SNAP Citizenship and Residency Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would change SNAP eligibility so that only lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years could receive food assistance benefits. This doubles the current five-year waiting period under existing law.
• The 10-year clock starts on the date a person is admitted as a lawful permanent resident. Until that period is over, the person cannot receive SNAP benefits even if they are otherwise eligible based on income and household size.
• The bill overrides all other existing laws that currently allow certain non-citizens to receive SNAP benefits, including current exemptions for refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian categories who can access SNAP without a waiting period.
• The bill was introduced by Rep. Burchett and referred to the House Agriculture Committee. It amends Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which governs how the SNAP program works.
• If enacted, this could increase food insecurity among legal immigrant families during their first decade in the country, including households with U.S.-citizen children who rely on a parent's eligibility to access benefits.