Sen. Grafstein files bill in North Carolina Senate to address SNAP funding shortfall

The new bill filed by State Sen. Lisa Grafstein aims to use state funds to offset lost federal support for food assistance program administration, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 904 on April 29 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Save SNAP Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill appropriates recurring state funds starting in the 2026-27 fiscal year to replace federal money lost for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because of Public Law 119-21, including $16 million for the Department of Health and Human Services and $69 million for county-administered services, with spending capped at the actual amount of lost federal receipts. The bill also provides a one-time $10 million appropriation for a grant process to fund innovative projects that examine ways to reduce the payment error rate in the food and nutrition services program. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Grafstein proposed the most bills (73) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Grafstein graduated from Northwestern University in 1988 with a BA and again in 1995 from University of North Carolina School of Law with a JD.

Grafstein, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 13th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Danny Earl Britt.