WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Wichita Falls has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the country, and upcoming changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could make it harder for people to put food on the table.

Members of the House Agriculture Committee have proposed changes that would shift 75% of SNAP’s funding responsibility to the states, leaving only 25% of the funding to the federal government. The plan also includes cutting more than $290 billion from the program, which currently helps 42 million people across the country afford food.

The proposed changes would make it harder to qualify for benefits and could lower the number of people who are approved.

David O’Neil, CEO of the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, said the changes would have a serious impact on the local community.

“We also have the 15th highest food insecurity rate out of almost 200 food banks in the entire country. So it will impact us and it will impact our communities and most importantly it will impact families and children who many times through no fault of their own, are struggling with hunger,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil said even if the changes go through, he believes the Wichita Falls community will step up to help.

“We live in, in a community and in an area that has always stepped up to whatever the need was. And this may be a moment where there’s the opportunity for others to step up to help people in need and I fully believe in our communities to be able to do that,” O’Neil said.

Food bank officials said they expect the changes to pass and are preparing to help more people in the community who may soon need food assistance.