The federal government has not passed funding appropriations and on October 1, 2025, entered a shutdown. While the effects are far-reaching and ripple out beyond the Department of Health, we have put together as much information as we can for our partners, local health jurisdictions, Tribes, and the public.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How will the federal shutdown affect our contracts with DOH?
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Funding for specific federal grants and interagency agreements ceased on October 1, 2025. The specific ones can be found on our public dashboard on the WA Portal page. DOH notified contractors of a potential impact on September 11 or 16 via a letter and through the September 18 and 25 DOH Digest articles.
On October 1, formal notification of a temporary suspension of contract and stop work notice was sent to affected contractors. The temporary suspension will last through the shutdown.
At the conclusion of this suspension period, DOH will reevaluate the funding status to determine whether the contract may resume or if termination will be necessary. If the funding is not restored, DOH may be forced to terminate the contract retroactively as of the date of this letter, pursuant to Contract terms.
- How will we learn more during the shutdown?
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DOH will continue to provide real time updates on this page. LHJ and Tribal leaders are receiving Tuesday and Thursday direct email updates, as well as there are ad hoc meetings with DOH executive leadership. The DOH Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program team is also holding weekly meetings with the WIC coordinators, to directly answer their questions.
Beyond these direct communications, the Office of Financial Management has a federal impact webpage, which is compiling information across the state.
- Who should we contact for updates/issues if our contract manager is an affected staff?
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If your contract manager is an affected staff member on temporary layoff, please contact our Contracts and Procurement Office at: DOHCon.mgmt@doh.wa.gov.
- Is there any support DOH can offer during this time?
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Unfortunately, given the statewide budget constraints, there is no additional funding for us to pull from to continue the work without the direct federal funding. We will continue to update this forward-facing webpage—as well as program-specific ones.
- What happens as the shutdown continues?
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We hope the shutdown will be short, but while it is happening, DOH will work to be as communicative and clear as possible.
- How long will the suspension last?
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The suspension will be in place for the duration of the federal government shutdown, until a budget or continuing resolution is passed.
- What happens when the shutdown is over?
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DOH will evaluate whether the funding was restored, reduced, or possibly eliminated and how it impacts your contract. Each contract may be affected differently. Your contract manager is the best resource for specific information on your agreement.
- How will we be able to keep up with what is happening?
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DOH will update this page with information as soon as we receive it. Weekly updates will be sent directly to LHJ and Tribal leadership. You can also reach out to the DOH contracting team for specific questions.
- What about our requirement to provide specific services?
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This is a concern for all governmental activities. A situation like this has never been experienced in our state before. With the state budget shortfall, revenue projections declining, and the loss of other funding streams unrelated to the shutdown, the state does not have the reserves to continue these services. We won’t be able to fund them at the state level, leaving local-level funding to support the efforts where they can. We understand how much of an impact this will have.
- Where can we find information on how else to support our communities?
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We have compiled some resources below. We are confident the connections and community relationships already established at the local level will likely provide the best support. We are working to develop and share communication for specific community resources we expect to be affected as well, including food banks, and will share the resources on our external page. We welcome comments from local supports to continue to share our collective resources. Washington is a great state with amazing people and together we will get through this trying time.
- What funding streams are affected?
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Currently there are 7 funding streams that are affected by the federal shutdown:
- USDA Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (2 grants)
There are 2 related to the USDA Farmer’s Market program: this will not have a noticeable effect to the public, as this program runs from May through October. We had amazing participation this year and are excited about what this means for next year. - Title 18 Medicare (1 grant) and Hospice (1 grant)
The Title XVIII grant funds each state’s State Survey Agency (SSA) to carry out inspections and enforcement activities of health care providers and suppliers that participate in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. The grants are authorized under Section 1864 of the Social Security Act, which allows Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to contract with state health agencies to perform these oversight functions on its behalf. While this is critical work, the impact is unlikely to be felt by the general public. - Women, Infants, and Children (2 grants)
The WIC program has 2 grants: one for staff and one for food funding. This will have a large impact on the public and is a critical program for Washingtonians. You can learn more about the WIC Program and its impact by visiting our WIC page. - Maternal & Child Health Block Grant (1 grant)
The Maternal and Child Health Block grant funds support state and local activities to improve the health of women, infants, children, youth, and their families. The grant is a renewable grant annually, with scope of work covering in a 5-year period. DOH was able to provide coverage for the month of October with remaining funds from the previous contract. Without a Notice of Award (NoA), impacts will likely begin in November.
While these 7 grants are the ones currently at risk, the longer the shutdown continues, the more likely there will be additional impacts.
- USDA Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (2 grants)
- Is WIC still open?
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The state DOH WIC team is significantly reduced, with 11 team members currently handling the continuing operations responsibilities. Each clinic is locally operated, so check with your clinic to determine what hours they are able to offer.
- What about SNAP?
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is administered by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). As a government partner, we understand how our programs work together to support Washington families. Local resources and other information can be found on the DSHS federal shutdown information page.
- How does SNAP affect DOH programs?
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DOH provides 3 Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Programs (FVIP), which are SNAP fund-matching programs.
- SNAP Produce Match (SPM), which includes Safeway, Amazon, and co-ops, will continue for those with EBT balances. SNAP customers can continue to redeem SNAP Produce Match coupons.
- SNAP Produce Rewards (SPR), which includes eHIP at farmers markets and Fiesta Foods, will continue for those with EBT balances. SNAP customers can continue to redeem SNAP Produce Rewards.
- SNAP Market Match (SMM), which includes farmers markets and farm stands, will continue for those with EBT balances. SNAP customers can continue to redeem SNAP Market Match currency.
Anyone with questions about these programs should email the FVIP program.
General Resources
Below are several resources you may find helpful during this time.
DOH Grants Dashboard (Healthier Washington Collaboration Portal)
Summary: The Federal Government Shutdown Resources page provides a dashboard to track the status of active federal grants, showing which programs may be affected. It supports planning and coordination during funding uncertainty, with filters to refine results and ongoing updates.
Washington Attorney General's Federal Litigation Tracker (Washington Office of the Attorney General)
Summary: The Washington Attorney General’s Federal Litigation Tracker highlights lawsuits led or joined by AG Nick Brown to protect residents’ constitutional rights and secure billions in federal funding at risk. The tracker outlines ongoing and past cases challenging harmful federal actions.
H.R. 1 impacts on Washington state people and budget (Office of Financial Management)
Summary: House Resolution 1 brings major federal policy changes that affect Washingtonians’ daily lives and the state budget. Impacts include shifts to SNAP benefits, Medicaid coverage, student loan programs, and renewable energy incentives—shaping how people access services, health care, and education.
Federal shutdown impacts on Washington state government (Office of Financial Management)
Summary: Washington State OFM is collecting information from various state agencies on the impact of the federal shutdown on Washington state government services.
Summary: The Department of Social and Health Services recently published a page about the impacts of the federal shutdown on their programs, specifically SNAP. Information about SNAP is available on their SNAP services page.
Summary: The Department of Social and Health Services published a toolkit for community resources to use when communicating about the federal shutdown impacts on SNAP.
Resources Available to Local Public Health and Tribes Only
Summary: This resource hub provides governmental public health system members with background on federal government structure, rulemaking, public health agencies, and federal–tribal–state authority, along with additional reference materials.