New Mexico has enacted legislation to provide state funding for food assistance each week through the end of the year if federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) aid is disrupted.
Acting Governor Lt. Gov. Howie Morales signed the bill on Monday to ensure continued delivery of food aid via EBT cards, as legal challenges over federal SNAP distributions continue and Washington faces mounting pressure to end the prolonged government shutdown.
The measure authorizes up to $20 million weekly to cover SNAP benefits through mid-January, when the state legislature reconvenes.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to keep full federal SNAP payments frozen during the shutdown, even as many American families struggle to afford food. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, currently attending a climate conference in Brazil, had previously used emergency powers to direct $30 million in state funds toward EBT cards for food support in early November. New Mexico also released full federal SNAP benefits last Friday for residents who typically receive assistance at the beginning of the month.
With over one in five New Mexicans relying on SNAP—the highest rate in the nation—state lawmakers said they were determined to prevent any interruption in aid. “People out there are counting on you to do the right thing because in Washington, it’s not getting done,” said Democratic Senator George Muñoz of Gallup. “Always take care of the poor.”
The bill gained bipartisan backing, with Democrats and several Republicans voting in favor. A Republican-sponsored amendment aimed at reducing errors in the state’s federal SNAP distributions was also approved.
“We didn’t need to use a government shutdown to terrify the people of New Mexico,” said Senate Minority Floor Leader Bill Sharer, a Republican from Farmington. “We’re gonna do what’s right.”
New Mexico’s strong fiscal position, bolstered by booming oil production, has allowed the state to allocate sufficient funds for this emergency response. The food assistance program will primarily draw from leftover funds within the state’s safety-net agency, which oversees both SNAP and Medicaid, making $162 million immediately available for aid if necessary.
Lawmakers expressed confidence that the state will eventually recover all expenses once federal operations resume.
Earlier, during a special session held on October 1-2 at the start of the federal shutdown, New Mexico approved $8 million in new funding to support food banks and $17.5 million to offset SNAP-related shortfalls resulting from federal budget cuts and tax changes.
