A federal judge late last month ruled against a group of Alaskans seeking to force the state to process applications for food assistance on time. The decision ends a yearslong legal effort to hold the state to timelines in federal law.
In 2023, 10 Alaskans sued the state after the Department of Health failed to act on their applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, within the seven to 30 days the law requires.
The suit came as thousands of applications for SNAP were caught in a backlog that left hungry Alaskans waiting months for benefits. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason granted an injunction in 2024 that required the state to process applications on time and report to the court on its progress clearing the backlog.
Last fall, the state argued the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic meant that the federal SNAP statute did not create a right for Alaskans to have their applications processed on time.
On May 21, Gleason agreed with the state and granted summary judgment, finding the SNAP statutes “do not create privately enforceable rights” that an Alaskan can sue the state for violating.
The decision also means the state will no longer have to update the court on its progress improving its processing timelines. As of the last report, covering data through March, the Division of Public Assistance was processing only 29% of SNAP applications on time, and the average processing time was 47 days, more than a month and a half.
An attorney involved in the case told the Anchorage Daily News the plaintiffs plan to appeal. A portion of the suit alleging the delays violate the Alaska Constitution could continue in state court, according to the ruling.
