Resolution Requesting Support of State Investment for Income Maintenance Administration for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - Foodshare) Program

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RESOLUTION # 1
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Resolution Requesting Support of State Investment for Income Maintenance 3 Administration for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - Foodshare) 4 Program 5
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Resolution Offered by the Health and Human Services Committee 7
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Resolved by the Board of Supervisors of Sauk County, Wisconsin: 9
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BACKGROUND: The Federal budget reconciliation package enacted in July of 2025, makes 11 changes to the SNAP (Foodshare) program that would reduce federal costs and significantly 12 impact county-administered services. These changes extend SNAP work requirements to 13 individuals up to age 64, lower the child age threshold for parent exemptions, and eliminate 14 waivers for areas with high unemployment, thereby increasing referrals to the FoodShare 15 Employment and Training (FSET) program and workload for county human service 16 departments. 17
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The legislation requires states to contribute a minimum of 5% toward the cost of SNAP 19 benefits if their error rate is 6% or higher, facing penalty funding of between 5% and 15% of 20 total SNAP costs. Wisconsin’s SNAP payment error rate is 4.47%, but without additional 21 investment eligibility and administrative systems, heightened workloads could push the state 22 above the 6% threshold, triggering significant penalties. If Wisconsin’s error rate reaches 23 6% on or after October 1, 2027, the state’s 5% cost share would be approximately $69 24 million annually, with potential penalty payments increasing the state’s financial burden – 25 costs that could ultimately cascade down to counties. 26
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The SNAP administrative match rate for Income Maintenance (IM) activities has been 28 reduced from the previous 50% federal / 50% state-local to 25% federal / 75% state-local, 29 substantially reducing federal revenue available to counties to administer SNAP. The 30 reduction in administrative funds could lead to a reduction in IM staff, which could result in 31 an increased payment error rate. State IM administrative costs are approximately $123 32 million annually, with SNAP-related workload accounting for about $49 million of those 33 costs. 34
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The new administrative match rate results in an estimated $17 million annual loss in SNAP 36 administrative funding to counties. These federal cuts result from shifting the benefit and 37 administrative costs to states and counties (reducing resources available for local 38 administration), tightening work requirements (increasing county workload), and penalizing 39 minor payment errors (resulting in more costs to the states). Counties operate under state-40 imposed property tax levy limits, restricting their ability to offset such funding losses without 41 additional state or federal relief. 42
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sauk County Board of Supervisors, who 44 met in regular session, hereby urges the State of Wisconsin to provide funding to offset the 45 county fiscal impact caused by the enacted federal SNAP changes, and to work with 46 counties to ensure adequate resources for the administration of Foodshare and related 47 programs; and, 48
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sauk County Clerk is hereby authorized and 50 directed to send a copy of this Resolution to the Governor of the State of Wisconsin, 51 Wisconsin State Legislators with constituency within Sauk County, the Wisconsin Counties 52 Association, and the Wisconsin County Human Services Association. 53
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Approved by the Health and Human Services Committee on October 14, 2025. 55
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To be presented to the County Board on October 21, 2025.