ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

 

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

HB 2683: SNAP; temporary funding; federal government

Sponsor: Representative Hernandez A, LD 20

Committee on Health & Human Services

Overview

Establishes the Emergency Food Assistance Fund (Emergency Fund) to be administered by Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) and used for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when the federal government is shutdown or otherwise unable to provide monies to the program.

History

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget and help the family afford nutritious food. To be eligible for SNAP benefits, an applicant must meet specific age, household, employment and income requirements.

Nutrition Assistance, formerly known as The Food Stamp Program, is Arizona’s program under SNAP and is administered by DES. Nutrition Assistance provides eligible households with monthly benefits that may be used to purchase nutritious food. SNAP benefits allow members to purchase specific items including: 1) breads and cereals; 2) meats, fish, poultry and dairy products; and 3) infant formula and diabetic foods. SNAP benefits exclude the purchase of certain items such as: 1) alcoholic beverages; 2) cigarettes or tobacco; 3) vitamins and minerals; and 4) non-food items (USDA; DES).

Provisions

1.   Establishes the Emergency Fund to be administered by DES and consist of legislative appropriations. (Sec. 1)

2.   Requires monies in the Emergency Fund to be continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing. (Sec. 1)

3.   Requires DES to use monies from the Emergency Fund for the purposes of SNAP only when the federal government is shutdown or otherwise unable to provide monies for SNAP.  (Sec. 1)

4.   Allows Emergency Fund monies to provide:

a.   temporary food vouchers, electronic benefits or direct assistance to households that are not eligible for SNAP; and

b.   grants to food banks, food pantries and community-based hunger relief organizations to expand emergency food distribution. (Sec. 1)

5.   Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to the Emergency Fund. (Sec. 2)

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9.   Initials AG                       HB 2683

10.  2/4/2026    Page 0 Health & Human Services

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