LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians are impacted by the final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, or H.R. 1. It includes new work requirements for families with school-aged children and cost-shifting to state governments.
God's Pantry Food Bank said it's deeply disappointed by the final passage of SNAP Provisions.
"What were most concerned about are individuals who are going to be forced with making difficult choices. Think about a household with a child age 14 and above. Now mom or dad is going to have to make a difficult decision about caring for their child during breaks or working," Michael Halligan, President & CEO of God's Pantry Food Bank said.
The shift, moving SNAP costs and administration to states, is raising particular concern for God's Pantry Food Bank as far as long-term consequences for rural counties.
"Where child care may be more difficult to obtain, where jobs are less prevalent, where transportation limits and boundaries make it more difficult to make ends meet. Now more than ever, people need to engage in solutions to end hunger," Halligan noted.
Halligan said a new farm bill is two years overdue.
"That needs to reflect the current realities of life in the Commonwealth of Kentucky," Halligan said.
In the meantime, God's Pantry Food Bank continues a big part of its mission.
"Gather as much food as we can to provide nourishment to every single individual that needs that food," Halligan said.
Halligan said SNAP is a lifeline for nearly 600,000 Kentuckians and millions of Americans nationwide.
He said the budget reconciliation bill will make it tougher for food insecure families in Kentucky where support systems are already stretched thin.
