--- title: "Minnesota SNAP waiver use debated by state and federal officials" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/minnesota-snap-waiver-use-debated-by-state-and-federal-officials" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/minnesota-snap-waiver-use-debated-by-state-and-federal-officials" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/minnesota-snap-waiver-use-debated-by-state-and-federal-officials.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/minnesota-snap-waiver-use-debated-by-state-and-federal-officials" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-17T19:45:47.536Z" source_reported: "2026-09-17T16:33:32.000Z" updated: "2026-09-17T20:30:14.542Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 24 hype_score: 70 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-17T19:30:30.661964+00:00" --- # Minnesota SNAP waiver use debated by state and federal officials *Officials disagree on the scope of a COVID-era policy allowing verbal signatures for food assistance applicants.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. All six digests repeat The Center Square’s report; no independent sources, limited attribution, yielding low trust. - Craft 24 of 100, higher is better. Digest offers no quotes, context or next steps; brief but clear, resulting in poor craft score. - Hype 70 of 100, lower is better. Headline mentions lawmaker fraud concerns not covered in digest, creating clickbait mismatch. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Minnesota is using a COVID-era waiver that allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants to give verbal signatures by phone. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended this waiver for Minnesota through June 30, 2028. - There is a disagreement between state and federal officials regarding the extent to which the waiver can be applied. - A lawmaker has raised concerns about potential fraud related to the waiver. Minnesota is continuing to use a COVID-era waiver that permits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants to provide verbal signatures over the phone, without requiring an audio recording. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended this waiver for the state until June 30, 2028. However, state and federal officials appear to hold differing views on the scope of the waiver's application. ## Differing views on waiver scope Reports indicate a disagreement between state and federal officials concerning the breadth of the SNAP waiver. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families stated that the waiver is available to all households. The specific nature of the federal government's differing interpretation was not detailed in the provided digests. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre-rated or right-rated digests mentioned the specific details of the disagreement between state and federal officials regarding the scope of the SNAP waiver. The digests also did not include any direct statements from the lawmaker who raised fraud concerns. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 67% (4) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-17T19:30:30.661964+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-17T20:30:14.542Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The two centre-rated digests reported that Minnesota is continuing to use a COVID-era waiver allowing SNAP applicants to provide verbal signatures by phone without an audio recording. They also noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended this waiver through June 30, 2028, and that state and federal officials appear to disagree on how broadly the waiver applies. ### Right - The four right-rated digests highlighted that Minnesota is continuing to use a COVID-era waiver for SNAP applicants, which allows for verbal signatures by phone without an audio recording. These reports also stated that the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended the waiver through June 30, 2028. A key point emphasised in these digests was the apparent disagreement between state and federal officials over the waiver's scope. One digest also mentioned that a lawmaker has raised concerns about potential fraud related to the waiver. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - high: 3 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [thedailybs.com](https://thedailybs.com/2026/09/17/minnesota-usda-differ-on-scope-of-snap-waiver-as-lawmaker-raises-fraud-concerns) — Minnesota, USDA differ on scope of SNAP waiver as lawmaker raises fraud concerns - The Daily Bo Snerdley - [The Center Square](https://thecentersquare.com/minnesota/article_79490198-c316-43c9-ae27-6dc4875f548a.html) — Minnesota, USDA differ on scope of SNAP waiver as lawmaker raises fraud concerns - [KAKE News](https://kake.com/minnesota-usda-differ-on-scope-of-snap-waiver-as-lawmaker-raises-fraud-concerns/article_5245897c-bd03-5fae-971c-0ddf90f1732c.html) — Minnesota, USDA differ on scope of SNAP waiver as lawmaker raises fraud concerns - [Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer](https://messenger-inquirer.com/news/national/minnesota-usda-differ-on-scope-of-snap-waiver-as-lawmaker-raises-fraud-concerns/article_76c6f1d0-2a17-5f6b-be40-d284c7fbd766.html) — Minnesota, USDA differ on scope of SNAP waiver as lawmaker raises fraud concerns - [The Daily Courier](https://thedigitalcourier.com/news/national/minnesota-usda-differ-on-scope-of-snap-waiver-as-lawmaker-raises-fraud-concerns/article_657fd09b-ddb6-59d0-ae50-430c80cc3088.html) — Minnesota, USDA differ on scope of SNAP waiver as lawmaker raises fraud concerns - [stonecountyenterprise.com](https://stonecountyenterprise.com/news/national/minnesota-usda-differ-on-scope-of-snap-waiver-as-lawmaker-raises-fraud-concerns/article_dd323e45-11ec-5b0a-a42b-96f86c832536.html) — Minnesota, USDA differ on scope of SNAP waiver as lawmaker raises fraud concerns ## Questions **What is the COVID-era waiver allowing in Minnesota?** Minnesota is using a COVID-era waiver that permits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants to provide verbal signatures over the phone. This means applicants do not need to provide an audio recording for their signature. **How long has the SNAP waiver been extended?** The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended Minnesota's SNAP waiver through June 30, 2028. This extension allows the state to continue using the verbal signature provision for SNAP applicants. **Do state and federal officials agree on the waiver's use?** No, state and federal officials appear to disagree over how broadly the waiver applies. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families stated the waiver is available to all households, suggesting a difference in interpretation. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/minnesota-snap-waiver-use-debated-by-state-and-federal-officials. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Minnesota SNAP waiver use debated by state and federal officials", https://mediabias.news/politics/minnesota-snap-waiver-use-debated-by-state-and-federal-officials