Gov. Wes Moore announced Friday that the Maryland Department of Human Services has launched a new interactive tool connecting SNAP customers with the state’s largest-ever network of employment and training partners. The administration describes the effort as a response to federal changes that have added new work requirements for SNAP recipients.
The mobile-friendly tool lets SNAP customers search for Employment and Training (E&T) providers near them by location and industry. Maryland says it is now partnering with 46 SNAP E&T providers statewide in 2026 — a 48% expansion of the network — with investment in the program totaling up to $30 million. (DHS’s own program page separately describes the expansion as going from 30 to 48 organizations; both figures come from the department, and the discrepancy wasn’t immediately clear.) Through the network, participants can access free training, along with support services such as transportation, clothing, required safety equipment, soft-skills training, résumé help and job-search assistance.
“Marylanders’ access to work, wages and wealth and their access to food assistance are both crucial for the well-being of our state’s communities,” Moore said in a statement. “While the federal government continues to attack programs hardworking families rely on, our administration is working tirelessly to build pathways to meaningful careers in the communities that need it the most.”
The announcement comes after a federal law, known as H.R. 1, expanded SNAP work requirements last November to require most recipients to work, train or volunteer at least 20 hours a week, or 80 hours a month, to keep their benefits. Nearly 36,000 Marylanders lost SNAP benefits after the new requirements took effect Nov. 1, 2025, according to the governor’s office. Maryland’s SNAP program serves more than 625,000 people monthly, including nearly 266,000 children, with an average monthly benefit of $182 per customer, according to DHS data.
“Under Governor Moore’s leadership, we are taking action to protect Marylanders who rely on SNAP to provide food for their families as federal policies make things more difficult,” said DHS Acting Secretary Stacy Rodgers. “By connecting customers with our expansive network of workforce partners, we will help Marylanders overcome new federal restrictions on food assistance and develop fulfilling careers.”
The administration points to several other recent steps it says are aimed at preserving SNAP access: more than 289,000 Marylanders have used the state’s Maryland Benefits One Application to access SNAP; DHS overhauled its SNAP renewal process; and the state partnered with the nonprofit Results for America to text 14,000 SNAP customers who lost benefits over new paperwork requirements, informing them they can reapply while working to meet the requirements. In July, Maryland became the fourth state in the country to roll out EMV chip-and-tap EBT cards, a security upgrade independently confirmed by outlets including WJLA and WMDT.
The state also says its outreach is working: citing national tracking data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization, the administration says Maryland’s monthly SNAP participation has declined less sharply than in most other states since H.R. 1 took effect. That comparative ranking traces to CBPP’s own analysis rather than an independent state-by-state audit.
