Impacts of the Federal Budget Bill on Pennsylvanians

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the federal budget bill into law after Congressional Republicans passed it in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

In supporting this bill, members of Congress voted to:

• Cut Medicaid for 310,000 Pennsylvanians
• Cut food assistance via SNAP benefits for 144,000 Pennsylvanians
  
• Eliminate 21,000 energy jobs
  
• Raise our electricity bills by $130 a year
  
• Threaten closure for least 25 rural hospitals in Pennsylvania
  
• Put cancer screenings, pregnancy care, and birth control provided by Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics at risk

…all while adding $3.4 trillion to our national deficit over the next decade.

Despite Governor Shapiro’s clear warning that Pennsylvania can't backfill these cuts to vital services, members of Congress still voted to take billions of dollars away from our Commonwealth and make it harder for the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians to access the essential care and services they need. These lawmakers knew the devastating impacts this bill would have on the very constituents who put them in office — and they voted for it anyway.

As a result of the Republican budget bill, some Pennsylvanians who receive Medicaid and SNAP benefits will see changes to their eligibility requirements and additional paperwork needed to access their benefits. These changes will generally affect adults aged 18-64.

While the Commonwealth is awaiting further guidance from the federal government on specific timelines as parts of this law take effect, here’s what we know right now:

September 1, 2025: The federal government’s rules on how long some recipients can receive SNAP benefits will change, and additional requirements to receive benefits will go into effect.

• These new rules will apply to you if you:
  • are between 18-54 years old
  • do not have a dependent child under 18
  • are physically and mentally able to work
• Visit dhs.pa.gov/work to find out if these new requirements apply to you and get the resources you need to meet them.

November 1, 2025: Requirements to receive SNAP benefits will change again, and limit access for even more people.

• These expanded requirements may affect you if you receive SNAP benefits and:
  • are between 18-64 years old
  • have a dependent child 14 years old or older
  • are a veteran or
  • are a current or former foster youth age 18-24
• Visit dhs.pa.gov/work to find out if these new requirements apply to you and get the resources you need to meet them.

See below for breakdowns of how many will lose SNAP and Medicaid coverage because of these requirements in your area:

Pennsylvania DHS is committed to helping SNAP recipients navigate upcoming changes. For more information on these changes, please visit dhs.pa.gov/work.

Governor Shapiro will continue to fight for Pennsylvanians — and federal legislators need to understand the negative impact their law will have on the people of our Commonwealth. You can help.