NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
TOPEKA, Kan. — According to the weekly update from Kansas Action for Children, under HB 2674, Kansas would be prohibited from participating in the new, permanent Summer EBT program. The federal program would provide just $120 in summer grocery benefits for children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. John Wilson with KAC tried to explain what is happening.
"There seems to be a trend around conservative-leaning states, where they are refusing federal dollars to support summer EBT, which helps families put food on the table. That effort has now come to Kansas, where some conservative lawmakers would like to restrict the state from even applying for the program."
According to the Food Research and Action Center, Kansas has approximately 266,000 children who would be eligible to receive the Summer EBT benefit in summer 2024. This would result in about $31,920,000 in benefits being distributed to struggling families this summer.
"It's fairly simple to us," Wilson said. "This is an opportunity to help children get nutritious food, at a time that they need it. It's a reminder that there are still lots of families, lots of households in Kansas that are struggling with food insecurity."
Kansas is one of 35 states set to implement the program, unless this legislation passes.
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