An Act to Prevent Negative Impacts from Federal Funding Changes
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2122
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: FECTEAU, HICKMAN
Amends: 22 MRSA §3104

Legislative Document
No. 2122
H.P. 1437
House of Representatives, January 7, 2026
An Act to Prevent Negative Impacts from Federal Funding Changes 
to and Fund Eligibility Determinations and Outreach for the 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(EMERGENCY)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford.
Cosponsored by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec and
Representatives: ABDI of Lewiston, DEBRITO of Waterville, FROST of Belgrade, 
MASTRACCIO of Sanford, MCCABE of Lewiston, PLUECKER of Warren.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the United States Department of Agriculture has changed the funding 
structure of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which will require the State 
to contribute as much as 15% of program costs if the error rate for eligibility determinations 
exceeds certain thresholds; and
Whereas, the effective date of the funding structure change begins in federal fiscal 
year 2028, which commences on October 1, 2027.  The electronic system required by this 
legislation is expected to assist the Department of Health and Human Services in reducing 
the error rate to a level that minimizes the State's share of the costs of program benefits by 
the effective date of the federal funding structure change; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3104, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 386, is amended by 
enacting at the end a new last blocked paragraph to read:
The department shall establish a grant program to provide grants to community-based 
organizations that have entered into contracts with the department to provide SNAP 
outreach activities.  The department may award a community-based organization a grant 
under the grant program to provide matching funds for federal funding for approved SNAP 
outreach activities and to hire a SNAP outreach community coordinator to improve 
communications with SNAP recipients.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §3104, sub-§18 is enacted to read:
18.  Error rate reduction system.  The department shall operate an electronic system 
to detect and correct erroneous eligibility determinations for food allotments using 
advanced mathematical methods, with a goal of reducing the error rate calculated by the 
United States Department of Agriculture to a level that minimizes the State's share of the 
costs of SNAP benefits.  The electronic system must be capable of identifying root causes 
of erroneous eligibility determinations and operate independently of another system or 
systems used by the department to process and record eligibility determinations.  The 
electronic system must operate in conformity with regulations and error rate standards 
promulgated by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §3104, sub-§19 is enacted to read:
19.  Contingency fund.  The department shall establish and maintain a contingency 
fund, referred to in this subsection as "the fund," as a nonlapsing fund to provide SNAP 
benefits to recipients of SNAP benefits in the event the Federal Government fails to provide 
funding for SNAP benefits to the State.  The department, in its sole discretion, shall use 
money from the fund for the purposes of this subsection in accordance with rules adopted 
by the department.  All money appropriated by the State for the purposes of the fund must 
be deposited into the fund.  The balance in the fund may not exceed $87,000,000.  Rules 
adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 4.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Office for Family Independence Z020
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding for the cost of contracting for a position to support and 
manage the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach activities, including the 
SNAP Outreach Grant Program, and assist with work to reduce the State's Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program payment error rate.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$96,400
$96,400
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$96,400
$96,400
SNAP Contingency Fund N563
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to make benefit payments to Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program recipients in the event of a loss of federal funding.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$87,000,000
$0
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$87,000,000
$0
SNAP Outreach Grant Program N564
Initiative: Provides funding for grants to community-based organizations for Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits outreach services and to hire outreach coordinators.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$750,000
$750,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$750,000
$750,000
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2025-26
2026-27
GENERAL FUND
$87,846,400
$846,400
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$87,846,400
$846,400
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to operate an 
electronic system to reduce the error rate for eligibility determinations for food allotments 
under the statewide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The bill authorizes the department to award grants to community-based organizations 
to provide matching funds for federal funding for approved SNAP outreach activities and 
to hire SNAP outreach community coordinators.  The grant program is established by the 
department.  The bill provides ongoing funding of $750,000 per fiscal year for the grant 
program.
The bill directs the department to establish and maintain a contingency fund to provide 
SNAP benefits to SNAP benefit recipients in the event the Federal Government fails to 
provide SNAP benefit funding to the State.  The balance in the fund may not exceed 
$87,000,000.  The bill appropriates $87,000,000 in fiscal year 2025-26 to the fund.
The bill provides ongoing funding of $96,400 per fiscal year for the cost of contracting 
for a position to support and manage SNAP outreach activities and assist with work to 
reduce the SNAP payment error rate.