Approximately 44,700 Nevadans will lose access to federal food assistance benefits on March 1 after congressional Republicans passed sweeping eligibility changes last summer, the state’s Division of Social Services told The Nevada Independent Thursday.

That means nearly one-tenth of the more than 500,000 Nevadans currently enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be cut off from benefits.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that became law last summer narrowed eligibility for SNAP, most significantly by classifying more recipients as able-bodied adults without dependents, a group required to meet stricter work requirements to continue receiving benefits. 

That category now includes adults aged 55-64 and parents of children older than 14, and no longer provides exemptions for homelessness, veteran status or time in foster care. 

Qualifying adults must spend at least 20 hours per week working or in work training programs. Otherwise, they can only receive three months of SNAP benefits over every three-year period. 

Agency spokesperson Kristle Muessle said the Nevadans slated to lose access do not meet the work requirements or are no longer exempt from those requirements. Nevadans affected by the SNAP changes can learn more on the state’s resources website.

Another shift is that certain noncitizens, including those with refugee or asylum status, are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits. Muessle did not immediately respond to The Indy’s request on how many Nevada residents could be affected by that provision.

The SNAP changes also include new requirements for states to pay more of the program’s administrative costs and potentially for a portion of the benefits themselves if their error rates are too high. The federal government usually covers the majority of the program’s administrative costs and the entirety of its benefits. In Nevada, the state will pay $19 million this year in new administrative costs, and could pay up to $50 million for food assistance benefits.

The federal spending law also tightened the rules around local governments’ ability to qualify for exemptions from the work requirements. 

Under prior rules, state and county governments could request to waive work requirements due to persistently high unemployment. Nevada’s higher-than-average unemployment rate has kept the state exempt from SNAP work requirements since 2008. 

Now, work exemption waivers will only be allowed in jurisdictions with annual unemployment rates above 10 percent. 

An analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities think tank found that under these terms, only 10 counties nationwide qualify for waivers. None are in Nevada.