LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — All Nevadans who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should see funds in their accounts as of Friday morning after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end Wednesday night.
In a statement to Channel 13 on Friday, a spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the agency has now distributed 100% of SNAP benefits to all households in the Silver State.
Permission was granted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday, the agency noted. Previously, Nevada had only been allowed to distribute partial benefits for November amid a back-and-forth federal court battle over the legality of withholding funds intended for SNAP.
The news is likely to come as a relief to the nearly 500,000 Nevadans who rely on SNAP to help put food on the table every month.
Nevada was among dozens of states that sued the Trump administration in an effort to retain SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. With the shutdown ongoing, many locals turned to food banks to make up the difference, and state leaders approved upwards of $30 million in emergency funds to support Three Square and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
Throughout the shutdown, we talked to a number of locals about what losing SNAP funds meant for them and their families.
Geneva Zoltek talks to families at a local food bank:
"'Mom, grandma, you going shopping? Mom, you going shopping?' And you have to look at your kids and tell them no, you're not, because you didn't get benefits or you didn't get stamps, and then see the look on their face, and they're hurt," said Monica Buchanan, who told us it was her first time visiting a food bank.
"So I can see a lot of parents going through that, and it's a hurtful thing, to look at your kids and tell them that you can't go get food right now," Buchanan added.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services also says SNAP recipients can expect December benefits to be issued as normal.
The agency adds that SNAP benefits are currently funded through September 2026. Applications for the program can be submitted through Access Nevada or by visiting any Division of Social Services office.
