Proposed Rule to Eliminate Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE)
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern (1:00 p.m. Central, 12:00 p.m. Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific)
On November 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will issue a proposed rule that, if enacted, would effectively eliminate broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE), a longstanding SNAP policy that reduces administrative burden and helps eligible families access nutrition assistance efficiently. There are 30 days to submit public comments.
The BBCE policy allows states to raise SNAP income eligibility limits and asset limits so that many low-income working families, older adults, and people with disabilities who would otherwise not qualify for SNAP can receive food assistance. It minimizes benefit cliffs, better supports working families, and promotes asset building, while lowering state administrative costs and SNAP payment errors. The change would end food assistance for 6.3 million people, mostly adults and children in working families, older adults, and people with disabilities.
Eliminating BBCE would have far-reaching consequences beyond SNAP. USDA estimates that nearly 1.78 million students could lose automatic eligibility for free school meals. Because SNAP participation is a key driver of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the proposal could also cause entire schools to lose the ability to offer free meals to all students, affecting children who are not enrolled in SNAP as well.
The proposal would also disrupt access to WIC, which relies on SNAP participation to streamline eligibility for pregnant people, infants, and young children. It will create new administrative barriers during critical stages of development and put infants and young children at risk of losing automatic WIC eligibility.
Join national experts from FRAC, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), and the National WIC Association (NWA) for a timely discussion on what the proposed BBCE rule would mean for SNAP, school meals, and WIC and the implications for families, schools, and states.