1, or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law last July, changes the work requirements for the federal food assistance program known as SNAP. Officials from the Illinois Department of Human Services say over 300,000 Illinoisians who receive SNAP benefits could be affected. New work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program go into effect Feb. 1, threatening benefits for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisians. Adults who do not meet the requirements can only receive SNAP benefits for up to three months in a three-year period. As of September 2025, nearly two million Illinois residents were using SNAP benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.