‘Benefits gone – No job, no meal’: Florida bill brings SNAP nightmare, will force people to work to be eligible
Florida – Florida lawmakers are getting ready for a debate about a big healthcare and public benefits package that might make it harder for thousands of people, especially seniors who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to qualify. The proposal, which will be examined during the 2026 legislative session, would change the way the state runs Medicaid, SNAP, and other safety-net programs and raise the age limitations for job requirements.
Florida’s New Frontier in Healthcare is a big policy release that includes the plan. Republican officials said the goal of the plan is to make it easier for people to get healthcare, make the healthcare workforce stronger, and make state systems more like the federal reforms that former President Donald Trump pushed for. HB 693 is the main part of the package. Supporters have called it the Big Beautiful Healthcare Frontier Act.
Rep. Mike Redondo, who sponsored the bill, said that it puts Florida at the center of national debates about deregulating healthcare and making the workforce more flexible. He said that the plan was a clear reflection of Trump’s policies and that the state needed to give people more options while expanding the pool of available providers.
“These policies reflect President Trump’s healthcare vision, which calls for fewer bureaucratic obstacles, more providers on the frontlines, and more freedom for patients to choose where and how they receive care,” said Rep. Mike Redondo.
“The Big Beautiful Healthcare Frontier Act ensures Florida is not just complying with federal reforms. We are leading their implementation to expand access, strengthen our workforce, and deliver better healthcare outcomes for families across our state.”
A big part of the bill is about changes to who may get Medicaid and SNAP, such as new restrictions that would make it harder for elderly Floridians to get these benefits. Adults who are able-bodied and don’t have a disability must complete work requirements until they become 59. If HB 693 passes, the age limit would go up to 64. This means that older people who get food assistance will have to keep working or going to training programs to keep getting it. The bill also changes the rules for parents who don’t have to pay taxes. Now, they only apply to parents who take care of kids under 14.
State officials said the change is meant to make sure that public funds go to people who are actively looking for work or working. People who are homeless, veterans, or young adults who are leaving foster care would still be able to get these exceptions. More rules would make it harder to enroll people, make it harder to verify information to cut down on payment errors, and officially cut off benefits for people living in Florida without legal status.
Supporters say the changes will make programs more consistent, which is important because they often have problems with administration and high participation levels. Rep. Josie Tomkow, who is in charge of the Health & Human Services Committee, said the package makes sure that resources get to the people who need them the most while also protecting public money. Tomkow went on to explain that the changes are part of a bigger attempt to make state rules more up-to-date and lower healthcare expenses for families.
These suggested changes to SNAP and Medicaid are also part of a bigger effort by the government of Florida. Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and other financial authorities additionally announced that they will work to close any remaining ways for undocumented immigrants to use state-regulated financial services. Ingoglia said that even if things have been done in the past, there are still flaws in the system, and changes in politics might reopen them.
Ingoglia said that the action was a response to what he called “increasing risks,” pointing to cases where people in the country illegally got access to state systems or professional licenses. According to Ingoglia, traditional immigration rules need to be backed up by strict financial enforcement. His department has already made arrests related to financial crimes committed by people who are not legally in the country.
The things Ingoglia is doing, such making it hard for people to get state-approved licenses, forcing English-only commercial driver testing, and stopping state-funded down-payment help, are similar to the severe position shown in HB 693. Even though the two attempts are independent, they both show that lawmakers in Florida are moving toward limiting benefits and making enforcement stricter in all public institutions.
As politicians get ready for the next session, the main topic of debate is likely to be how to find the right balance between restricting government spending, encouraging people to work, and making sure that vulnerable individuals, especially elderly ones, don’t have to deal with even more problems. Supporters contend the plans will make public institutions stronger and hold people more accountable. Critics are already signaling concerns about imposing work burdens on individuals approaching retirement age, though that debate has yet to fully unfold.
It’s evident that Florida is getting ready for a big change in policy. HB 693 will modify the way older SNAP beneficiaries use the benefits system in a big way, changing what thousands of families expect. Along with the state’s growing financial limits on illegal immigrants, the law marks a clear shift toward policies that put labor, verification, and enforcement at the heart of Florida’s social services system.
