Scott Morishige, administrator of the Benefit Employment and Support Services Division at the Hawaii Department of Human Services, told the state House Committee on Human Services and Homelessness on Oct. 28 that new federal rules expanding able-bodied adult work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be implemented Nov. 1 and that USDA has suspended issuance of November benefits amid a federal funding lapse.

"We were approved for that exemption that will hold us harmless from payment error through 09/30/2026 related to these requirements," Morishige said, describing a USDA waiver for noncontiguous states that conditions the relief on Hawaii's good-faith efforts to implement the changes.

Why it matters: The expansion of the able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements under the federal "1 Big Beautiful Bill Act" (HR 1) broadens the pool of people who must meet 80 hours of monthly work, training, or qualifying volunteer activity or face a time-limited loss of benefits. At the same time, USDA officials told states to suspend November SNAP payments, creating immediate food-security concerns and prompting the state to offer short-term aid.

What the rule change does: Morishige said the federal law, signed July 4, 2025, extends ABAWD coverage beyond the previous 18-to-54 age band to include adults 55 to 64, households with dependent children age 14 and older, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, and youth aged 18 to 24 who transitioned from foster care. The requirement calls for roughly 80 hours of qualifying activity per month (an average of 20 hours per week). If an individual is not exempt and does not meet the requirement, the person can receive SNAP for up to three months and then be ineligible for up to 36 months unless they meet the requirement.

Exemptions and program supports: Morishige listed exemptions the department will honor, including medically confirmed physical or mental disability, pregnancy, caretakers of incapacitated persons, at least half-time students, those receiving disability benefits, applicants for unemployment benefits, participants in drug or alcohol treatment programs, and people who meet the definition of "Indian, urban Indian, or California Indian" under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. He noted that the federal definition does not include Native Hawaiians.

DHS also described SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) as one voluntary route to meet the requirement and said the department contracts with Goodwill Hawaii for Oahu and Maui services and with the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on the Big Island and Kauai.

Federal suspension of November benefits: Morishige said USDA instructed states on Oct. 10 to hold state payment files and, on Oct. 24, directed a suspension of November SNAP benefits because USDA assessed there was insufficient federal funding to cover a full month of benefits. He said DHS has posted FAQs and guidance on its website and updated call-center messaging, and added, "DHS remains open and we are continuing to process applications for SNAP and other benefits." He cautioned that if the shutdown ends, restoring withheld benefits will depend on USDA guidance and the capacity of EBT vendors, which serve multiple states and will require additional processing time.

State mitigation measures: To address immediate food needs, Morishige said DHS will provide $2 million to the Hawaii Food Bank and its primary partners (Maui Food Bank and The Food Basket) to support statewide distribution through a network of about 500 partner pantries. He also outlined a Hawaii Relief program using up to $100 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to provide vendor-based housing and utility assistance to families with dependent children.

Hawaii Relief program details: The program is limited to Hawaii residents who are families with a dependent child under age 18, demonstrate an episode of financial need, and meet gross income limits up to 300% of the federal poverty level (Morishige cited an example threshold of $9,245 per month for a family of four). Benefits are vendor payments and nonrecurring: a one-time housing deposit up to the actual cost with a $6,000 cap; housing payments (rent or mortgage) up to actual cost with a $6,000 cap covering up to four months; one-time utility deposits up to $3,000 per utility; and utility payments up to $2,000 per utility for up to four months. Morishige emphasized that vendor payments are not paid directly to participants and therefore are not counted as household income for other benefit calculations.

Administration and eligibility questions: DHS said Catholic Charities Hawaii will administer the program for Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii Island, and Maui Economic Opportunity will administer it for Maui County (Maui, Molokai, Lanai). Morishige said contractors will work with community navigators and partners to help applicants. Because the program uses TANF funds, DHS said it secured written clarification from the Administration for Children and Families that temporary, nonrecurring vendor payments of up to four months are allowed under federal TANF rules, and that the state previously used a similar structure following the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Data and operational limits: DHS provided statewide SNAP metrics for September: about 86,229 households and 168,947 individuals receiving SNAP; average benefit per person about $247 per month; roughly $580 million distributed monthly. Morishige said the department ran system queries where possible and found about 16,000 individuals in the 554 age range and about 10,000 households with a dependent age 14 or older, but that the state legacy eligibility system cannot reliably identify homeless people, veterans, or foster-youth transitions for counts.

Committee response and next steps: Legislators asked about kupuna eligibility, documentation needs, asset limits, and the possibility of separate relief for seniors; DHS said the Hawaii Relief program is limited to families by TANF rules but the Food Bank funding is not limited to families. Members pressed for written federal guidance on TANF use; DHS said it has written confirmation from ACF staff and that the Hawaii Attorney General is participating in litigation seeking additional federal relief. Morishige said DHS will continue outreach, update the public-facing FAQ, coordinate with contractors, and proceed with implementing OBBA-related system changes while seeking to reduce payment-error rates.

The committee offered to consider appropriations and legislative steps if additional state funds are required, and members noted a potential Nov. 17 special session date to act on supplemental appropriations.

Ending: DHS officials urged residents to keep scheduled interviews and to submit requested documents; they reiterated that prior-month SNAP balances on EBT cards remain usable and that cash benefits (TANF, general assistance) are not affected by the federal SNAP suspension.