More than 196,000 Nevada households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) received partial November benefits on Wednesday morning, after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to use contingency funds to continue payments amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. 

SNAP benefits, which lapsed on Nov. 1, were partially restored after two federal judges ordered the administration on Friday to tap into more than $5 billion in federal contingency funds to cover the benefits. 

Nevada sent the partial benefits using $29 million from these contingency funds. Nearly 1 in 6 Nevadans receive SNAP benefits to pay for groceries and access food. 

But Nevadans who receive SNAP funds saw significant reductions to their usual benefit levels, a result of federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nevada households with no income will receive the full 50 percent of their November SNAP benefits, but “households with greater income will receive a smaller percentage or even no benefit,” according to a Wednesday press release by the state's Division of Social Services (DSS). 

Approximately 14,000 households will receive no November benefits. 

DSS spokesperson Kristle Muessle confirmed to The Indy that applications from prospective SNAP recipients will still be received and processed but “will be subject to the continued availability of federal funds.”

At the same time, Nevada Democrats have called on the state to pursue more drastic action to guarantee benefits. 

Democrats in the state Senate told The Nevada Independent on Tuesday that during the upcoming special legislative session, they will introduce legislation to form a temporary state-run and state-funded version of SNAP. 

The emergency program, if passed by lawmakers, will cover the portion of SNAP benefits not funded by the federal government’s contingency funds.

SNAP recipients can check the existing balances on their benefit cards by visiting ebtEdge or calling (866) 281-2443, according to Muessle. Anyone who is concerned about how to access food can use The Indy’s resource guide.

This story was updated at 12:20 p.m. on 11/5/2025 to update on partial SNAP benefits being issued to Nevadans and at 1:05 p.m. on 11/5/2025 to clarify the terms of the plan supported by state Senate Democrats.