 states

Alma Adams

Democrat · NC

Yassamin Ansari

Democrat · AZ

Joyce Beatty

Democrat · OH

Wesley Bell

Democrat · MO

Sanford Bishop

Democrat · GA

Suzanne Bonamici

Democrat · OR

Shontel Brown

Democrat · OH

Nikki Budzinski

Democrat · IL

Salud Carbajal

Democrat · CA

Troy Carter

Democrat · LA

Sean Casten

Democrat · IL

Judy Chu

Democrat · CA

Cosponsor Coverage Map

Committee Sponsors

Appropriations Committee

28D35R

|12 signed51 not yet

12 of 63 committee members cosponsored

16 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents

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H.R. 5950 Quick Facts

Cosponsors

101

+96 more

Committee: Appropriations
Chamber: House
Policy: Agriculture and Food
Introduced: Nov 7, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

Nov 7, 2025

Constituent Resources

Find your legislators on H.R. 5950

Get notified when this bill moves

Official Sources

H.R. 5950 on Congress.gov

Official bill page with status, text, sponsors, and actions for the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025.

USDA SNAP Program

Official USDA overview of SNAP, the main program H.R. 5950 would keep funded during an Agriculture appropriations lapse.

USDA WIC Program

Official USDA page for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, which the bill explicitly protects.

USDA Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Section 19 block grants under the Food and Nutrition Act are tied to nutrition assistance alternatives for certain areas, making this relevant to the bill's covered block-grant stream.

U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel — 7 U.S.C. Chapter 51 (Food and Nutrition Act of 2008)

Official U.S. Code text for the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the statute establishing SNAP and referenced directly in the bill text.

U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel — 42 U.S.C. 1786

Official U.S. Code section establishing WIC under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, directly cited in the bill text.

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H.R. 5950 Common Questions

Would H.R. 5950 keep SNAP benefits going during a shutdown?

Yes. If Agriculture funding lapses in fiscal year 2026, H.R. 5950 would automatically provide the money needed to keep SNAP benefits flowing.

Does H.R. 5950 protect WIC too?

Yes. H.R. 5950 covers WIC as well as SNAP, so WIC benefits could continue during a fiscal year 2026 Agriculture funding lapse.

Which programs are covered by H.R. 5950?

Three program streams: SNAP, WIC, and the nutrition block grants covered by the bill. It is not a government-wide shutdown fix.

Does the bill pay back missed SNAP or WIC benefits?

Yes. H.R. 5950 says funding can cover missed benefits during the period starting September 30, 2025, and ending when the bill becomes law.

Can states get reimbursed if they keep benefits going?

Yes. States could be reimbursed for benefit costs and administration during a lapse, as long as they ran the programs under federal rules.

How much money does H.R. 5950 provide?

The bill uses an open-ended funding formula: whatever sums are necessary from the Treasury to keep the covered programs running during the lapse.

When would this shutdown backstop end?

It ends when Congress passes Agriculture funding for fiscal year 2026, including a stopgap bill, or on September 30, 2026 — whichever comes first.

Would H.R. 5950 become permanent law for future shutdowns?

No. H.R. 5950 is a one-fiscal-year backstop tied to fiscal year 2026, not a permanent change to SNAP or WIC funding.

Based on H.R. 5950 bill text

H.R. 5950 Bill Text

“To appropriate funds to ensure uninterrupted benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program and the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.”

Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office