Guest blog by Ron Meehan, Government Relations Manager at Feeding Colorado
Quick Bites
- H.R. 1 (“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) significantly increases pressure on Colorado’s anti-hunger network, which was already struggling to meet rising demand before the law took effect on July 4, 2025.
- Cuts and structural changes to SNAP and Medicaid could remove billions of meals nationwide and create a 120% gap in Colorado, affecting nearly 615,000 SNAP participants and putting hundreds of thousands of households at risk of losing benefits.
- Shifting SNAP costs to states threatens Colorado’s economy and food system, potentially costing the state up to $245 million annually, reducing economic activity supported by SNAP, and increasing reliance on food banks that cannot meet the projected need alone.
The overarching takeaway from the H.R. 1 Act, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” for us in Colorado is that the state’s anti-hunger network is going to be expected to do a lot more with a lot less. Feeding Colorado is the Partner State Association of Feeding America food banks across the state, representing Food Bank of the Rockies, Community Food Share, Weld Food Bank, Food Bank for Larimer County, and Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. Our network was already struggling to meet the need for food assistance in our state prior to the passing of H.R. 1, and we have only continued to see an increase in the number of people turning to our food pantries for help since it went into law on July 4, 2025.
Provisions in H.R. 1 are anticipated to further exacerbate the strain on our network through cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid — programs that hundreds of thousands of Coloradans rely on to nourish themselves. The legislation could ultimately take an estimated 6 billion meals a year off the tables of the people our national network serves. For comparison, the entire Feeding America network of 200 food banks distributed 5 billion meals last year. As a result of the SNAP changes, we anticipate seeing a 120% gap between what our network currently is able to provide and what will be needed.
For every meal that a Feeding America food bank provides, SNAP provides nine. In Colorado, this equates to $120 million per month for people to purchase local groceries. SNAP currently supports just under 615,000 Coloradans, of which about 50% are children, 10% are older adults, and 15% are people living with disabilities. The Urban Institute estimates that 298,000 Colorado households will lose some or all of their SNAP benefits due to H.R. 1. Of those, 168,000 Coloradans risk losing benefits due to expanded work requirements*.
SNAP benefits have always been 100% federally funded, and making states pay for a percentage of the program starting in October of 2026 represents a significant shift. On top of funding SNAP, states will also see a 50% increase in the cost to administer the benefits. This change in funding responsibility could cost Colorado between $185 million and $245 million every year and put significant pressure on county agencies that are already understaffed and overworked.
The federal changes to SNAP will also have a massive impact on states’ economies. SNAP is a major economic driver, with $1.54 generated for every $1.00 spent using the program. In Colorado, over $1.3 billion is funneled into local economies and wages annually thanks to SNAP, helping support over 10,000 Colorado jobs, including farmers, grocers, manufacturers, delivery drivers, and other positions across the food supply industry.
Feeding Colorado, alongside our network of five food banks and more than 1,200 Hunger Relief Partners, will continue to do everything we can to lessen the impact of these policy changes, advocate for our neighbors, and partner with others committed to improving food security across our state. However, our network is already strained and will not be able to meet the continuing increase in need created by these changes. Support from lawmakers, retailers, farmers, and community members will be critical in the months and years ahead.
If you feel inspired to help mitigate the impact the SNAP changes will have on our state and residents, please consider making a donation, volunteering at your local food bank or pantry, or advocating for hunger-relief efforts.
* Work requirements for SNAP recipients were moved from age 54 to age 65, and dependents are now classified as being younger than 14 years old rather than 18 years old. In other words, able-bodied adults without dependents and able-bodied adults caring for children between 14 and 18 years of age must work, or they will lose benefits for three years. This will substantially increase government paperwork through the frequent verification process county agencies and recipients will need to complete to stay on the program. Work exemptions for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and former foster youth were also eliminated. Asylum seekers, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence and trafficking have also had exemptions eliminated.