Washington State House Passes Bill to Provide $28M for Nutrition Assistance
WA state steps up (repost from Saturday)
https://southseattleemerald.com/2023/03/01/news-gleams-wa-house-passes-28m-in-nutrition-assistance-doh-releases-maternal-mortality-review/#Washington-State-House-Passes-Bill
Washington State House Passes Bill to Provide $28M for Nutrition Assistance
On March 1, the federal government will be ending the additional funding it has been providing via their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which was temporarily boosted in 2020 to offer support during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Associated Press, 30 million Americans received this extra funding.
In response, the Washington State House of Representatives unanimously passed SHB 1784 on Feb. 27. The bill proposes $28 million in food assistance for Washington residents through July. The bill was introduced by Rep. Mia Gregerson (D-33) and will provide relief until the next state budget is passed.
“I introduced this bill with 25 co-sponsors, my fellow food fighters, to address hunger relief in our state,” Gregerson said via Washington State House Democrats press release. “Why is this necessary now? Starting in March our state faces a hunger cliff because emergency SNAP allotments will be ending.
“These emergency allotments were granted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but many people — seniors and disabled people on fixed incomes, as well as low-income families — rely on this extra money to get by. With food prices 13% higher now than they were this time a year ago, it was critical to move on this before the start of the next biennium,” she added.
The bill now moves to the Washington State Senate for consideration, then to Gov. Jay Inslee.
(Please call your state senators/Gov Inslee today and ask for their support. Thanks.)
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