[Comm-partners] Federal Government Updates January 2026

[D5 Communications]

[Our Government | The White House]Federal Government Updates January 2026

•         SNAP food benefit work rules now apply statewide. USDA ended Oregon’s SNAP work-rule waivers in November 2025. Because of this, Oregon began applying the work rules statewide starting Dec 1, 2025, expanding from six counties to all counties. You can read more about this change here<https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/snap-food-benefit-work-rules-now-apply-statewide>.

o    NEW!! As of Feb. 1, 2026, discretionary exemption begins. People who live in the following counties can report an exemption because their county doesn't have a WorkSource Center:  • Crook, Gilliam, Jefferson, Lake, Morrow, Sherman, Wheeler .

•        OHA Data Sharing: Oregon Health Authority (OHA) remains committed to protecting the privacy and well-being of all Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members. Recent reports and legal developments have raised serious concerns about how federal agencies are using Medicaid data, including the personal information of the more than 1.4 million people covered by OHP. We want to share what we know.



  *   On December 29, 2025, a federal court ruled that as of January 6, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may start sharing limited information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only for individuals who are not “lawfully residing” in the United States. However, some uncertainty remains as the federal government has not provided Oregon with any information about how it plans to implement the court’s order. We will update you as more information becomes available.   o    You can get more information on OHA's website here<https://www.oregon.gov/oha/pages/federal-changes.aspx#Program-changes>.

•         DELC Update: The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) is aware of recent reports about a possible federal spending freeze on childcare funds nationwide. At this time, Oregon has not received any official notice of changes to federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) dollars that support Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) and related programs. You can get more information on the DELC federal changes webpage<https://www.oregon.gov/delc/Pages/federal-changes.aspx>.

•         Potential federal government shutdown: there will be no impacts to SNAP if there is a shutdown on January 30th. We are monitoring the situation closely for potential impacts in other parts of our agency and will communicate if anything were to be affected.

•         The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new public charge rule<https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/19/2025-20278/public-charge-ground-of-inadmissibility> that would replace the current rule from 2022. The public charge rule has not changed. This proposed rule is being considered at the federal level, but the 2022 rule is still in effect. Families can keep using medical, food, cash, and childcare benefits without new immigration consequences.

o    Most ODHS programs do not count toward public charge. Only two ODHS programs count today: Medicaid-funded long-term care in a nursing home and monthly cash through TANF. This has not changed.

o    Some families may feel scared or confused. In the past, misinformation caused immigrant and mixed-status families to stop using important programs. Partners can help by sharing clear information and connecting families to trusted legal and community resources.

•         The ODHS website<https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/Pages/federal-updates.aspx> has been updated as of December 12th with the most recent news and information about federal changes. Please take a moment to check it out.



Program Updates

•         The Job Participation Incentive (JPI) program will be suspended January 31. Notices should have been received in December announcing the end. JPI payments had recently changed to $35. More detailed information is available in this December 2 transmittal<https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/transmittals/oeptransmittals/pt25044.pdf>.



Staff Tools and Resources

•         The FACT OWL page<https://dhsoha.sharepoint.com/teams/Hub-ODHS-DO/SitePages/federal-policy-resources.aspx> has been redesigned and updated.

•         Most recent FACT H.R.1 FAQ<https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/ORDHS/2025/09/29/file_attachments/3403476/092625%20FINAL%20-%20FAQ%20-%20HR1%20Implementation%206.pdf> and Talking Points<https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/ORDHS/2025/09/29/file_attachments/3403445/092625%20Final%20-%20General%20Talking%20Points%20-%20HR1%20Implementation%206.pdf>.

•         New toolkit: Working in community amid ICE actions<https://dhsoha.sharepoint.com/teams/Hub-ODHS/SitePages/Working-in-the-community-amid-ICE-actions.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery>.

•         Check out the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement website<https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/about/pages/oira.aspx> for news, information and resources for Oregon’s newest residents.

•        Presentation request? We’ve attached a slide deck with talking points in the notes section of each slide that you can use until the next CE briefing email is sent.

o    Please reach out to your CE FACT Branch contact if you have questions, need help connecting with a subject matter expert for a presentation, or if the attached presentation doesn’t meet your needs.

o    As a reminder, please do not create your own materials relating to federal changes. Thanks!





 Ashley Holding She/Her/Hers
D5 Program Analyst/Community Partnership Coordinator
Oregon Department of Human Services
Self Sufficiency Program (SSP)
101 30th St, Springfield, OR 97478
Call or Text: 971-388-9077

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