Gov. Lee to propose new summer food assistance program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Gov. Bill Lee’s office has confirmed to WSMV4 that a proposal is in the works for a new program surrounding summer food assistance in Tennessee.

It comes in response to questions made stemming from recent presentations imploring the governor to re-enroll in the Summer EBT program that expired at the end of 2024. Lee’s office said that the program was established in the pandemic era to supplement existing food assistance programs in an extraordinary circumstance and is mostly duplicative.

Lee now believes that the state is more capable of developing a strategy to feed Tennessee’s children during the summer.

“In the coming days, we will deliver a proposal to further invest in direct summer food assistance through a new program that will more effectively reach underserved Tennessee families and steward tax dollars responsibly,” his office released on Thursday.

“The Summer EBT program was established in the pandemic-era to supplement existing food assistance programs in an extraordinary circumstance and is mostly duplicative. As the federal government has increasingly shifted the cost burden to the states, Gov. Lee understands that Tennessee is far more capable than a bureaucracy in Washington of developing a strategy to ensure our children are fed in the summer months.

In the coming days, we will deliver a proposal to further invest in direct summer food assistance through a new program that will more effectively reach underserved Tennessee families and steward tax dollars responsibly.”

Lee’s office also released some background information for the state’s existing food assistance programs:

• The Summer Food Service Program has recently expanded to include rural non-congregate meal sites to ensure that all families, regardless of their circumstances, have access to nutritious food. This year, we approved over 1,350 SFSP meal sites across the state and served approximately 3.4 million meals to children. We anticipate this number will grow as we continue collaborating with new community partners to reach more children in rural areas, and across the state. For more information, please visit the Summer Food Service Program website.
• The Department of Education, a key partner with TDHS, also administers the Seamless Summer Feeding Option program that allows School Food Authorities (SFAs) to provide free meals to qualified low-income areas during traditional summer vacation or with state agency approval on balanced calendar breaks greater than ten days. For more information on this program, please visit: https://www.tn.gov/education/districts/snp-resources/snp-programs.html.
• Additionally, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) continues to provide crucial support to children and families throughout the state, ensuring that no one is left without access to essential food resources. The SNAP program serves over 300,000 children and continues to be an essential program to provide needed food benefits to children and families in Tennessee. For more information on the SNAP program, please review the TDHS website.

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