by Bailey Ashbaker, Senior Policy Analyst and Engagement Specialist
State Updates
Back to school season is here! While students are getting ready for their studies, our state legislators are as well. The Oklahoma Legislature has begun scheduling approved House and Senate interim studies for the fall. All approved Senate studies must be completed by October 31, and all approved House studies completed by November 6.
Senate Interim Studies
- SSP1001 | Senator Bergstrom: SNAP (food stamps) Review & Reform
- SSP1072 | Senator Pugh: School Nutrition
- SSP1076 | Senator Reinhardt: Healthy Meals for Kids
- SSP1082 | Senator Standridge: SNAP Programs and Healthy Options
House Interim Studies
- HSP1036 | Rep. Gise, Rep. Pae, Rep. Turner: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Oklahoma
- Combined with HSP1082 | Rep. Ford: SNAP program using Global Accountability Corp’s Technology
- HSP1054 | Rep. Pae, Rep. Gise: HB1575 Implementation; scheduled 10/8/2025 at 1:30pm
- HSP1055 | Rep. Menz, Rep. Waldron, Rep. Pogemiller: Childhood Hunger; scheduled 9/24/2025 at 1:30pm
- HSP1105 | Rep. Pittman: Food Insecurity and Access: Mapping, Incentives, and Agricultural Solutions
On August 4, 2025, the USDA approved a waiver submitted by Oklahoma Human Services in response to the Executive Order issued by Governor Stitt to restrict SNAP users from purchasing candy and soft drinks with EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards. The current implementation date is January 1, 2026, and the project duration is two years. The state is required to provide a finalized evaluation plan defining Project health outcomes and behaviors tracked throughout the Project.
Under the guidance of the waiver, “Candy” includes:
- Chocolate bars (including products containing flour, such as Kit Kat, Twix, or similar items),
- Hard candies
- Gummies
- Caramels
- Taffy
- Licorice
- Mints/chewing gum
“Candy” does not include:
- Baked goods or bread products, regardless of sweetener content
Under the guidance of the waiver, “Soft drinks” include:
- Carbonated sodas
- Non-carbonated sweetened beverages
- Energy drinks, energy supplements, and sports drinks (whether carbonated or not)
- Sweetened bottled or canned teas and lemonades
- Flavored waters with added sweeteners
“Soft drinks” do not include:
- Coffee or unsweetened tea
- 100% fruit or vegetable juice, or beverages containing more than 50% juice by volume
- Milk, milk substitutes, dairy-based drinks, or similar beverages
Federal Updates
Congress will return from recess at the beginning of September and proceed with Fiscal Year 2026 budget negotiations. The Senate and President’s budget proposals have already been released, with the House version to be determined. Much of the coming month will involve reconciling the differences in proposed funding for different programs under the Federal Budget.
President’s Budget
- Adds $500 for Make America Healthy Again initiatives
- Eliminates $4.1 billion in LIHEAP funding
- Reduces WIC fruit and vegetable incentive by 2/3
- Eliminates $425 million in CSFP funding
- Eliminates $10 million in School Meals Equipment Grants
- Eliminates $5 million in Farm to School Grants
- Reduces funding for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance by 50% and converts program to block grants
- Eliminates Public Housing funding $3.4 billion
- Eliminates Community Development Block Grant funding $3.4 billion
- Eliminates HOME program $1.25 billion
- Eliminates funding for Self Sufficiency programs
Senate Budget
- MAHA: No funding provided
- Increases LIHEAP funding by $20 million
- Increases WIC funding by $603 million
- Maintains current funding for CSFP and Farm to School Grants
- Increases School Meals Equipment Grants by $2 million
- Increases Tenant-Based Rental Assistance $1.3 billion
- Decreases Public Housing by $210 million
- Decreases CDBG by $200 million
- Maintains HOME funding
- Increases Self Sufficiency program funding by $15 million
House Budget (only currently HUD and USDA budgets released):
- Maintains funding for WIC, CSFP, School Meals Equipment, and Farm to School Grants
- Reduces Tenant-Based Rental Assistance by $780 million
- Reduces Public Housing by $1.1 billion
- Maintains CDBG
- Eliminates HOME funding $1.25 billion
- Reduces Self Sufficiency Programs by $16 million
Join our newsletter to receive these updates and more via email.
Visit www.hungerfreeok.org/join-newsletter to sign up!