State requests $7.3M from disaster relief account to cover WIC food benefits if federal shutdown continues

Nevada’s public‑health leaders asked the Interim Finance Committee on Oct. 16 for a $7.3 million allocation from the state Disaster Relief Account to cover the food benefit redemptions for the state WIC program if the federal government shutdown continues.

Acting administrator Andrea Rivers said the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided short‑term “tariff revenue” funding the afternoon before the meeting that will support Nevada’s WIC operations for several weeks. The state request would cover additional food redemptions beyond those federal funds and is designed to be drawn down only for actual weekly redemption costs; DPBH said the $7.3 million would extend food benefits for roughly an additional 47 days if federal funding were not restored.

DPBH said Nevada has roughly 55,854 WIC participants (pregnant people, postpartum people and infants/toddlers) and that the requested state allocation would be used only for food benefit redemptions. The department also described internal staffing contingencies and stated any state employees reassigned to keep WIC clinics operating would be placed in appropriate maternal‑health or other divisions while federal support is unavailable.

Committee members asked whether the state could be reimbursed if federal funding is restored; DPBH said USDA indicated the tariff reallocation mechanism and repayments could be used to restore state outlays. The committee moved and approved the disaster‑account allocation later in the session.