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SNAP Benefits Protection: Excluding Cost of Living Adjustments and State Payments.

This bill aims to protect low-income individuals, particularly the elderly and disabled, from losing food assistance (SNAP) when their other benefits increase. It changes how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and certain state supplementary payments are counted as income for SNAP eligibility. This ensures that recipients can maintain higher SNAP benefit levels even after receiving increases in their social security or state aid.
Key points
State supplementary payments (related to SSI) will no longer be counted as income when determining eligibility for SNAP food assistance.
Rules regarding the timing of counting Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) are modified to better protect beneficiaries from losing or reducing their SNAP aid.
The changes are scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2027.
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Status: Introduced
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Additional Information
Print number: 119_S_3603
Sponsor: Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]
Process start date: 2026-01-08
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure — full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source—always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-flash-latest
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

COLAs Don’t Count Act of 2026

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 119_S_3603.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2026-01-08.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • State supplementary payments (related to SSI) will no longer be counted as income when determining eligibility for SNAP food assistance.
  • Rules regarding the timing of counting Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) are modified to better protect beneficiaries from losing or reducing their SNAP aid.
  • The changes are scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2027.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Introduced.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2026-02-03.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know—that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Benefits Family