Senate Bill 3, SNAP Measure Passes Nevada State Senate

CARSON CITY, NV - Late last night, Senate Bill 3 (SB3) was passed in the Nevada State Senate. SB3 establishes the Silver State General Assistance Program to ensure Nevadans do not go without Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during government shutdowns. During the most recent government shutdown, SNAP benefits were abruptly cut off due to the Trump Administration weaponizing hunger. This is the first time in the 60-year history of the program that benefits were cut off during a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro brought SB3 forward to avoid future disruptions to benefits for the over 500K Nevadans who currently benefit from the program.

Amber Falgout, Communications Director with Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“Thank you to the Nevada State Senate for passing SB3 last night and to Senate Majority Leader Cannizzaro for bringing the measure forward. First and foremost, let me say I have benefited from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. My husband, my father-in-law, and my children have benefited from it. That is three generations. All of us have grown past being eligible for SNAP, but I can tell you now that I went through more than one government shutdown while I was eligible and receiving benefits. Never, not one time, did those benefits stop due to a government shutdown.

What is happening today is objectively cruel and frankly disgusting. We are living in a very different time politically. We desperately need SB3 so we are not in another situation where the current federal administration decides they don’t care to pay SNAP benefits despite court orders and precedent. Not receiving SNAP means not having as much food on the table. What does that look like for a family? I can tell you, it means your kids eat, and you don’t. It means waiting for them to finish their food and eating what’s left on their plates, because that’s all the food you have.

I’ve done this, my husband has done this, and my father-in-law had to do this. In the wealthiest country on earth, this should not be in the realm of possible. One of the hardest things in life is having your kids go hungry despite working a full-time job or multiple jobs.

We need SB3 to help us mitigate future disruptions. It is unlikely that this will be the last government shutdown, given the deep divisions at the federal level. Weaponizing hunger should never be tolerated, and this bill ensures that if this happens again, our state will be prepared. We are thankful to the Nevada Senate for passing this measure, and we urge the Assembly to do the same.”

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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media.