In addition to shifting some federal administrative costs of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to states, H.R.1 cuts funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education, or SNAP-Ed. File photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson

STARKVILLE, Miss. — H.R. 1, the federal tax and spending cut bill passed by Congress and signed into law July 4, makes significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including the elimination of a nutrition program delivered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

 

In addition to shifting some federal administrative costs of SNAP to states, the legislation cuts funding for the SNAP Nutrition and Obesity Prevention Grant Program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education, or SNAP-Ed, will be discontinued after Sept. 30. SNAP-Ed Community Wellness Planner positions, or CWPs, will be eliminated after that date.

 

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects a cut of about $186 billion from the program through 2034. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, more than 154,000 Mississippians or 13.6% of the state’s households, received SNAP benefits.

 

Drew Cole, interim head for the MSU Extension Office of Nutrition Education, said the relationships between SNAP-Ed CWPs and community partners provide evidence-based programs to limited resource families in schools and communities. He said these programs have a history of helping Mississippians make positive nutritional, health-related and behavioral changes.

 

“For 30 years, SNAP-Ed funding has allowed MSU Extension’s trained CWPs to partner with community leaders and stakeholders in Mississippi to make the healthy choice the easy choice for resource limited individuals and families,” Cole said. “The outcomes of these nutritional behavioral changes can positively affect lifelong health and wellness, as well as combat nutrition-related chronic diseases.”

 

Cole said until the program is discontinued, SNAP-Ed educators will continue their work.

 

“We will provide nutrition education to limited resource families in Mississippi to assist them in making more healthful food choices on a budget to achieve long-term health and wellness per existing SNAP-Ed guidelines,” he said.

 

The Extension Office of Nutrition Education also provides nutrition education to limited resource families through delivery of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, or EFNEP.

 

“Although the nutrition education scope of SNAP-Ed and EFNEP are different, nutrition education will still be provided by EFNEP nutrition educators to limited resource individuals in Mississippi,” Cole said.