The Trump administration has proposed narrowing automatic eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a change the Agriculture Department estimates could remove about 6.3 million people from benefits in fiscal year 2029 and cut spending by more than $50 billion over five years.

The proposal targets broad-based categorical eligibility, which more than 40 states use to let households qualify for SNAP through certain Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) services, including childcare vouchers and job training, rather than meeting SNAP’s standard income test.

Under the proposed rule, households receiving noncash or nominal TANF services would no longer qualify automatically, while those receiving TANF cash assistance would have to meet SNAP eligibility requirements.

States have used the policy to remove asset limits and raise income thresholds from the standard 130% of the federal poverty level to as high as 200%; the agency says that can extend aid to households without demonstrated need.

USDA says the change would standardize eligibility and preserve benefits for people most in need, estimating savings of $44.6 billion from 2027 through 2031 and an impact on nearly 18% of SNAP recipients.

The Agriculture Department also estimates that nearly 1.8 million children could lose eligibility for free school meals because SNAP enrollment can confer eligibility for other food assistance, and that more than 5,000 people could lose access to a program for low-income mothers and children.

Anti-hunger advocates warn the changes would hurt working families and children, and say the estimates may overlook people who remain eligible but face application and access barriers.

Representative Angie Craig, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, called the proposal “heartless and cruel,” saying it would make basic needs harder to meet and reverse efforts to streamline federal programs.

The proposal comes as SNAP enrollment has already declined by more than 5.5 million people since cuts in the 2025 law, leaving about 36 million enrolled, according to USDA data.

Enrollment has also fallen partly because states are struggling to implement administrative changes and cover new costs resulting from the law.

The public has 30 days to comment on the proposal, and its finalization and timing remain uncertain.

A similar rule proposed in 2019 was never finalized and was withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021.