Urges and requests the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health to fund SNAP benefits under certain circumstances
Summary
House Concurrent Resolution 3 is a legislative request directed to the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health to take immediate action to prevent a disruption in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during a federal government shutdown. The resolution cites a USDA directive delaying November benefit files, a state-issued notice warning that November SNAP benefits may not be loaded onto EBT cards, and the resulting risk to low-income households that rely on food assistance. It also references Governor Jeff Landry’s emergency declaration and the Legislature’s authority to use certain state funds in an emergency.
The resolution urges LDH to use monies already appropriated to the department for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, along with money from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund as authorized by prior law, to cover SNAP benefits if federal funding is suspended. It specifically contemplates using up to $150 million per month and grants LDH authority to use available departmental monies for that purpose. The measure is framed as an emergency response to protect access to food for Louisiana residents while the federal shutdown continues.
Impact
HCR 3 does not amend the Louisiana Revised Statutes, but it seeks to influence how the Louisiana Department of Health may use existing appropriations and emergency-authorized funds to maintain SNAP payments. Its practical effect is to encourage and authorize state-level financing of a federally funded benefit program during a shutdown, potentially drawing on the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund under the emergency provisions cited in the resolution. The resolution primarily affects LDH, SNAP recipients, retailers that accept EBT, and the state budget process for emergency expenditures.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment around the resolution appears strongly supportive and urgent. The bill passed the House unanimously and the Senate with overwhelming support, indicating broad bipartisan agreement that preventing a lapse in food assistance was a priority. The language of the resolution emphasizes immediate action, public health, and the welfare of vulnerable residents, reflecting a consensus-driven emergency response rather than a partisan policy debate.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the recorded votes, but the resolution does raise an implicit policy issue: whether Louisiana should use state funds, including potentially the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, to backfill a federal program during a shutdown. The main point of concern is fiscal and legal authority—how much money can be used, from which sources, and whether state emergency funding should be deployed to cover a federal benefit interruption. Any contention would likely center on budgetary precedent and the scope of LDH’s authority, though the vote totals suggest those concerns did not generate meaningful legislative resistance.