by Bailey Ashbaker, Senior Policy Analyst and Engagement Specialist, and Jessica Dietrich, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy
State Policy
The leaves aren’t the only things that are changing this season. We’ve got a cornucopia of policy updates for you this month. Bill season is rapidly approaching, so keep an eye on those requests and filing deadlines. A few state legislators have already begun filing bills for 2024 legislative session. If you’d like to stay in the know, check out the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate news and press release pages, you can even subscribe for email updates!
- Deadline to request state bills: December 8
- Deadline to file state bills: January 18
Ahead of 2024 legislative session, the Policy and Government Relations team at Hunger Free Oklahoma is in the process of meeting with Senate Education Committee members to talk about access to school meals in Oklahoma. We’re looking forward to identifying ways to improve and maximize federal investments in school meals in our state to improve school meal access, quality, and nutrition.
Special Elections:
State Senate District 32, located in the western half of Comanche County, is set to have a special general election on December 12. Republican Dusty Deavers and Democrat Larry Bush are the final two candidates in the running for the seat formerly held by Sen. John Michael Montgomery.
House District 39 also has a special primary election set for December 12 and a special general election set for February 13 for the seat previously held by Rep. Ryan Martinez. The district is in a central portion of Edmond, between Waterloo Road and running south to 15th Street in Edmond. The district has Bryant Avenue on the eastern boundary and Western Avenue on the western boundary. You can read more about the candidates in the running here: Slew of Candidates File for HD 39 Special Election.
Not sure which legislative district you live in? Use this easy district locator to find out!
Federal Updates
Federal Budget:
Congress has yet to finalize a budget for federal fiscal year 2024, which runs October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024. Most recently Congress passed a “stepped” continuing resolution funding some portions of the government through January 19, 2024, and the remaining portions of the government through February 2, 2024. The resolution did not include increased funding for WIC, which may put the program at risk of running out of funds in some states due to increased participation.
Farm Bill:
Congress included an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2023, in their recent action on the continuing resolution. However, until the federal budget is finalized, Congress will not act on a new Farm Bill. We will continue to closely monitor any action or discussion about the next update of the Farm Bill.
2023 SNAP State Options Report:
The Food and Nutrition Services division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released an updated State Options Report for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The report documents state by state choices on certain options that allow state agencies tailor SNAP according to their respective operational considerations and policy preferences. It also includes a summary and description of 19 SNAP policy options and waivers. These reports are not a comprehensive reflection of all policy and administrative options available to states. You can view the 2023 report and all previous versions online here.
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