SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4836 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4836

   To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow for blended
 workforces to carry out the supplemental nutrition assistance program
           under certain conditions, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2026

 Mr. Ricketts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow for blended
 workforces to carry out the supplemental nutrition assistance program
           under certain conditions, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of
2026''.

SEC. 2. SNAP STAFFING FLEXIBILITY.

    Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(y) Staffing Flexibility.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (e)(6)(B), a
        State agency may, subject to paragraph (2), hire 1 or more
        contractors, by contract, to undertake the certification
        described in subsection (e)(6)(A) or carry out any other
        function of the State agency under the supplemental nutrition
        assistance program, subject to paragraph (3).
            ``(2) Circumstances for hiring.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A State agency may hire 1 or
                more contractors under paragraph (1) if the State
                agency--
                            ``(i) experiences an increase in
                        applications to the supplemental nutrition
                        assistance program; or
                            ``(ii) cannot timely process applications
                        to the supplemental nutrition assistance
                        program, including due to--
                                    ``(I) a pandemic or other health
                                emergency;
                                    ``(II) a seasonal workforce cycle;
                                    ``(III) a temporary staffing
                                shortage; and
                                    ``(IV) weather or other natural
                                disaster.
                    ``(B) Temporary staffing shortage.--In the case of
                a State agency hiring 1 or more contractors under
                paragraph (1) due to a temporary staffing shortage
                under subparagraph (A)(ii)(III), the authority of a
                State agency to conduct that hiring--
                            ``(i) shall expire when the backlog of
                        applications to the supplemental nutrition
                        assistance program has been eliminated; and
                            ``(ii) shall not impact any collective
                        bargaining agreement or memorandum of
                        understanding in effect between the State and
                        employees of the State or a local government of
                        the State.
            ``(3) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) No incentives for delay or denial.--A
                contract entered into by a State agency under paragraph
                (1) shall not provide incentives for the State agency
                or contractor to delay eligibility determinations or
                deny eligibility for individuals otherwise eligible for
                benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance
                program.
                    ``(B) No financial interest.--A State agency may
                not hire a contractor under paragraph (1) if the
                contractor has a direct or indirect financial interest
                in any approved retail store or wholesale food concern
                in the State.
            ``(4) Administration.--A State agency that hires 1 or more
        contractors under paragraph (1) shall ensure that--
                    ``(A) the contracts are for a reasonable cost and
                in accordance with the standard contracting rules of
                the State agency;
                    ``(B) hiring is consistent with the principles
                described in section 900.603 of title 5, Code of
                Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation); and
                    ``(C) the contractors--
                            ``(i) are part of a blended government
                        workforce; and
                            ``(ii) do not supplant existing merit-based
                        personnel in the State.
            ``(5) State agency notification.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A State agency that hires 1 or
                more contractors under paragraph (1) shall notify the
                Secretary of such hiring, including providing
                information or data indicating the applicable
                circumstance under paragraph (2) for carrying out that
                hiring.
                    ``(B) Publication.--Not later than 10 days after
                the date of receipt of a notification under
                subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall make publicly
                available on the website of the Department of
                Agriculture the notification and the accompanying
                information or data.
            ``(6) Annual report.--The Secretary shall submit to the
        Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate
        and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
        Representatives an annual report that describes--
                    ``(A) the measures taken by State agencies to
                address increases in applications to the supplemental
                nutrition assistance program;
                    ``(B) reasons for the inability of State agencies
                to timely process those applications, as applicable;
                    ``(C) the information or data submitted with each
                notification under paragraph (5)(A); and
                    ``(D) any recommended changes to the authority of
                the Secretary to assist State and local agencies in
                preparing for any future increase in applications to
                the supplemental nutrition assistance program or
                inability to timely process those applications.''.
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