Virginia launches new food aid program to replace halted SNAP

Driving the news: Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday that surplus funds will temporarily replace federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits through at least November.

• Called Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, the initiative is estimated to cost about $37.5 million per week.
• Youngkin is also allocating $1 million to food banks to help families facing delays.

How it works: Under VENA, the state will issue weekly payments starting Monday, Nov. 3, through the same EBT cards that SNAP recipients use. It'll also mirror SNAP's existing payment structure, which has three distribution groups.

• The first group will get their VENA payment Nov. 3.
• The second: Nov. 5.
• The third: Nov. 7.

Caveat: The first two groups will receive their weekly payments a few days later than usual, prompting Youngkin's food bank funding boost.

What they're saying: "I know we still have a few things to work through," Youngkin said. "But we are going to stand strong for those who are most in need at a time when they need us most."

What's next: Youngkin said updates will be posted at dss.virginia.gov.

Go deeper: Two dozen states sue Trump administration over impending SNAP cuts