We won’t back down in the fight against hunger, even as Congress attacks.

The federal budget reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, nicknamed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” delivers the most harmful cuts in generations to the very programs Oregonians rely on to survive. The biggest impacts fall on SNAP and Medicaid, known here in Oregon as the Oregon Health Plan. These changes will make life harder for nearly everyone in our state – especially children. And although many of the most severe provisions don’t take effect until after the 2026 midterm elections, we’re already beginning to see the damage.

Right now, your SNAP and Medicaid benefits haven’t changed. Your Oregon Trail Card still works. But behind the scenes, the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for massive cuts to hit in just a couple of years. Entire communities – schools, food pantries, small businesses, and healthcare providers – will feel the ripple effects.

SNAP helps more than 757,000 Oregonians get by – including over half who live in families with children. It lifts nearly 100,000 people in our state out of poverty each year and brings $1.8 billion into local economies annually. That money supports farmers markets, grocery stores, and small businesses all over Oregon. The average benefit is just $5.77 a day, but it makes a world of difference.

This bill threatens all of that.

Tens of Thousands of Oregonians Will Lose Benefits

In the coming years, tens of thousands of Oregonians could lose both food and healthcare at the same time.

Because many kids are automatically enrolled in school meal programs when they receive SNAP or OHP, that means fewer kids will get free school breakfasts and lunches. Some schools will lose access to free meal programs altogether, forcing families to go back to outdated paper application systems that often leave out the kids who need help most. These changes are expected to begin in the 2026-2027 school year.

Over the next couple of years, 90,000 people could lose their benefits entirely. Veterans, people without stable housing, parents of teenagers, and older adults between 55 and 65 will all be hit with new work requirements. SNAP users will be required to work, volunteer, or be in job training for 80 hours a month. But in reality, these are not work requirements, they are paperwork requirements – it means proving every hour, every month, with documentation many people aren’t provided. These rules are especially burdensome for people working cash jobs without pay stubs, those without reliable internet to report hours online, or those juggling unstable schedules and caregiving. People will be cut off of SNAP not because someone isn’t working, but because they missed a form, a phone call, or couldn’t upload a document on time. 

Additionally, at least 2,793 refugees, asylees, and trafficking survivors – people who fled violence and came here seeking safety – will be cut off from SNAP altogether. And nearly 40,000 households who currently get a small boost to help cover high utility costs will lose an average of $58 a month in benefits.

Cost Shifting

Meanwhile, the state of Oregon is being asked to foot the bill. H.R. 1 doesn’t just cut benefits, it shifts enormous costs onto the state. Under the new law, Oregon will be on the hook for an additional $850 million every two years in new SNAP-related costs. 

The amount of the cost-shifting by state is based on so-called “error rates,” but let’s be clear: error rates do not mean fraud. They reflect overpayments and underpayments, usually caused by paperwork mistakes, confusing forms, often-changing rules, and outdated systems. 

H.R. 1 turns these technical errors into a weapon. It punishes states with massive financial penalties when someone checks the wrong box, submits the wrong document, or forgets to report a change in rent. 

What Happens Now

This isn’t policy reform – it’s cruelty, plain and simple. That’s why we’re speaking out.

Oregon’s leaders must act now and stop the worst impacts of these cuts before they take hold. Our state must protect the people most at risk, invest in hunger relief, and ensure everyone in Oregon has access to the food they need to thrive. It means standing with the farmers, grocers, schools, and food banks that make up our state’s food system.

If You Receive SNAP, Here’s What You Need to Know

  • For now SNAP benefits have not changed. Your Oregon Trail Card will continue to work, and you’ll continue to receive your regular benefits.
  • New work requirements start September 1, 2025, in Benton, Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties. The rest of the state will follow by January 1, 2026.
    • If you’re between 18 and 64 and don’t live with a child, you may need to work, volunteer, or do job training for at least 80 hours each month to keep your benefits. 
    • But many people qualify for an exemption. Common exemptions include (but are not limited to) people who are pregnant, in school, in addiction treatment, have a disability, or live with a child under 14. To learn more about exemptions, visit the ODHS time limits webpage. 
    • If any of these apply to you, we recommend acting quickly to secure your exemption. If you’re unsure if you qualify for an exemption, contact ODHS by phone at 800-699-9075​ or visit an office in-person. 
  • If your benefits are cut off and you believe it’s a mistake, call the Oregon Law Center’s Public Benefits Hotline at 1-800-520-5292. Appeals have strict deadlines, so act quickly.
  • Open all mail from ODHS. If the rules change for you specifically, they will send an official notice explaining your options and next steps.

At Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, we’re here to help. We send regular updates, hold weekly SNAP Office Hours, and fight every day to protect your rights. Join our mailing list to stay informed and take action.