USDA: 15 states haven’t signed up for Summer EBT
Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes have signed up for the new summer benefits program for children known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer that will be launched this summer, but 15 states have not, according to a list posted Tuesday by the Agriculture Department.Summer EBT is intended to provide groceries for children who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches and breakfasts during the regular school year. It was established on a permanent basis under the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act. USDA estimates that, in total, the states, U.S. territories, and tribes that have committed to launching the Summer EBT program in summer 2024 will serve close to 21 million children, providing a total of nearly $2.5 billion in grocery benefits. This is around 70% of the total population of children eligible for Summer EBT. USDA expects additional states and tribes will provide Summer EBT in 2025.
“Through this new program, states will provide families with $120 per eligible child for the summer to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets or other authorized retailers – similar to how SNAP benefits are used. Participating tribes will provide a benefit of the same amount that can be used to buy food at WIC-authorized retailers,” USDA said.
“Summer grocery benefits are becoming a reality for many communities across the nation and for tens of millions of children who will receive the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release. “We applaud all the leaders and partners who are stepping up to make the program’s inaugural year a success. Together, we’re making progress in closing the summer hunger gap and ensuring children are nourished and healthy year-round.
“The states that have not signed up for Summer EBT are Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Dakota, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, South Carolina, Vermont and Wyoming, The Progressive Farmer/DTN noted in a blog post published Tuesday.
Some of those states have just not signed up yet, but in Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma, Republican governors have made a point of passing up the federal money on the grounds that it is welfare. An exception to the conservative-led states has been Arkansas, the home of Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., the Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member, who supported the program.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Republican governor of Arkansas, thanked Boozman for helping pass the program and said, “Making sure no Arkansan goes hungry, especially children, is a top concern for my administration. We are leveraging every resource at our disposal to fight this crisis, and Summer EBT promises to be an important new tool to give Arkansas children the food and nutrition they need.”
In his blog post, Chris Clayton, the ag policy editor at The Progressive Farmer/DTN,noted that if a governor blocked a farm program there would be an “all-out blitz” from farm groups. “School children from low-income families don’t have that kind of lobbying firepower. And it’s starting to show,” Clayton wrote.
In a letter published Tuesday, Samantha Joseph, director of the Agriculture Department’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, urged faith-based leaders to:
▪ “Convene state and local faith-based leaders for critical discussions on how Summer EBT will advance in your community and how faith-based leaders can help ensure a successful rollout, for example, by supporting outreach.
▪ “Encourage your congregations and communities to engage with governors on the incredible opportunity that Summer EBT represents to respond to summer hunger … [governors] can use their platforms, such as their State of the State addresses, their budget proposals, and convening power, to underscore their strong support for the new summer feeding options.
▪ “Commit to supporting future outreach and marketing campaigns for the expanded summer meals programs.”
–The Hagstrom Report