USDA Proposes Tighter Standards for SNAP Work-Rule Waivers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed tighter standards for states seeking waivers of SNAP's work-related time limit, alongside regulatory changes reflecting the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The proposal was published November 10, with public comments due December 10.

The SNAP time limit generally restricts certain adults to three months of benefits in a 36-month period unless they work or take part in qualifying activities for at least 80 hours a month, or meet an exception. It is separate from the program's general work requirements.

The 2025 law expanded the time-limit rules to adults ages 18 through 64 who do not qualify for an exception. Exceptions include pregnancy, being medically unfit for employment and responsibility for a child under 14. The proposed rule would put those statutory changes into federal regulations; they are not all new requirements created by this proposal.

The law also removed a waiver route based on a lack of sufficient jobs. Outside Alaska and Hawaii, states can now seek geographic waivers for areas with unemployment above 10 percent. Alaska and Hawaii have a separate threshold of at least 1.5 times the national unemployment rate.

USDA is proposing additional standards for the unemployment data states use to support waiver requests, including an emphasis on sustained, recent rates rather than short-term or historical seasonal figures. It also proposes removing "imminently homeless" from SNAP's regulatory definition of a homeless individual.

The notice is a proposed rule, not a final regulation. Individual eligibility and exceptions depend on a household's circumstances and state administration; recipients should check with their state SNAP agency before assuming their benefits will change.