Creates provisions relating to automatic enrollment in the supplemental nutrition assistance program for certain MO HealthNet participants

Agriculture

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Price, Tiffany (026)
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: 05/15/2026 - Referred: Emerging Issues(H)
Effective date: 2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Automatic Enrollment in SNAP for MO HealthNet Participants

This bill requires the automatic enrollment of certain Missouri HealthNet participants into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

What This Bill Does

Requires people who pay spenddown to be eligible for MO HealthNet benefits to automatically enroll in SNAP.
Directs the Department of Social Services to determine procedures for automatic enrollment in SNAP.
Allows the Department of Social Services to seek necessary waivers or state plan amendments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for automatic enrollment.

Who It Names or Affects

People who pay spenddown to be eligible for MO HealthNet benefits
The Missouri Department of Social Services

Terms To Know

MO HealthNet: Missouri's Medicaid program that provides health care coverage to low-income individuals and families.
SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that helps provide food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill requires the Department of Social Services to seek necessary approvals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture before implementing automatic enrollment.
It is unclear how many MO HealthNet participants will be affected by this change.

Bill History

2026-05-15 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Referred: Emerging Issues(H)
2026-01-08 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Read Second Time (H)
2026-01-07 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Read First Time (H)
2025-12-01 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Prefiled (H)

Official Summary Text

Creates provisions relating to automatic enrollment in the supplemental nutrition assistance program for certain MO HealthNet participants

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1821
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE PRICE.
3912H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 208, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the supplemental
nutrition assistance program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 208, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 208.036, to read as follows:
208.036. 1. Subject to any necessary waivers or appr ovals fr om the United
2 States Department of Agricultur e, any person who pays a spenddown to become or
3 r emain eligible for MO HealthNet benefits shall be automatically enr olled in the
4 supplemental nutrition assistance pr ogram. The department of social services shall
5 determine the pr ocedur es for automatic enr ollment in the supplemental nutrition
6 assistance pr ogram.
7 2. The department of social services shall seek any necessary waivers or state
8 plan amendments fro m the United States Department of Agricultur e r equesting
9 appr oval for the automatic enr ollment described in this section.
10 3. The department of social services may promulg ate rules to implement the
11 pr ovisions of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section
12 536.010, that is creat ed under the authority delegated in this section shall become
13 effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the pro visions of chapter 536 and,
14 if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any
15 of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to re view , to
16 delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul a rule are subsequently held
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
17 unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule prop osed or
18 adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void.
✔
HB 1821 2