The Feeding Texas network, which is made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state legislators to update the SNAP Vehicle Asset Test on Wednesday in a virtual day of advocacy.
Eligibility for SNAP is primarily based on income and family size. Texas also chooses to use a Vehicle Asset Test, which places a limit on the value of the vehicles that a family may own and still qualify for the program.
“No family should lose their ability to put food on the table because of inflation in the car market, but that is exactly what is happening in Texas,” Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, said in the press release. “Used cars significantly increased in value in the past year due to inflation and supply chain challenges. As a result, many families that were previously approved for SNAP have had their benefits taken away.”
Sen. César Blanco (D-El Paso) and Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City) filed companion bills in the Senate (SB 273) and House (HB 1287) that would index the SNAP Vehicle Asset Test to inflation to better reflect today’s car values.
Current limits are stagnant at $15,000 for the first vehicle and $4,650 for any additional vehicle that a family owns. These limits have not been updated since 2001 for the primary car and 1974 for additional cars.
“Texans everywhere are feeling the impact of inflation,” Guillen said in the press release. “Because SNAP eligibility is linked to vehicle value, hungry Texans are losing benefits at a time when they need them most. These vehicle limits were set over 20 years ago — they are outdated and out of touch with reality.”
In Texas, 11,615 households were denied SNAP due to the Vehicle Asset Test in 2019. In 2022, the total number of rejections grew to 54,740, nearly five times as many denials despite little change in the total number of SNAP participants.
Because SNAP is a federal program, Texas will incur no additional costs for updating the Vehicle Asset Test policy.
“Updating Texas’ SNAP Vehicle Asset Test is not a handout, it is a hand-up for thousands of Texas families facing food insecurity who should not be punished for having the vehicles they need to lift themselves out of poverty and welfare,” Blanco said in the press release. “It is a simple solution that would help thousands of hungry families at no cost to the state.”
