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Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri House Bill 1821 automatically enrolls certain MO HealthNet participants in SNAP
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsor: Tiffany Price
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What This Bill Would Do
participants who pay a to remain eligible will be automatically enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), subject to federal approval. The Department of Social Services must seek the necessary waivers and state plan amendments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement the enrollment.
Low-income healthcare participants who meet requirements will gain simplified enrollment access to food assistance benefits, pending federal authorization and state rulemaking.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
MO HealthNet participants who pay a spenddown
Individuals who pay a spenddown will be automatically enrolled in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, altering how they access food assistance benefits.
Department of Social Services
The department is tasked with establishing enrollment procedures, seeking federal waivers, and promulgating implementation rules.
Key Facts
- Any person who pays a spenddown to become or remain eligible for MO HealthNet benefits shall be automatically enrolled in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, subject to federal waivers.
- The department of social services is directed to seek necessary waivers or state plan amendments from the United States Department of Agriculture.
- The department of social services may promulgate rules to implement the provisions of the section under chapter 536 RSMo.
- Rulemaking authority and rules proposed or adopted after August 28, 2026, are nonseverable from chapter 536 oversight provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for automatic enrollment in the supplemental nutrition assistance program under this bill?
Which state agency is responsible for implementing these enrollment procedures?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
SNAP winners and losers: Which states are facing possible funding cuts?
States are required to reduce their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) error rates below 6% or face shifting benefit costs to state budgets under a federal law. Only nine states met the target for the 2025 fiscal year, leaving 41 states needing to lower error rates by October 2027 to avoid funding penalties. The policy does not directly cut federal aid to recipients, but the resulting cost shift could lead states to reduce benefits or enrollment.
SNAP junk-food bans begin Aug. 31 in South Carolina and Sept. 1 in North Dakota - See other states with bans
South Carolina and North Dakota are implementing state-level waivers to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for specific non-nutritious items, including soda, energy drinks, and candy. These restrictions take effect on August 31 in South Carolina and September 1 in North Dakota, following similar actions in several other states under the federal Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 15, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Emerging Issues(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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