Oklahoma lawmakers conducting an interim study say the most recent certified State Food Assistance Programs (SNAP) payment error rate is 11.04 percent, and the future of SNAP and the need to expand accessibility for nutrition programs call for more discussion.

Members of the House Appropriations and Budget – Human Services Committee said during a recent hearing that the study is designed as an opportunity to improve challenges within SNAP and discuss long-term solutions for improving nutritious food access in homes and schools.

Alexina Cather, director of policy and communications for Wellness in Schools, discussed the impact of school meal programs.

“Meal quality isn’t a side issue,” Cather said, emphasizing the need to find a solution for food insecurity. Research presented through the study indicates that healthier school meals could improve public health outcomes.

According to Hunger Free Oklahoma, more than one in four Oklahoma children experience food insecurity and nearly 70 percent of public school students qualify for free or reduced-priced meals.

The study also explored statewide programs featuring home-delivered meals, specifically tailored for older adults and people with disabilities or worsened health conditions. Committee members said the program could help people remain in their homes and potentially improve their health outcomes.

Tara Seales, director of business development for Mom’s Meals, a private business, said she delivered more than 630,000 meals in Oklahoma during the past year, providing assistance to more than 8,500 clients across the state.

Also attending the hearing was Jeff Barteau, CEO of Homestyle Direct, a national company that provides home-delivered meals, said meals eaten a home are critical.

“For an older or disabled Oklahoman living alone, the inability to prepare reliable, appropriate meals is often the first thing that makes their home unsafe,” Barteau said.

Barteau said home-delivered meals can help provide relief for food insecurity as well as supporting people who want to remain in their homes, rather than being placed in institutional care.

Jeffrey w, director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, said the agency prevented more than $5 million in erroneous SNAP benefit payments over the past year by increasing employee training.

Cartmell also said he expects that 11.04 percent SNAP error rate to go down when it’s next calculated.

Sara Marlow Fulks, advocacy and public policy officer for Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, said “SNAP truly is the first line of defense when it comes to serving food insecurity. It’s the most dignifiable way to serve our food-insecure neighbors.”

Marlow said Oklahoma’s two food banks served more than two million meals during the summer of 2026.

Some people who receive SNAP benefits, primarily able-bodied adults within a certain age range, are required to engage in 80 hours a month of paid or unpaid work or participate in a work program. National studies have shown that enrollment in SNAP is down since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act mandating the work requirement was passed in 2025.

Lawmakers say the legislative study could help improve the enrollment decline for SNAP benefits and lead to additional funding to give more families access to SNAP benefits and food assistance programs.

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.