A bill seeks to guarantee food for low-income children during school vacations
Wyoming, which in 2024 decided not to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) summer food assistance program, is about to change its stance. The state’s House of Representatives approved a bill that would allow low-income families to receive support through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (SUN Bucks), a federal initiative that grants $120 per child for food purchases during the school break.
The Bill 341, called “Summer Nutrition Assistance for Children”, establishes the state’s mandatory participation in the program and assigns its administration to the Department of Family Services and the Wyoming Department of Education. The measure seeks to address child food insecurity, a problem that affects many families when school cafeterias close during the summer.
Republican Representative Lloyd Larsen, the bill’s sponsor, emphasized the program’s efficiency: “What we have found is that… the most efficient and effective way to get food to those children is really through those cards. It works.”
A debate on food security
The decision not to participate in the program in 2024 generated criticism from organizations fighting against child hunger. However, Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon has actively promoted initiatives against food insecurity, and this bill aligns with her Wyoming Hunger Initiative.
Despite support from food security advocates, Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder has been one of the main opponents of the program. Last year, she called it an unnecessary extension of social assistance: “I will not allow the Biden administration to use summer school lunch programs as a weapon to justify a new social assistance program.”.
Degenfelder did not testify at the recent legislative session, but her stance remains that Wyoming should improve its own system instead of joining federal programs.
What can be purchased with SUN Bucks?
The program follows the standards of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), meaning that beneficiaries can purchase fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products, bread, cereals, and snacks, but cannot buy hot foods, cleaning products, personal hygiene items, or medications.
Representative Reuben Tarver attempted to amend the law to restrict the purchase of sodas and require that only products made in Wyoming be acquired. However, lawmakers determined that implementing this measure would be unfeasible, so only certain modifications were approved, such as the suspension of the program if federal funding is reduced or if the state has to contribute its own funds.
The bill must now be debated in the full House of Representatives, where it will be decided whether Wyoming will finally join the federal summer food assistance program.