by Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy
State Updates
The state legislature is in the final week of the regular legislative session. While some bills remain, most bills that will make it through the legislative process this year have already made their way to the governor’s desk.
- HB 1111 (Rep. Pogemiller) – Requires Oklahoma Human Services to take full advantage of the Elderly and Disabled Simplified App Process (EDSAP): Dormant.
- HB 1575 (Rep. Lawson) — Creates a study on a unified and streamlined eligibility and enrollment system within the Department of Human Services to improve access to and management of services: Sent to the Governor and became law without the Governor’s signature.
- HB 1577 (Rep. Lawson) — Requires Medicaid to cover the cost of medically necessary human milk for premature babies: Dormant.
- SB 190 (Sen. Pederson & Rep. Pae) — Reauthorizes the option to donate a tax refund to a food bank: Sent to the Governor and became law without the Governor’s signature.
- SB 806 (Sen. Pugh & Rep. Moore) — Creates the Food is Medicine Act to incentivize contracted nutrition service entities through the Health Care Authority and Department of Education: Signed by the Governor.
Interim Studies
As the regular session winds down, we will enter the next phase of legislative activity, requesting and preparing for interim studies. If there is an issue that you think the legislature needs to take a closer look at outside of the normal legislative process, reach out to a legislator to see if they are willing to work with you to request an interim study. As those studies are requested and approved, we will provide information about those that relate to food security in our regular Capitol Insider updates.
ICYMI – Check Out the New Friday Five
There is a new way to get the latest info on food security policy discussions that impact Oklahoma. Follow HFO on social media and each Friday, we are sharing the Friday Five – five fast facts about the latest developments in our space.
Federal Updates
Congress has taken significant action on reconciliation since the last Capitol Insider update.
Through the reconciliation process, the House proposed several cuts to vital programs to reduce spending and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse of programs.
One of the most concerning proposals would shift some SNAP benefit costs to states beginning in 2028. For Oklahoma, this could mean $75 million to $375 million in new annual costs, depending on how error rates are calculated—often influenced by outdated systems and complex eligibility rules. Several other changes in the proposal would limit benefits or make it harder for people to qualify for SNAP, thus increasing food insecurity across the nation, including:
- Limits on Benefit Updates: Freezes updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which sets benefit levels, ignoring rising food costs for the nearly 700,000 Oklahomans who rely on SNAP.
- Expanded Time Limits for Benefit Access: Increases the age for work requirements from 54 to 64 and redefines what counts as a dependent child, potentially affecting well over 100,000 Oklahomans.
- Utility and Internet Cuts: Limits deductions for utilities and internet, which could cut benefits by $20 to $100 per month for many households.
- Punitive Error Penalties: Sets a zero-tolerance standard for small errors, potentially increasing administrative costs by millions of dollars each year.
- Cuts to Nutrition Education: Repeals funding for the SNAP-Ed program, which helps thousands of Oklahoma families make healthier food choices and eliminates a proven tool for reducing long-term healthcare costs.
Despite these concerning policies, it is important to note a positive policy in the House package that extends funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) through 2031. Unfortunately, continuing to fund commodities at existing levels does nothing to soften the devastating blow to food security in our state and our country that these SNAP changes will bring.
Next Steps and Call to Action
After some bumps in the process, this package passed the House and now moves on to the Senate. The Senate plans to act in the coming weeks. We are hearing some pushback in the Senate on many of these policies and are hopeful that the Senate chooses to take a different path than their colleagues across the rotunda.
It is crucial for Oklahomans to take action by contacting your members of Congress today and urge them to protect and strengthen SNAP for the well-being of our communities.
Find your Members of Congress here.
- Senator James Lankford Contact Info
- Senator Markwayne Mullin Contact Info
- Congressman Kevin Hern Contact Info
- Congressman Josh Brecheen Contact Info
- Congressman Frank Lucas Contact Info
- Congressman Tom Cole Contact Info
- Congresswoman Stephanie Bice Contact Info
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