The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 33: Human Services

Chapter 017: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

• § 1701. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

  (a) The State of Vermont may participate in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pursuant to 7 U.S.C. chapter 51. The purpose of SNAP is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among households with low income by increasing their food purchasing power and access to nutritious, safe food.

  (b) An individual domiciled in Vermont shall be exempt from the disqualification provided for in 21 U.S.C. § 862a.

  (c) The Commissioner may adopt, amend, or repeal rules governing the operation of the Program in the State pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25.

  (d) As used in this chapter, “Commissioner” means the Commissioner for Children and Families and “Department” means the Department for Children and Families. (Added 1967, No. 147, § 2; amended 1969, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), eff. Feb. 16, 1970; 1973, No. 152 (Adj. Sess.), § 29, eff. April 14, 1974; 1999, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 2005, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 91, 140; 2009, No. 1 (Sp. Sess.), § E.322; 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 37, eff. May 20, 2014; 2017, No. 104 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 1702. Payment error rate report

  On or before January 1 of the year following any federal fiscal year in which the State of Vermont receives a federal sanction for a payment error rate greater than the federal threshold in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Department for Children and Families shall report to the Senate Committee on Appropriations regarding:

  (1) the number of households that received SNAP benefits and were discovered to have an overpayment or underpayment in the sanction year due to agency error, including the average amount of the overpayments and underpayments and the total amount of each; and

  (2) the Department’s specific plans for sanction reinvestment to improve its error rate for the next federal fiscal year and prevent sanction in the future. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.316; amended 2017, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. May 21, 2018.)

• § 1703. Changes to program administration

  (a) The Department shall report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Human Services and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, community partners under contract with the Department to provide outreach services, federally authorized retailers operating in Vermont, any other interested stakeholders, and, if the General Assembly is adjourned, the Joint Fiscal Committee, within 30 days after any substantive change in the federal law governing SNAP that:

  (1) restricts or improves eligibility;

  (2) increases or reduces barriers or creates or eliminates hardships to access;

  (3) identifies anticipated impacts on the administrative burden or costs to the Department, community partners under contract with the Department to provide outreach services, or federally authorized retailers operating in Vermont; or

  (4) inhibits or increases benefit usage.

  (b) Not less than 90 days prior to the implementation of a substantive voluntary change to Vermont’s SNAP program, the Department shall:

  (1) convene a meeting with community partners under contract with the Department to provide outreach services, federally authorized retailers operating in Vermont, and any other interested stakeholders to describe the proposed change to Vermont’s SNAP program, including the anticipated impact on eligibility, benefit level, administrative burden or costs, and any other relevant impact of the proposed change; and

  (2) consult with and consider input from community partners under contract with the Department to provide outreach services, federally authorized retailers operating in Vermont, and any other interested stakeholders on the impacts of the Department’s voluntary change to Vermont’s SNAP program. (Added 2017, No. 104 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2025, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § E.316.4, eff. July 1, 2026.)