Let states fix backlogs and serve families faster

Applicants should not face delays when seeking benefits through SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) or Medicaid. The government should meet people where they are, especially in moments of need. Americans deserve service that is quick, accurate and fair. We’ve introduced two bipartisan bills that give states the flexibility to bring in contracted support to help process influxes of benefit applications, so families can get the assistance they need faster. Our SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act allows states to temporarily use a mix of state employees and contractors to process SNAP applications during periods of high error rates or processing delays — such as pandemics, temporary staffing shortages or natural disasters. The bill ensures that contracts do not reward delays or denials of benefits. It also mandates that any use of contracting does not supplant public employees. Contractors cannot have any association with SNAP-authorized retailers to avoid financial conflicts of interest. States must notify the federal government of any contracting decisions and share data with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We also support the complementary Medicaid reforms in the Medicaid Staffing Flexibility and Protection Act of 2025, which Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) has helped us champion. The bill allows states to use contracted labor for eligibility determinations, redeterminations and fair hearings. Like the SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2025, this bill prohibits incentive structures that could delay or deny benefit decisions and prevents contractors from having any association with Medicaid managed care organizations or their provider networks. Some may ask, “Why not just hire more state staff?” The answer is simple: When benefit needs remain stagnant over the long term, states can — and many do — cut staffing capabilities. However, demand for benefits can jump overnight due to events like a hurricane on the coast, a plant closure in a small town or a regional health emergency. We saw this happen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hiring and training additional permanent staff takes months. During that time, vulnerable communities are going without the emergency assistance they need. Temporary, well-regulated contractors will help manage these spikes effectively without displacing public employees or lowering program standards. Others worry contractors might cut corners. We acknowledge that concern, which is why our bills prohibit incentive structures that would reward delays or denials of benefits, protect public employees, ban financial conflicts of interest, and require transparent reporting to the federal government and the public. By using targeted tools, not blank checks, these commonsense bills will help Americans in need receive timely benefits while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of both SNAP and Medicaid. Making SNAP and Medicaid more efficient is not a partisan issue. If the use of contractors helps states deliver timely and accurate benefit decisions to the people they serve, we should encourage it. A veteran should not miss a prescription refill because a flood closed a county office. A retiree should not be told to call back next month because the state cannot process their SNAP application in a timely manner. With the right rules in place that put common sense over bureaucracy, states can bring in qualified help that makes programs work better when people need them most. Don Bacon represents Nebraska’s 2nd District and Don Davis represents North Carolina’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives.