On January 10th, Colorado lawmakers will convene at the state capitol for the start of the 2024 Legislative Session. This will begin the 120-day lawmaking period when state representatives and senators introduce, debate and pass new state laws and a Colorado state budget, called the Long Bill. We are thrilled that one of our main legislative priorities for this coming session was already passed during an extraordinary special session this past November:
Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT)
Governor Jared Polis signed a Summer EBT bill into law, following its passage during the 2023 special session. Summer EBT is a new federal program that will serve as an additional support for low-income households. Families with children eligible for national free or reduced-price school meals will be eligible to receive $40/month per eligible child in Summer 2024. Hunger Free Colorado, in partnership with the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, led advocacy on this important bill to pave the way for the program to launch this summer. We want to give a huge thank you to Governor Polis and the bill’s sponsors: Sen. Jeff Bridges, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, Rep. Shannon Bird, and Rep. Lorena Garcia, as well as the Colorado Department of Human Services and Colorado Department of Education, and all the dedicated advocates, for their tireless work to make this new program happen. This bill will make a positive difference in the lives of over 300,000 Colorado children this coming summer! Check out our fact sheet to learn more about Summer EBT for Colorado children here.
During the regular 2024 Legislative Session, Hunger Free Colorado will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen an equitable food system and ensure all Coloradans can access the nutrition they need in their communities. We will be focusing on the following policy priorities, while also supporting our partners as they work on other policies to address Coloradans’ basic needs and well-being:
Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program
The Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program (FPAG) was established in 2018 with the goal of empowering communities in Colorado by providing crucial funding to food pantries throughout the state. Funding from this program enables food pantries to procure the nutrient-dense, local, and culturally relevant foods their communities want, and supports Colorado farmers and ranchers through local procurement. Our team is leading efforts to secure ongoing funding for the program so that food pantries can continue to offer locally sourced, culturally resonant foods to their communities to support community food access and choice and strengthen local food systems.
Healthy Food Incentives Fund
We will be supporting our friends at Nourish Colorado, as they seek permanent increased funding for the Healthy Food Incentive Fund, which supports the state’s Double Up Food Bucks program that brings in extra dollars for produce for SNAP participants. Permanent adequate funding for this program is important to ensuring that SNAP dollars can go further for SNAP participants and to make fruits and vegetables more accessible.
Time to Eat
We are joining a coalition led by our friends at Nourish Colorado and the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger to improve nutrition access for students, by exploring options for giving students more time to eat school meals. The passage of Healthy School Meals for All in 2022 was a major victory for childhood nutrition, but we have heard from students, parents, cafeteria workers and other stakeholders that limited time to eat is a barrier for students.
You can help us make sure that lawmakers prioritize Coloradans facing hunger this session by signing up for our action alerts! We’ll let you know when lawmakers are considering impactful policies and when there are opportunities to advocate and make your voice heard to support strengthening equitable food systems in our state.