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KEY QUOTE: “Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said changes to SNAP in President Trump’s recent tax and spending package — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — could mean more than $50 million in extra costs. Part of that comes from the boring stuff: administrative expenses. It costs money to hire SNAP case workers, train them and invest in technology to make sure the program is running as it should. Now, states will pay 75% of those costs rather than half — raising Kansas’ obligation by $15 million.”

Kansas could lose millions after Congress cut SNAP funds. Thousands may go hungry
Zane Irwin, KCUR
July 29, 2025

• State lawmakers must soon decide whether to cover the extra costs to provide food assistance. If they don’t, food banks and pantries alone can’t make up the difference.
  
  
• Administrative costs will jump for every state. New work eligibility requirements will shut some recipients out, while creating more work for state agencies that run the program.
  
  
• SNAP costs for the state of Kansas will rise against the backdrop of an uncertain fiscal future. While the state recently took in far more tax revenues than expected, it is still slated to spend more money each year than it raises — leaving an estimated $731 million shortfall by 2029.
  
  
• Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said changes to SNAP in President Trump’s recent tax and spending package — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — could mean more than $50 million in extra costs.
  
  
• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, over two-thirds of recipients are children, elderly or disabled.
  
  
• For every meal Harvesters provides, [Stephen] Davis [CEO of Harvesters] said, SNAP provides nine. At the same time, the Trump administration has scaled back federal assistance for food banks, in one recent instance canceling dozens of truckloads of expected food shipments for Harvesters.
  
  
• Davis said all of those policies combined will result in more people going hungry. “Those families that lose their SNAP benefits ... will likely try to turn to the charitable food system,” he said. “And we already don't have the capacity to meet the current need.”

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