A dozen U.S. states are considering forgoing a combined $1.14 billion in federal funding aimed at helping nearly 10 million children in need of food assistance next summer. This funding comes through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program, or SUN Bucks, which provides eligible families with $120 per child to purchase food during the summer months.
These states, all led by GOP governors, face a January 1 deadline to opt into the program, but currently, states such as Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida are set to miss out on this support.
The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a nonprofit focused on hunger relief, emphasized the importance of the program, especially during the summer when children are at risk of hunger due to the lack of school meals. FRAC’s interim president, Crystal FitzSimons, stated that the funding is a crucial opportunity for states to ensure children have access to the nutrition they need to thrive.
The Summer EBT Program, one of several Summer Nutrition Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helped bridge the food gap for around 21 million children in 37 states, as well as in Washington D.C., U.S. territories, and Native American tribes last summer.
Despite not having widespread name recognition, a poll by Data for Progress showed that the program enjoys strong bipartisan support when voters are informed about it.
In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee has announced his decision not to renew participation in the program, even though it would benefit hundreds of thousands of children in the state, contributing an estimated $77.2 million in support.
Advocacy groups are urging him to reconsider, highlighting Tennessee’s acute need for the program due to the state’s geographical challenges and the lingering effects of Hurricane Helen, which impacted many communities already struggling with hunger and poverty.