SNAP benefits for Texans may not go out in November if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission .

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food purchasing support to approximately 3.5 million Texans , including more than 1.7 million children. Those benefits amount to around $617 million per month.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service — the federal agency that administers SNAP — notified states in mid-October that payments could stall.

"If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the nation," said Ronald Ward, the acting associate administrator for

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