SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — A group of Oregon lawmakers is advocating for a new bill to establish a food assistance program for individuals who are ineligible for federal SNAP benefits due to their immigration status.
The proposed initiative, the Food for All Oregonians program, would be managed by the Department of Human Services (DHS).
The bill outlines that the DHS should leverage the existing SNAP infrastructure to facilitate a seamless application process for nutrition assistance.
Currently, lawful permanent residents, also known as Green Card holders, can only be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after a five-year waiting period, and even then, they can only be eligible if they meet all the other SNAP financial and non-financial eligibility requirements, with some exceptions. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service states that SNAP is not and has never been available to undocumented non-citizens.
Non-citizens like tourists and students on visa are generally not eligible. Some non-citizens such as refugees and those granted asylum, or victims of severe trafficking and others may be eligible without a waiting period as long as they meet all the other
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Currently, about 62,000 Oregonians are ineligible for federal SNAP benefits. It remains unclear how many would participate in a state-funded program.
Applicants to the program would receive benefits equivalent to those provided by SNAP, with the primary difference being the exclusion of immigration status as an eligibility requirement.
Additionally, the legislation mandates collaboration between the DHS and the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement to form an advisory group.
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USDA’s Economic Research Service also cites that SNAP helps every $1 spent on food assistance to generate about $1.50 in local economic activity, supporting businesses, jobs and wages across the state.
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This group would oversee both the new program and SNAP to ensure that applicants and recipients are eligible and treated fairly.
The DHS would also be tasked with implementing a statewide outreach strategy to raise awareness about the program among Oregonians.
If the bill is enacted, the Food for All Oregonians program will begin accepting applications and distributing benefits on Jan. 1, 2027.
This story will be updated.
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