by VDC Staff

Information for In Committee news reports are sourced from GoldenDomeVt.com and the General Assembly website. 

Should all Vermonters receive food assistance benefits? This idea was voiced Thursday in the House Committee on Human Services by Molly Gray, the executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, former Vermont Lieutenant Governor, and 2026 Democratic candidate for Vermont Lieutenant Governor. Gray was joined by Drukhshan Farhad, the Program Officer of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, for testimony on updates to noncitizen eligibility of 3SquaresVT, which is Vermont’s version of SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). 

Gray explained the background of the challenges that the Vermont Afghan community have faced over the last year under the Trump administration, especially regarding losses in assistance benefits. HR1, aka “The Bill Beautiful Bill, drew particular criticism from Gray as the federal legislation ended SNAP benefits as of January 2026 for anyone who isn’t a legal permanent resident. This federal action left many stranded this month with few options. 

“So this population no longer has access to food through the state of Vermont. Yet the situation for them has not changed. There are still individuals who may have a disability. There are still moms who have kids. There are still individuals who are working one, sometimes two jobs, but still aren’t making enough money to pay the bills and to pay for food, just like any other Vermont families”, said Gray. 

In the fall of 2025, Vermont Afghan communities and others were deemed ineligible by the state for 3SquaresVT, unless they had been a lawful permanent resident for five years or longer. Gray and others during the committee discussion claimed that this decision was made in error. Gray also mentioned that by losing 3SquaresVT eligibility, families also lost access to other benefits and programs that use enrollment in 3SquaresVT as a qualifying benefit. 

It was at this point during her testimony that Gray suggested that the state could implement a universal statewide food assistance program for all Vermont residents. Gray suggested that the theoretical program could be paid solely from Vermont taxpayer funds to avoid having any federal taxpayer funds that may cause issues with eligibility. 

During their joint testimony, Gray and Farhad criticized Governor Scott’s administration for its handling of the 3SquaresVT benefits loss in 2025 and recommended that they provide training for their staff based on Farhad’s lengthy testimony of interacting with DCF staff. During their testimony, Committee Chair Theresa Wood also voiced her criticisms of the Scott administration. “Our state government acted precipitously in making decisions that we frankly, in this committee had heard plenty of testimony to understand were wrong. And they were proven wrong and they reversed them”, said Wood.

This is not the first time in the 2025-2026 biennium that lawmakers have publicly criticized Vermont DCF. In 2025, the department and administration were criticized over its handling of H.91 when a memo of Governor Scott’s key policy positions for the bill was presented to the committee the evening before the bill was due to be voted out of the committee. This led to delay and scrambling before a vote was taken on the bill, which did ultimately pass to the Senate floor. In particular, Senator Ann Cummings (D-Washington) expressed what she viewed as the administration’s unprofessionalism and approach of disrespect towards the committee’s efforts.