SB1333, titled the “Oh SNAP Act,” would direct Arizona’s Department of Economic Security to reduce the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment error rate to no more than 3% by December 30, 2030. The bill requires the department to begin quarterly reporting to the Legislature in fiscal year 2026-2027 on progress, strategies, and barriers to reducing the error rate. It also sets annual interim targets to be established by rule, creating an ongoing performance-management framework for the program.
If the department misses the interim targets or the final 3% goal, the bill requires a corrective action plan, assigns the state and department financial responsibility for federal liabilities tied to excess error rates, and authorizes a 10% reduction in administrative funding if the corrective plan is not followed. The bill also directs the Auditor General to complete a special audit by November 15, 2027, identify causes of the error rate, and recommend fixes that the department must implement unless waived by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The section is temporary and is repealed after December 31, 2032.
Impact
The bill would add a new statutory section in Title 46 governing SNAP administration and oversight, increasing legislative and audit scrutiny over the program. It creates new reporting duties for the department, establishes compliance benchmarks, and ties failure to meet those benchmarks to fiscal consequences, including sharing federal liability costs and possible reductions in administrative funding. It also gives the Auditor General a formal role in diagnosing and correcting SNAP payment errors, while allowing the Legislature to consider additional funding if the department improves performance ahead of schedule.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received mixed but ultimately advancing support. It passed the Senate on third reading by a relatively narrow 17-13 vote after earlier committee action that was not unanimous, suggesting meaningful concern among some lawmakers about the approach. The later motions to return the bill for reconsideration indicate continued procedural attention and possible negotiation, but the bill’s overall trajectory shows enough support to move forward.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s enforcement structure. Supporters appear focused on reducing SNAP payment errors, improving accountability, and protecting public funds through audits, reporting, and corrective action requirements. Opponents or skeptics likely object to the penalties and fiscal exposure imposed on the department and state, including the requirement that the department pay half of federal liabilities and the possibility of a 10% cut to administrative funding. The requirement for a special audit and the mandate to implement its recommendations may also be viewed as burdensome or as legislative micromanagement of program administration.
A resolution to direct the Clerk of the House of Representatives to only present to the Governor enrolled House bills finally passed by both houses of the One Hundred Third Legislature.
Relating to nonsubstantive additions to, revisions of, and corrections in enacted codes, to the nonsubstantive codification or disposition of various laws omitted from enacted codes, and to conforming codifications enacted by the 88th Legislature to other Acts of that legislature.