Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, D-East Elmhurst, is pictured during a recent St. Pats for All Parade in Queens.

As federal assistance for immigrants dries up, a state lawmaker wants to extend New York’s SNAP program to include the immigrant population.

The state spent $6.5 billion last year on the SNAP program through the end of October. A complete accounting for the year has not yet been compiled. Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, D-East Elmhurst, has introduced legislation (A.6632) that would create the SNAP For All program, a state-funded program to provide for the state’s immigrant population.

The program would reach about 850,000 people in New York, Gonzalez-Rojas wrote in her legislative justification, though she didn’t include an estimate of the cost to provide SNAP benefits to immigrants.

“Federal law limits SNAP participation to U.S. citizens and certain lawfully present non-citizens, such as refugees, asylees, and victims of trafficking,” Gonzalez-Rojas wrote in her legislative justification. “Other lawfully present non-citizens including Green Card holders and victims of domestic violence are subjected to arbitrary 5-year waiting periods before they can access benefits. Outright exclusion is the case for groups including visa holders and individuals granted Temporary Protection Status. Despite contributing over $27 billion in state and local taxes, many immigrant New Yorkers are unjustly excluded from vital nutrition support. Food is a basic human right and all New Yorkers deserve equal access to vital food assistance. Arbitrary barriers and purposeful exclusions contribute to disproportionately higher rates of poverty and food insecurity experienced by immigrant households.”

The SNAP For All act would operate in a manner as similar as possible to the current SNAP program through the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The benefit amount of SNAP for all shall be identical to the amount that would otherwise have been provided if the recipient were eligible for SNAP benefits, and benefits will be delivered with the same payment schedule and method as SNAP.. Local social service districts would be required to participate in SNAP For All, with the state reimbursing counties.

Gonzalez-Rojas’ bill would safeguard personal information from federal ICE, Department of Justice or other prosecuting entities.

“SNAP for All would provide food benefits to income-eligible households currently ineligible for SNAP due solely to their citizenship status, equal to the benefits provided for similarly situated SNAP-eligible households,” Gonzalez-Rojas wrote. “There is growing momentum around the country for more equitable SNAP access. In 2022, California expanded its state food assistance program to provide benefits for excluded Californians aged 55 and older. Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, and Washington have each implemented similar state-funded programs to provide food assistance for excluded immigrant households.”