SNAP and Food Security Update in Arizona

Arizona Children and Families in Need

Arizona is experiencing a rapid decline in enrollment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which is putting Arizona children and families at risk of going hungry. In the past year, over 47% of Arizonans have lost their SNAP benefits, with almost half of the children enrolled in SNAP losing access to help that puts food on their tables.

A steep decline has occurred since H.R.1, formally titled One Big Beautiful Bill, went into effect. From August 2025 to February 2026, enrollment in Arizona declined at an alamering pace. Over 400,000 Arizonans – with more than 175,000 children – have lost critical support they rely on to afford groceries. The enactment of this harmful federal law dramatically shifts costs to states and increases hunger in our nation. Arizona has seen the greatest drop in enrollment of any state in the country.

New SNAP  Tracker Shed Light on Impact to People 

While the federal administration moves to reduce and eliminate data, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is working to preserve it. CBPP created a SNAP tracker so we can understand how loss of food assistance is impacting our state.

What Can Help Children and Families?

While work continues to retract the harmful federal H.R. 1, we must mitigate the number of eligible Arizonans who lose SNAP benefits due to implementation of this harmful federal law.

Children’s Action Alliance is advocating for the following:

At the State Legislature:

• CAA urges the legislature and Governor to include $16.6 million in the state budget this year for the Arizona Department of Economic Security to modernize and staff their SNAP eligibility and enrollment systems to keep up with the changes required by H.R. 1. 
• CAA urges opposition to legislation that creates additional obstacles and bureaucracy for administration of the SNAP program for Arizonans. Governor Hobbs has vetoed such bills and we implore her to continue to do so.

In Congress:

• CAA urges Congress to delay the unprecedented shift of SNAP costs to states for two years. Like bipartisan calls from state and local leaders from across the country, we continue to sound the alarm about the harm that is being experienced and how that will accelerate without congressional intervention.

Our families, neighbors, and community members should not go hungry.