Hobbs Vetoes GOP Bills Tightening SNAP and Medicaid Eligibility in Arizona

Overview

• Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected nine Republican measures that would have added new eligibility rules, reporting requirements and penalties to SNAP and Medicaid.
• The package featured a SNAP work requirement up to age 60, a target to cut the payment error rate below 3% by 2030, limits on DES waiver authority, a 10% budget cut trigger, food purchase restrictions, and a hospital immigration‑status question.
• Arizona’s SNAP administrative error rate is 8.8%, above the 6% federal threshold that could shift about $140 million in benefit costs to the state by 2028 and raise the state share of administrative costs to 75%.
• Hobbs said DES has expanded verification, staffing, training and technology upgrades to improve accuracy, supported by a $7.5 million allocation from her office.
• Republicans passed mirror bills in both chambers but lack the votes to override, leaving the effort stalled as DES addresses backlogs influenced by last year’s SNAP payment shutdown.