WIC at Market

Moving Up: Two SFC Supported Bills Work Their Way Through the Texas Legislature

Two SFC-supported bills (SB 1834, HB 3541) working their way through the Texas Legislature would lay the foundation for statewide action on SNAP Incentive Programs, which double the value of Lone Star benefits (food stamps) when they’re spent on fresh, Texas-grown produce.

While close to $100 million in federal funding has been distributed to support SNAP incentives since 2014, Texas applicants have only received $100,000 in federal matching funds.

The Farm Bill passed in December includes $250 million in federal funds to support SNAP incentive programs through the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program. Texas can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. We need to take these programs statewide.

SB 1834 and HB 3541 would empower the Texas Department of Health and Human Services—the agency tasked with distributing the $5.2 billion that Texans spend in SNAP each year—to study, pilot, and (if feasible) leverage federal funding to grow these programs throughout the state. This work will be guided by an advisory board comprised of leaders in the fields of food access, public health, and Texas agriculture.

*UPDATE* SB 1834 passed the Texas Senate 26-4 on April 25