This bill aims to reduce overpayments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by requiring states to recoup any overpayments made to recipients and adjusting the formula used to determine a state's liability rate for these errors.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill aims to reduce overpayments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by requiring states to recoup any overpayments made to recipients and adjusting the formula used to determine a state's liability rate for these errors.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires states to recoup any overpayments of benefits made to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and adjusts the formula for determining a state's liability rate for overpayments.</p><p>As background, the SNAP quality control system measures how accurately SNAP state agencies determine a household’s eligibility and benefit amount and determines overpayments of benefits and underpayments. States that have comparatively high payment error rates for two consecutive years are assessed a penalty (i.e., liability amount). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) must use a statutory formula to determine the liability amount.</p><p>Under current law, FNS must set a tolerance level for excluding small payment errors (e.g., $54 or less in FY2023). This bill reduces the tolerance level for excluding small errors to $0 for FY2024 and each succeeding fiscal year.</p><p>The bill also requires state agencies to recoup any overpayments of benefits made to SNAP beneficiaries.</p><p>The bill adjusts the liability rate formula to reduce the state payment error rate based on the percentage of overpayments recouped by the state. Further, the bill increases the multiplier used in the formula to 25% (from 10%). </p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
The bill reduces the tolerance level for excluding small SNAP overpayment errors from $54 to $0 starting in 2024.
States will be required to recoup any SNAP overpayments made to recipients.
The formula used to determine a state's liability rate for overpayments will be adjusted to reduce the rate based on the percentage of overpayments recouped, and the multiplier in the formula will be increased from 10% to 25%.
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
If this bill becomes law, it would primarily impact state SNAP agencies and SNAP recipients who have received overpayments. States would have to put more effort into recouping even small overpayments, which could affect their relationship with SNAP beneficiaries. The changes to the liability rate formula could also impact state budgets if they are penalized more for overpayments that are not fully recouped.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
2923, 119th Congress (2025). "PAAF Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-2923
