Indianapolis will become the new federal headquarters of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under a sweeping U.S. Department of Agriculture reorganization announced Thursday.
The move makes Indiana home to one of five program hubs that will take over USDA nutrition operations long based in Washington, D.C. SNAP — the country's largest anti-hunger program — provides monthly food benefits to roughly 40 million Americans.
USDA officials announced last year that Indianapolis would be one of five hub locations where the department would spread its operations.
In a post on social media, Gov. Mike Braun called the move a “big win” for Indiana, and welcomed the USDA to the state.
“My administration has worked hard with USDA to show what a great place Indiana is to live and do business,” Braun wrote. “This move reflects our strong partnership with the Trump administration and our commitment to commonsense reform that delivers for Hoosiers.“
The department said in a press release that this shift is part of its creation of the Food and Nutrition Administration.
The relocation will move the leadership and staff of the USDA’s 16 nutrition assistance programs from Washington, D.C., to new hubs across various states, according to the press release.
The creation of the hubs is part of the department's effort to eliminate management layers and bureaucracy and consolidate redundant functions.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the move is about prioritizing customer service and “infusing each nutrition program with new energy and vision.”
“This reorganization is designed with those commitments in mind,” Rollins said. “I look forward to working with our partners as we continue to nourish children and families in need through nutrition programs that not only are provided by America’s farm families, but programs that pave a pathway to better health and economic stability.”
The divisions moving to other states include:
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — Indianapolis
- The Child Nutrition Programs — Dallas, Texas
- The Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs — Kansas City, Missouri
- “Research programs” — Raleigh, North Carolina
- Emergency Management and Continuity of Operations — Denver, Colorado
- Retailer operations and compliance will be spread across cities in four states — Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York
The move comes as Indiana has tightened eligibility and rules for SNAP and Medicaid to align with federal changes.
Braun was also joined last year by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz for the launch of the“Make Indiana Healthy Again” Initiative.
At the time, that included some of the most significant changes to a state SNAP program in the country, limiting access to candy, soft drinks, and desserts from the food benefit program.
It’s currently unclear how many federal employees could be relocated to Indianapolis.
According to the USDA’s website, they currently have around 100,000 employees across 29 agencies that are in more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad.
The administrator for the Food and Nutrition Administration will remain in D.C.
Indiana Sen. Jim Banks, said the move was a “huge win” for the state.
“Over the past year, I have worked closely with Hoosier agriculture leaders to relocate critical USDA programs to Indiana,” Banks said in a statement. “We’re ready to deliver on the Trump administration’s mission of getting government out of DC and closer to the people it serves.”
Contact Government Reporter Caroline Beck at cbeck@wfyi.org
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
