FY 2016 Appropriation

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamp Program is authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (previously the Food Stamp Act of 1977). The program is governed by 7 Code of Federal Regulations 271, 272, 273, 274 and 275. As stated in 7 Code of Federal Regulations 271.1, the purpose of the program is: "designed to promote the general welfare and to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's population by raising the levels of nutrition among low-income households".

Food Stamp administration is funded with state and federal funds at a 50/50 match rate. Benefits are 100 percent federally funded.

Funding History
Appropriation Overview

During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $410,000,000 from all sources for Nutrition Assistance. This is a 0 percent change from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources.

Staff Analysis

For the most recent completed fiscal year, the following information represents the purposes for which the money was used:

Nutrition Assistance Detailed Purposes

Issue Brief - 2014 Interim - Food Stamp Child Support Cooperation Study

Food Stamp Child Support Cooperation Study

Food Stamp Payment Accuracy

Food Stamp Payment Accuracy

Food Stamp Timeliness for Approvals

Food Stamp Timeliness for Approvals

Maximum Monthly Benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Maximum Monthly Benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

The Food Stamp Program provides benefits to low-income people that they can use to buy food to improve their diets. Food stamp recipients spend their benefits (in the form of electronic benefits on debit cards) to buy eligible food in authorized retail food stores. Most grocery stores accept them. Food Stamps cannot buy tobacco, alcoholic beverages, items that cannot be eaten, or already-prepared foods. Food Stamps can buy vegetable seeds and plants. Items purchased with Food Stamps are not subject to sales tax. Benefits for SNAP are provided to a household. The minimum benefit for a household is $10 per month. The maximum amount depends on the household size as shown in the examples below. The actual amounts provided vary based on number for people in the household and income. Households must have less than $2,000 in assets in order to qualify.

Intent Language

HB0003: Item 84

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that up to $3,100,000 of the appropriations provided for the Operation and Policy line item in Item 30 of Chapter 13 Laws of Utah 2014 not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to computer equipment and software and one-time projects associated with addressing client services due to caseload growth or refugee services.


HB0003: Item 84

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that up to $2,500,000 of the appropriations provided for the Operation and Policy line item in Item 75 of Chapter 282 Laws of Utah 2014 for the Special Administrative Expense Account not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2015. The use of any non-lapsing funds is limited to employment development projects and activities or one-time projects associated with client services.


SB0002: Item 77

All General Funds appropriated to the Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy line item are contingent upon expenditures from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1, 111th United States Congress) not exceeding amounts appropriated from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in all appropriation bills passed for Fiscal Year 2016. If expenditures in the Operations and Policy line item from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act exceed amounts appropriated to the Operations and Policy line item from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Fiscal Year 2016, the Division of Finance shall reduce the General Fund allocations to the Operations and Policy line item by one dollar for every one dollar in Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expenditures that exceed Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriations.


SB0002: Item 77

The Legislature intends the Department of Workforce Services and the Administrative Offices of the Courts provide a report to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than September 1, 2015. The report shall include, at a minimum: 1) a summary of efforts to improve coordination between the Drug Court program and DWS' Workforce Development Division in order to improve Drug Court success, 2) data indicating the success of the efforts including the implementation and reporting on measures of post program recidivism, and 3) any identified savings or additional funding of drug court recipients as a result of improved coordination efforts.


SB0002: Item 77

The Legislature intends that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriation provided for the Operations and Policy line item is limited to one-time projects associated with Unemployment Insurance modernization.


SB0003: Item 17

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $2,000,000 of savings above $7,392,800 from savings from Savings from Higher Federal Match Rate not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 17

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $350,000 of savings above $753,500 from savings from Affordable Care Act Mandatory Changes not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 17

The Legislature intends that the $100,000 in Beginning Nonlapsing provided to the Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon up to $100,000 funds not otherwise designated as nonlapsing to the Workforce Services - Housing and Community Development line item being retained as nonlapsing in FY 2015.


SB0003: Item 17

The $5,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 17

The $30,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 125

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $2,000,000 of savings above $7,392,800 from savings from Savings from Higher Federal Match Rate not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 125

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $350,000 of savings above $753,500 from savings from Affordable Care Act Mandatory Changes not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 125

The Legislature intends that the $100,000 in Beginning Nonlapsing provided to the Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon up to $100,000 funds not otherwise designated as nonlapsing to the Workforce Services - Housing and Community Development line item being retained as nonlapsing in FY 2015.


SB0003: Item 125

The $5,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 125

The $30,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0007S01: Item 8

The Legislature intends the Department of Workforce Services provide to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than September 1, 2015 a detailed report on its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reserve amount including the current balance and any uses of the reserve since the 2015 General Session or planned and projected uses of the reserve in the future.


SB0007S01: Item 8

The Legislature intends that the Department of Workforce Services report on the following performance measures for the Operations and Policy line item: (1) Labor Exchange - Total job placements (Target = 50,000 placements per calendar quarter), (2) TANF Recipients - positive closure rate (Target = 70% per calendar month), and (3) Eligibility Services - internal review compliance accuracy (Target = 95%) by January 1, 2016 to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.


SB0007S01: Item 20

The Legislature intends the Department of Workforce Services provide to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than September 1, 2015 a detailed report on its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reserve amount including the current balance and any uses of the reserve since the 2015 General Session or planned and projected uses of the reserve in the future.


SB0007S01: Item 20

The Legislature intends that the Department of Workforce Services report on the following performance measures for the Operations and Policy line item: (1) Labor Exchange - Total job placements (Target = 50,000 placements per calendar quarter), (2) TANF Recipients - positive closure rate (Target = 70% per calendar month), and (3) Eligibility Services - internal review compliance accuracy (Target = 95%) by January 1, 2016 to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.


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COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.