Sources - Official USDA, FNS, and State SNAP References

1. Federal Statute

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is authorized by federal law. Our references to eligibility rules, benefit formulas, and program structure trace back to:

• The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-246, Title IV), as amended. This is the primary federal statute authorizing SNAP. The most important section for our calculator is Section 8(a) (7 U.S.C. § 2017(a)), which defines the benefit calculation formula: maximum monthly allotment minus 30% of net monthly income.
• Section 5(d) (7 U.S.C. § 2014(d)), which defines the deductions allowed from gross income to arrive at net income (standard, earned income, excess medical, dependent care, child support, excess shelter).
• Section 6(a) (7 U.S.C. § 2015(a)), which defines categorical eligibility, including broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE).
• The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193), which imposed time limits on able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) and restricted eligibility for certain non-citizens.
• The 2008 Farm Bill (Public Law 110-246), which renamed the Food Stamp Program to SNAP and updated several eligibility provisions.
• The 2018 Farm Bill (Public Law 115-334), which made additional adjustments to SNAP eligibility and program administration.

The current version of the Food and Nutrition Act is available on Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute at 7 U.S.C. Chapter 51.

2. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations implementing the Food and Nutrition Act are codified in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 271 through 285. Our calculator and articles reference these parts:

• 7 CFR Part 271 — General Information and Definitions. Defines key terms used throughout SNAP regulations, including "household," "elderly or disabled member," and "income."
• 7 CFR Part 272 — Requirements for Participating State Agencies. Covers state agency responsibilities, including BBCE elections and state options.
• 7 CFR Part 273 — Certification of Eligible Households. The most-cited part on our Site. Key sections:
  • 7 CFR § 273.9 — Income and deductions (gross income test, net income calculation, standard deduction, earned income deduction, excess medical deduction, dependent care deduction, child support deduction, excess shelter deduction).
  • 7 CFR § 273.10 — Calculation of benefits (the 30% formula, minimum benefit, rounding rules, $175 threshold for auto-minimum).
  • 7 CFR § 273.11 — Special provisions for elderly or disabled household members.
  • 7 CFR § 273.12 — Application processing.
  • 7 CFR § 273.24 — Work requirements (including ABAWD time limits).
• 7 CFR Part 274 — Issuance and Use of Program Benefits.
• 7 CFR Part 275 — Performance Reporting System.
• 7 CFR Part 277 — Payments of Certain Administrative Costs of State Agencies.

The official eCFR is at ecfr.gov — 7 CFR Part 273.

3. USDA Federal Register Notices

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service publishes Federal Register notices each year setting the dollar figures used in the SNAP calculation. The most important annual notices are:

• Annual adjustment notice (August): "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Fiscal Year [YYYY] Income Eligibility Standards, Deductions, and Allotments." This notice sets:
  • The standard deduction by household size
  • The maximum excess shelter deduction (cap) for non-elderly/disabled households ($672/month for FY2026)
  • The minimum monthly benefit ($23/month for FY2026)
  • The maximum monthly allotment by household size and state group (48 states/D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, USVI)
  • The resource limits
• Maximum SNAP allotments and deductions for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, USVI (August): Separate notices set higher allotments for these jurisdictions.
• Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) notice (August): Updates income eligibility standards tied to the federal poverty level.

Federal Register notices can be searched at federalregister.gov. We cite the specific notice (volume, page, date) at the bottom of each article that relies on it.

4. USDA Reports & Data

We rely on these USDA publications for state-level information:

• SNAP State Directory: Official contact information and links for each state's SNAP agency. Available at fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory.
• SNAP State Options Report: Published periodically (most recently in 2023, with annual supplements). Lists each state's elections for BBCE, asset tests, standard utility allowances, ABAWD waivers, vehicle exclusions, and other options.
• SNAP Data Tables: State-by-state participation and benefit statistics, published monthly. Available at fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap.
• SNAP Quality Control Data: Annual report on payment error rates by state.
• WIC and SNAP eligibility maps: Geographic distribution of eligibility and participation.

These reports are published by USDA FNS and are public domain.

5. State SNAP Sources

Each state publishes its own SNAP policy manual and administrative bulletins. We link directly to the relevant state publication at the bottom of each state-specific page. Common state-level sources include:

• State SNAP policy manuals: Detailed operational guidance for state caseworkers. Examples: California's Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP), Texas's Texas Administrative Code Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 4, New York's Snap Source Book.
• State administrative bulletins: Periodic updates issued by the state SNAP agency to announce changes (BBCE elections, SUA adjustments, ABAWD waivers).
• State legal code: Most states have a section of state law authorizing the SNAP program; we link to the relevant chapter.
• State application portals: The official online application site for each state (e.g., C4Yourself in California, YourTexasBenefits in Texas, ACCESS Florida in Florida).

For each state page, we cite the most recent state bulletin we relied on, with its publication date. When a state changes a SNAP option, we update the page within 30 days.

6. Federal Poverty Level

The federal poverty level (FPL) is published annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Federal Register, typically in mid-January. The FPL figures we use for the gross income test (130% FPL) and the net income test (100% FPL) come from:

• The 2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register, January 17, 2026). The figures are:
  • 1 person: $15,650/year ($1,304/month) — 130% FPL = $1,695/month
  • 2 persons: $21,150/year ($1,763/month) — 130% FPL = $2,291/month
  • 3 persons: $26,650/year ($2,221/month) — 130% FPL = $2,887/month
  • 4 persons: $32,150/year ($2,679/month) — 130% FPL = $3,483/month
  • Each additional person: +$5,500/year ($458/month)

Our calculator uses the monthly FPL figures (annual figure divided by 12) consistent with 7 CFR § 273.9(a)(1). The official HHS Poverty Guidelines page is at aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines.

7. Cross-Check Sources

To catch errors in our calculator logic, we cross-check our outputs against two independent open-source eligibility tools:

• Code for America GetCalFresh — Open-source eligibility engine for California SNAP (CalFresh). Repository: github.com/codeforamerica/getcalibrefresh. Used to validate our California-specific calculations.
• SNAP Screener — Open-source SNAP eligibility screener maintained by a coalition of legal aid organizations. Used as a national cross-check on net income calculation.
• Benefits.gov SNAP eligibility screener — The federal government's own screening tool at benefits.gov/benefit/1587. Used as a top-level sanity check.

When our calculator produces a result that differs from one of these tools by more than $5/month for the same inputs, we investigate the discrepancy before publishing. Differences usually trace to different assumptions about utility allowances or different effective dates for state policy changes.

8. Our Citation Format

At the bottom of every article and state page, we list the specific sources consulted. Our citation format is:

For example:

• Federal Register notice. "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Income Eligibility Standards, Deductions, and Allotments." USDA Food and Nutrition Service. August 2025. 83 FR [page].
• Federal regulation. 7 CFR § 273.9(d)(6) — Excess shelter deduction. Code of Federal Regulations.
• State bulletin. "California CalFresh Annual Adjustment Notice, ACWDL 25-XX." California Department of Social Services. August 2025.

If you find a citation on this Site that does not match the linked source, please email us at foodstampeligibilitycalculator@gmail.com with the URL and the discrepancy. We will correct the citation within 5 business days.

For the full list of sources cited across all articles, see the Sources page. For our editorial process for handling source updates, see our Editorial Policy.