State Responses to H.R. 1 in SNAP and Medicaid: Early Insights from Washington State

Session Submission Type: Late-Breaking Roundtable

Abstract

Congress passed H.R. 1 (also known as the “One Bill Beautiful Bill”) on July 4, 2025. H.R. 1 expanded work requirements for those enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and instituted work requirements for the first time in Medicaid. By at least January 2027, work requirements will be imposed on Medicaid expansion adult enrollees 19 to 64. Starting this year, SNAP work requirements are expanding to those ages 55 to 65 and to participants responsible for caring for a dependent child aged 14 and above. The law also requires that states with higher SNAP error rates share the cost of benefits and reduces eligibility for certain noncitizens.

As state agencies move toward operational changes, there are opportunities to better use current data systems to support HR1 compliance and exemption and mitigate negative impacts on Medicaid and SNAP enrollment. Through automated verification using ‘ex-parte’ processes and automated exemption for the medically frail, states could leverage already-existing data and systems to reduce the administrative burdens that their eligible populations must overcome to retain coverage.

This roundtable will examine the evidence for how H.R. 1 is likely to impact SNAP and Medicaid by bringing together representatives from academia and two state agencies in Washington State to directly grapple with these challenges.

The roundtable will address the following questions:

What lessons can policymakers, researchers, and advocates draw from previous research and early efforts to respond to H.R. 1?

How are states interpreting and planning to implement the new requirements?

And what strategies are being used to reduce administrative burdens, ensure compliance, and mitigate potential coverage losses?

Jeremy Barofsky (Associate Research Professor, Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy, Better Government Lab) will serve as the roundtable moderator and provide policy background to ground the discussion, drawing on evidence from previous efforts to implement Medicaid work requirements and improvements in automated verification processes rolled out during Medicaid unwinding. Eric Giannella (Associate Research Professor, Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy, Better Government Lab) will provide background on evidence on changes to SNAP, including the expansion of work requirements and SNAP error rates changes. We will have representatives from Washington State that will address their state’s early responses to H.R. 1 in both Medicaid and SNAP. Trinity Wilson (Director of Medicaid Eligibility and Customer Service, Washington State Health Care Authority) and Carla Reyes (Assistant Secretary, Economic Services Administration) will explain how Washington State is preparing for changes to Medicaid and SNAP, respectively, and how these programs intend to work together. The roundtable will conclude by inviting audience members to participate and ask questions.

Policy Area

• Public and Nonprofit Management and Finance

Secondary Policy Area

• Poverty and Income Policy

Moderator

• Jeremy Barofsky, Georgetown University

Organizer

• Jeremy Barofsky, Georgetown University

Speakers

• Eric Giannella, Georgetown University

• Carla Reyes, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

• Trinity Wilson, WA State Healthcare Authority