by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, and Bailey Ashbaker, Senior Policy Analyst and Engagement Specialist
State Updates:
January 16, 2025, was the filing deadline for bills to be heard during the 2025 Oklahoma Legislative Session. As of January 17, 2025, there have been over 3,000 bills filed for the 2025 legislative session – 1,123 Senate bills and 1,925 House bills. Hunger Free Oklahoma is in the process of compiling our full list of bills filed for this session that impact hunger, food access, and low-income Oklahomans. A few such pieces of legislation include topics such as:
- SB 28, Sen. Hicks: Increasing school meals access
- HB 2032, Rep. Archer: Statewide Summer EBT participation
- HB 1111, Rep. Pogemiller: Simplifying the SNAP application for older adults
- SB 184, Sen. Kirt: Increasing the income threshold for SNAP
Governor Kevin Stitt has set the special elections to fill two vacancies in the House – House District 71 being vacated by Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, and House District 74, which has been vacated by Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso:
- January 27, 28, 29: Candidate Filing
- April 1: Special Primary Elections
- May 13: Special Primary Runoffs (if necessary)
- June 10: Special General Elections
A special election will be held to fill the vacant SD 8 seat. The primary will be on March 4, and the general election is May 13. There are six Republicans and one Democrat who filed to run in the race.
Sen. Lonnie Paxton was officially elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The Oklahoma House of Representatives elected Rep. Kyle Hilbert as Speaker.
Federal Policy Updates:
Farm Bill
Congress did not pass a Farm Bill in 2024, further delaying the important legislation that should have been passed in 2023. We expect there will be movement on a Farm Bill this year, but the timing is still uncertain.
Federal Budget
Last month, Congress passed another short-term extension of the FY25 federal budget, extending current spending levels through March 14, 2025. Unfortunately, at the last minute, a bipartisan agreement to extend states’ authority to replace stolen SNAP benefits was stripped from the bill. HFO believes there is a good chance this policy will pass in the future, but it is unclear whether it will be included in the federal budget package or the Farm Bill and whether it will be retroactive. It is extremely disappointing to HFO and families across our state that Congress allowed this policy to lapse. HFO strongly supports a permanent extension of the replacement benefit provision to ensure families can continue to receive the assistance they need. HFO also supports security measures that safeguard EBT cards and users against benefit theft.
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