H.R. 5860 — SNAP BACK Act.

This section appropriates such sums as necessary to the Secretary of Agriculture for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, during any period without enacted interim continuing or full-year appropriations, to provide uninterrupted benefits under (1) the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and (2) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). (Thus, these nutrition assistance programs continue operating without lapse during potential government funding gaps.)

This section requires the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately obligate and make available, upon enactment, all congressionally appropriated funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which provides food assistance to low-income households—and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)—which supports nutrition for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. It prohibits executive branch officials, including the Office of Management and Budget and USDA, from withholding or delaying such funds absent explicit statutory authority and directs state agencies to continue accepting, processing, and approving applications from statutorily eligible individuals, with benefits issued no later than five days after obligation and no enrollment freezes or restrictions permitted due to funding delays.

This section requires (1) the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure uninterrupted operation of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems used for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during any lapse in appropriations or administrative delay; (2) state agencies administering SNAP or WIC to immediately load benefits onto EBT cards upon receipt of federal funds, without additional delay; and (3) federal and state agencies to prohibit suspension, deactivation, or restriction of EBT cards due to temporary funding delays. (Thus, SNAP and WIC benefits—serving low-income households and at-risk women and children, respectively—remain accessible regardless of short-term federal funding disruptions.)

This section requires the Secretary of Agriculture to reimburse any state or federally recognized American Indian tribe that makes an emergency appropriation of state or tribal funds to cover a lapse in federal funding for these programs, up to the amount expended by the state or tribe.