Governor Directs $62M In State Funds To MD SNAP Recipients

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland officials plan to direct $62 million to state SNAP recipients after the Trump administration said it would only partially fund November benefits for the nearly 42 million Americans who rely on the federal food aid program.

Gov. Wes Moore authorized the release of funds through an executive order signed Monday, according to his office. The order came three days after two judges ruled the federal government must use contingency funds to continue making payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture froze payments to SNAP over the weekend because it said it could no longer fund it due to the government shutdown.

The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.

According to Moore's office, the $62 million in state funding will directly support Maryland's 693,000 SNAP recipients. The money will be taken from the state's fiscal responsibility fund.

"One of the first and most basic priorities of governing is to ensure that families do not go hungry," Moore said in a statement. "We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our people in these difficult times. But no state can fill the enormous gap created by Donald Trump and his administration."

RELATED:

• Trump Administration To Partially Pay SNAP Benefits: What It Means For MD
• MD SNAP Payments Ordered During Government Shutdown, Courts Say
• MD Governor Declares State Of Emergency To Send $10M To Food Banks

Moore's order is the latest in a series of executive actions taken to ensure continued access to food during the government shutdown.

Last week, the governor declared a state of emergency due to the "widespread economic disruption and damage to the welfare of Marylanders caused by the prolonged shutdown of federal government operations," he said.

In that order, Moore directed the state to send $10 million to Maryland food banks ahead of the lapse in SNAP benefits.

While the funds were not to supplement lost SNAP benefits, the order directed money for food banks to be taken from the state's fiscal responsibility fund and administered by the Maryland Department of Human Services.

Maryland also joined a group of 26 states in suing the Trump administration, claiming the USDA unlawfully suspended SNAP benefits during the ongoing government shutdown.

In response, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled in a written opinion that the USDA has to pay for SNAP, calling the suspension “unlawful.” She ordered the federal government to advise the court by Monday as to whether they will use the contingency funds to provide reduced SNAP benefits for November or fully fund the program “using both contingency funds and additional available funds."

In Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell issued a similar ruling in a case filed by cities and nonprofits that the program must be funded using at least the contingency funds, and he asked for an update on progress by Monday.

Along with ordering the federal government to use emergency reserves to backfill SNAP benefits, McConnell ruled that all previous work requirement waivers must continue to be honored. During the shutdown, the USDA terminated existing waivers that exempted work requirements for older adults, veterans and others.

NBC News reported on Monday that the Trump administration plans to use all $4.65 billion in contingency funds to cover about half of each eligible household's SNAP benefits this month. The administration said it would need at least $4 billion in additional government funds to provide full SNAP benefits.

It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly they will see funds show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.