# 119-sres-481: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Department of Agriculture should use its contingency funds and interchange authority to finance the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

119-sres-481, A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Department of Agriculture should use its contingency funds and interchange authority to finance the supplemental nutrition assistance program., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-481
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-sres-481
- Congress: 119
- Title: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Department of Agriculture should use its contingency funds and interchange authority to finance the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-11-03
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 45
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**This resolution would urge USDA to use its contingency fund and interchange authority to finance SNAP benefits if a funding lapse threatens November 2025 payments.** It argues that tapping those funds is legally available and vital to prevent hunger among children and seniors. - Families and children: Would help about 16 million children keep SNAP benefits in November 2025. - Seniors: Would help about 8 million seniors maintain access to food assistance. - People with disabilities and veterans: Would help about 4 million people with disabilities and 1.2 million veterans avoid gaps in benefits. - State operations: Notes contingency funds can be used for State Administrative Expenses so states can keep SNAP operations running during a shutdown. - Federal action and funds: Points out the contingency fund totals more than $4.5 billion and the administration could use interchange authority to finance benefits through November 2025.

## Cosponsors (45)

- Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-11-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Keep SNAP benefits paid in November: benefit, high. If adopted, this resolution would urge USDA to use SNAP contingency funds and interchange authority to pay SNAP benefits through November 2025. It would say the administration has the legal authority and available funds to do this. It would note the SNAP contingency fund totals more than $4.5 billi…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025
- 119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act
- 119-s-3214: Background Check Expansion Act

## Sources
- [119-sres-481 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/481)

## Related
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523)
- [119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1115)
- [119-s-3214: Background Check Expansion Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3214)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-481 (as of 2026-04-21).