Nev. (KOLO) - The governor’s office is releasing information on how the federal shutdown will affect food assistance programs in Nevada.

According to officials, more than 55,000 people benefit from the state’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. In a release Monday evening, the governor’s office says the Nevada Board of Examiners and the Interim Finance Committee have approved a request for $7.3 million in emergency funding to support the program. Part of that will be distributed weekly, as long as the USDA does not provide any money.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office says the state will not be funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They say SNAP is not an emergency food program, and and federal regulations prohibit states from funding it directly.

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