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A1741
ASSEMBLY, No. 1741
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman� MARISA SWEENEY
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Speight
SYNOPSIS
���� Makes FY2026 supplemental appropriation of $175
million from General Fund to DHS for Emergency SNAP Replacement Benefits.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
A
Supplement
to the annual appropriations act
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, P.L.2025, c.74.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and the General Assembly
of the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� In addition to the
amounts appropriated under P.L.2025, c.74, the annual appropriations act for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, there is appropriated from the General
Fund the following amount for the purpose specified:
54 DEPARTMENT HUMAN SERVICES
50 Economic Planning, Development,
and Security
53 Economic Assistance and Security
7550 Division of Family Development
STATE AID
15-7550� Income Maintenance
Management ................. $175,000,000
���������������� Total State
Aid appropriation,�����������������������������������������������
������������������ Division
of Family Development ................
$175,000,000
State Aid:
�������� 15��� Emergency
SNAP Replacement Benefits ($175,000,000)
The amount hereinabove
appropriated for Emergency SNAP Replacement Benefits shall be used by the
Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services to issue
monthly replacement benefits to eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) households during any month in State fiscal year 2026, until all
appropriations have been expended, in which the monthly federal SNAP benefit
amount issued to an eligible household is less than the household's most
recently certified federal SNAP monthly benefit.� Monthly replacement benefits
issued under this paragraph shall be: 1) in an amount that, when added to any
federal SNAP benefit issued to the household, equals the household's most
recently certified federal SNAP monthly benefit; and 2) subject to the same
State rules and procedures for implementing SNAP to the greatest extent
possible, including, but not limited to, distributing the monthly replacement
benefits using the SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer system and requiring that
benefits be used solely for the purchase of food as defined in 7 U.S.C.
s.2012.� No later than June 30, 2026, the division shall submit a request to
the United States Department of Agriculture for reimbursement of all State
funds expended under this paragraph.�
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill makes a FY2026
supplemental appropriation of $175 million to the Division of Family
Development (division) in the Department of Human Services.� These State funds
are to be used to issue monthly replacement benefits to eligible Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households during any month in State fiscal
year 2026, until all appropriations have been expended, in which the monthly
federal SNAP benefit amount issued to an eligible household is less than the
household's most recently certified federal SNAP monthly benefit.�
���� SNAP
provides assistance to supplement the food budget of low-income families
nationwide.� The program is regulated by the United States Department of
Agriculture and administered by the division, in conjunction with the county
welfare agencies.� Benefits for the program are funded solely by federal
dollars; however,
federal funding for SNAP benefits was
paused in November 2025 due to a federal government shutdown, which caused a
great deal of uncertainty
.
�� According to the division, roughly
800,000 New Jersey residents receive approximately $175 million a month in
federal SNAP benefits.�
����
Monthly
replacement SNAP benefits issued under the bill are to be: 1) in an amount
that, when added to any federal SNAP benefit issued to the household, equals
the household's most recently certified federal SNAP monthly benefit; and 2)
subject to the same State rules and procedures for implementing SNAP to the
greatest extent possible.� No later than June 30, 2026, the division is to
submit a request to the United States Department of Agriculture for
reimbursement of all State funds expended under the bill.�