Bills · HR 6986
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 6986Agriculture and Food
COLAs Don’t Count Act of 2026
INTRO JAN 8· LAST ACTION MAY 20
READING
2MIN
COSPONSORS
7
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill matters because it addresses a common problem faced by low-income individuals and families on fixed incomes: the "benefits cliff." When federal benefits like Social Security or veterans' pensions increase due to cost-of-living adjustments, these increases are designed to help recipients keep pace with inflation. However, under current law, these small increases can sometimes push recipients just over the income threshold for other vital programs like SNAP, leading to a reduction or complete loss of food assistance.
If this bill becomes law, it means that people receiving these federal benefits will be able to fully benefit from their cost-of-living adjustments without worrying that their food stamp benefits will be cut. This could provide greater financial stability for millions of households, ensuring that their ability to afford food isn't negatively impacted by inflation-related benefit increases. If it doesn't pass, many vulnerable individuals will continue to face the dilemma of seeing a small income bump eroded by a loss of food assistance.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Excludes Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) from income calculations for SNAP benefits.
This ensures that increases to Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and Veterans' benefits due to inflation do not reduce or eliminate a household's food assistance.
PROVISION 02
Excludes supplementary payments under Section 1616 of the Social Security Act from SNAP income calculations.
This prevents certain state-provided payments for SSI recipients from negatively impacting their food stamp eligibility or benefit amounts.
PROVISION 03
Applies the COLA exclusion to households already certified for SNAP or receiving benefits in the month before the adjustment takes effect.
This targets the relief to existing SNAP beneficiaries who would otherwise see their food assistance affected by their COLA increase.
PROVISION 04
Sets an effective date for all changes to begin on October 1, 2027.
This provides a clear timeline for when these new rules regarding income exclusions will take effect for SNAP.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 7
D· Wisconsin
YRS IN OFFICE
21
BILLS LED
34
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 7 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
4 EVENTSMAY 20
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
JAN 8
Introduced in House
JAN 8
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
JAN 8
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 6986
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedJan 8, 2026
Last actionMay 20, 2026
READER REACTIONS
OVERALL SENTIMENT
No reactions yet. Be the first to weigh in.
Discussion
Loading comments...
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 8, 2026
House BillHR 6986Agriculture and Food
COLAs Don’t Count Act of 2026
INTRODUCED JAN 8, 2026· LAST ACTION MAY 20, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
2 min
COSPONSORS
7
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
