Maryland residents will receive their full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits after Gov. Wes Moore signed an executive order providing an additional $62 million in emergency funding.
The governor announced the infusion of funds on November 3, shortly after President Donald Trump announced he would partially fund SNAP in response to court orders.
The federal government shut down on October 1 after Congress failed to pass funding for the 2026 fiscal year, and Trump previously refused to tap reserves to provide the funding. Two federal judges ordered him on October 31 to release the money.
City and state leaders previously allocated nearly $15 million in emergency funding in response to the ongoing government shutdown, bolstering numerous assistance programs for furloughed workers and those who rely on SNAP.
It’s unclear when SNAP beneficiaries can expect to receive the funds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned that it could take weeks — or even months — to make the changes required to send out reduced benefits.
“While we don’t have the funds to fill every gap left by the shutdown, we’re going to do everything we can to support our residents.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon scott
On October 28, Mayor Brandon Scott announced $4.7 million for food, rental, and child care assistance programs, including hospital-based violence intervention initiatives. Two days later, Moore declared a state of emergency and announced that Maryland would distribute an additional $10 million for food pantries, food banks, and other organizations throughout Maryland.
The city encouraged residents struggling to afford groceries to visit its new web page at baltimorecity.gov/shutdown. It provides contact information and locations of nonprofit programs such as the Maryland Food Bank, The Baltimore Hunger Project, and So What Else.
The new web page also provides child care resources for federal employees working without pay and SNAP-eligible families.
Federal workers and recipients of federal housing subsidies can find rental assistance resources, including support for rent and utility bills, on the Baltimore City Community Action Partnership’s website at bmorechildren.com/cap.
The state Department of Human Services is reviewing what organizations to prioritize for funding from the $10 million in statewide grants; it’s unclear what organizations will receive the funds, though all of the money will come from the state’s Fiscal Responsibility Fund. The additional $62 million will also come from the fund, which is composed of capital gains tax revenue. Even though it’s mostly used for capital projects, an emergency declaration allows Moore to repurpose it.
Moore pledged that all funds will be given to food banks, pantries, and mobile distribution programs.
“Withholding funding from food assistance is not just illegal, it’s also cruel,” Moore said in a statement. “We will keep taking this week by week, and work with our legislative partners to do the most we can with the resources we have.”
The state encourages those needing food assistance to visit the 211 Maryland website at 211md.org, which provides food pantry and food bank locations.