Bill > HR6986

This bill, known as the "COLAs Don't Count Act of 2026," aims to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to ensure that certain increases in income do not negatively impact eligibility or benefit amounts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. Specifically, it proposes to exclude from income calculations any increases received from cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) made to Social Security benefits (under Titles II and XVI), Railroad Retirement benefits, or certain veterans' benefits, provided the household was already participating in SNAP or received benefits in the month before the adjustment took effect. The bill also clarifies that supplementary payments received under a specific section of the Social Security Act will also be excluded from income. These changes are intended to prevent individuals and families from losing their food assistance due to routine, automatic increases in their other benefits, and the amendments are set to take effect on October 1, 2027.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6986/all-info