COLAs Don’t Count Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Peter Welch
Introduced
Summary
This bill would change SNAP rules to stop counting SSA 1616(a) supplementary payments as income when determining eligibility and benefits.
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- Households that receive those SSA supplementary payments would not have that money counted as income for SNAP. That could raise benefits or make some households newly eligible.
- State SNAP agencies would use the new exclusion when calculating benefits and eligibility starting October 1, 2027.
- The bill also updates statutory wording and paragraph numbering to add this exclusion into the Food and Nutrition Act.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More SNAP help for Social Security recipients
If enacted, SNAP households that receive Social Security 1616(a) supplementary payments would not have those payments counted as SNAP income. The bill would also change a date in SNAP rules from July 1 to January 1 and adjust paragraph numbering. These changes would take effect October 1, 2027.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Peter Welch
VT • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 1/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov