Austin, Texas – Texas has refused to take part in a nationally supported program to help fight child hunger during the summer, a decision that has gotten a lot of attention and criticism. The move affects the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program, which is a permanent government aid program that helps low-income families with kids while school is out and they can’t get free or cheap meals.
Families that qualified for the Summer EBT program would have gotten $120 per child to help pay for groceries during the summer. The money was meant to assist fill the food gap that a lot of kids have when school cafeterias close. Texas, on the other hand, will not be one of the states that rolls out the program in 2025.
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Governor Greg Abbott said no to a $60 million state budget allocation that would have opened up about $450 million in federal cash for the program. The state money were needed to help run the program and make sure that benefits were given out. Feeding Texas, a group that works to end food insecurity, says that almost one in four children in Texas is food insecure. This underscores the significance of the missed opportunity.
In his explanation, Governor Abbott cited concerns about long-term fiscal uncertainty.
“As the contingency portions of this rider detail, there is a significant uncertainty regarding federal matching rates for this and other similar programs. Once there is more clarity about the long-term fiscal ramifications of creating such a program, the Legislature can reconsider funding this time,” Abbott wrote, indicating that the state could reconsider its participation once those financial implications become clearer.
But critics say that the decision ignores the critical and growing need to help families who don’t have enough food, especially in the hot summer months when other safety nets go away.
Families won’t be affected right away this summer or next. The decision was based on financing that would have allowed the state to join in 2027. But the refusal to plan forward has alarmed campaigners who say that infrastructure and preparation need to start now to make sure that things go well in the years to come.
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Texas is currently one of just 11 states, along with Florida, Georgia, South Dakota, and others, that have not put Summer EBT into effect. Tennessee used to be a part of the program in 2024, but decided not to join again in 2025.
The Summer EBT program won’t be accessible in Texas, but the state does have alternative options for families that need help. Through the Square Meals program, the Texas Department of Agriculture provides a number of summer meal sites where kids can have free meals at places like schools, libraries, and parks. But these programs generally require kids to go to certain places and consume meals there, which can be a problem for families that live in remote regions or don’t have reliable transportation.
Abbott recently passed Senate Bill 379, which limits the use of SNAP funds to buy junk food. This has added to the issue and sparked additional debate about how Texas is dealing with hunger and nutrition in at-risk groups.
While the rest of the country pushes ahead with Summer EBT, Texas continues to be in the news for its decision to discontinue a program that may have helped millions of families. Advocates are asking state legislators to think again before 2027. They say that every summer without access to consistent nourishment is another summer too long for kids who don’t have enough food.
