The federal government foots the bill for SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
But not for long.
Starting this fiscal year, states are on the hook for a greater share of administrative costs. Next year, states may have to pay a portion of their benefit allotments, too.
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Those changes were baked into Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill Act that was approved in July of last year. In Florida, the impact of those policy changes is now coming into focus.
States will pay majority of admin costs
Last week, an official with the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) presented an overview of the funding changes to the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee.
“The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act … makes several changes to SNAP that impact administration, both operationally and financially,” deputy assistant secretary of Florida DCF Jamie Dattoli said.
As of December 2025, around 2.6 million Floridians were enrolled in SNAP and received a total of $6.7 billion in food benefits last year.
The cost to administer those benefits this fiscal year is projected to be $205 million in Florida, an increase of around $51 million annually, according to a report by the Florida Policy Institute.
“We're trying to turn around a battleship with canoe paddles."Jamie Dattoli, deputy assistant secretary for the Florida DCF Office of Economic Self-Sufficiency
Beginning this fiscal year, the federal government will no longer split that bill 50-50 with states. As outlined in H.R. 1, Florida’s share of costs will increase from 50% to 75%.
“SNAP administrative costs are used to fund staffing, system maintenance and enhancements and other program costs necessary to administer SNAP,” Datolli said.
A balance for benefits, too
Beginning in October of 2027, states may have to pay a portion of their benefit allotments, or the cost of the benefits themselves, for the first time in history.
How much is owed will depend on the state’s error rate when administering the program.
In Florida, where the last reported error rate was around 15%, the state could be on the hook for about a $1 billion come next fall.
Talking to lawmakers last week, Dattoli said that Florida DCF can reduce its error rate by modernizing its system.
The department has submitted a legislative budget request for at least $15 million to “support an automated tool that verifies applicant identity to ensure program compliance.”
Dattoli said the majority of program errors are mistakes with self-reported data from beneficiaries, like incorrect or outdated rent and utility amounts.
“We're trying to turn around a battleship with canoe paddles. So your continued support would really be appreciated on our modernization so that we have the motor we need to turn it around quickly,” Dattoli said.
The fallout for Floridians on food assistance
She said the department’s goal is to cut the state’s error rate in half by October, when states will have to cough up cash.
Internal department data show Florida’s error rate is moving in the right direction, Dattoli said. In August, the error rate was 6.9% followed by 13.3% in September, according to preliminary numbers.
Rep. Allison Tant (D-Tallahassee) voiced concerns about the fallout for Floridians if the state can’t reduce its error rate.
“So if we do have a billion-dollar impact, God forbid the worst happens — what? What then will be your requirement for serving people?” Tant asked.
Addressing growing fears that Florida could opt to narrow eligibility or reduce benefit amounts to offset the $1 billion budget impact, Dattoli said “we don’t have any intention of cutting a program or eligibility.”
“And the importance of what we're talking about today — it's not lost on the department. It's part of everything we do every single day. It is what we are thinking about every single day,” she said.
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
