WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, introduced the SNAP Administrator Retention Act of 2025, legislation aimed at supporting the employees administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by improving access to needed benefits, promoting competitive wages for administrators, providing adequate training, and preventing backlogs.
The SNAP Administrator Retention Act empowers states by fully covering the administrative personnel expenses for hiring and retaining qualified merit staff who manage the SNAP program. The bill makes certain wages align with federal wage standards.
In Connecticut and across the country, SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger, providing children, seniors, veterans, families, and so many more with access to meals. Nearly 20 percent of Connecticut residents depend on SNAP. Across the country, nearly 40 percent of the recipients are children. SNAP Administrators are vital to the program, handling eligibility decisions, guiding applicants, and ensuring recipients receive the benefits they depend on.
“The staff who administer SNAP are the backbone of this critical program, supporting families as they access vital nutrition assistance and keep food on the table,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “The SNAP Administrator Retention Act will provide federal resources to help states retain experienced staff and fill open positions by covering 100 percent of personnel costs and aligning wages with federal standards. This will enable SNAP to operate efficiently and effectively serve those who need it most.”
“Every month, SNAP helps millions of struggling families put food on the table, and well over 90 percent of participating households include children, seniors, or individuals with disabilities,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. "But chronic underinvestment in the program’s workforce causes staffing shortages and unacceptable delays that too often leave eligible families without food assistance for days or even weeks. The SNAP Administrator Retention Act, introduced by Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Rep. Jahana Hayes, will help states invest in hiring, training, and retaining staff. It will also help them better respond to families’ needs and ensure SNAP remains a powerful bulwark against hunger in our communities.”
Specifically, the SNAP Administrator Retention Act would:
- Allow states to receive 100 percent of the administrative personnel costs associated with hiring and retaining the merit staff who carry out the SNAP program;
- Align the wages of state SNAP administrators with the federal wage standards.
The SNAP Administrator Retention Act is endorsed by AFSME, Alliance to End Hunger, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Communications Workers of America, National Education Association, MomsRising, Coalition on Human Needs, Share Our Strength, Union Veteran Council, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces, Franciscan Action Network, Connecticut Foodshare, and the Connecticut Alliance of Adoptive & Foster Families.
Full text of the bill can be found here.
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