RTS Action Alert: Food Insecurity 2026
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This week, we invite you to explore the RTS System by reviewing the bills we’re tracking policies that address hunger and its root causes in Arizona.
SUPPORT
HB2579 — appropriation; free school meals; ADE
Appropriates $4.5 million from the state general fund in FY2026-27 to the Arizona Department of Education to provide free school meals for children who meet the income eligibility requirements for free and reduced-price lunches.
SUPPORT
Free school meals ensure children are fed, able to learn, and treated with dignity. No child should face hunger or stigma at school. This bill advances the common good and reflects our call to care for the vulnerable.
HB2683 — SNAP; temporary funding; federal government
Establishes an Emergency Food Assistance Fund administered by the Department of Economic Security (DES) to temporarily support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) when the federal government is shut down or otherwise unable to provide funding. Authorizes DES to use fund monies to provide temporary food vouchers or assistance to ineligible households and to award grants to food banks, food pantries, and community-based hunger relief organizations. Appropriates $5 million from the state general fund in FY2026-27 to the Fund.
SUPPORT
Temporary SNAP funding protects families from disruption during federal uncertainty. Food assistance must remain reliable. Lutheran values call us to safeguard access to nutrition and prevent gaps that harm children and seniors.
SB1598 — appropriation; schools; community gardens
Appropriates $500,000 from the state general fund in FY2026-27 to the Arizona Department of Education to award grants to school districts and charter schools to build community gardens.
SUPPORT
Community gardens in schools support nutrition, education, and community resilience. This investment addresses food access while strengthening local capacity. Lutheran faith supports solutions that nourish both people and neighborhoods.
OPPOSE
HB2442 / SB1331 — SNAP; mandatory employment and training
Requires the Department of Economic Security to require able-bodied adults under 60 who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to participate in a mandatory employment and training program. Exempts recipients who meet federal work registration requirements, care for an incapacitated person or a child under six, are bona fide students, participate in substance abuse treatment, work at least 30 hours per week or meet specified earnings thresholds, or are certain minors.
OPPOSE
Mandatory SNAP employment and training adds paperwork barriers without addressing childcare, health, or transportation. Hunger should never be used as leverage. Lutheran faith calls us to protect food access and human dignity. Mandatory SNAP E&T requirements often increase hunger through case closures, not jobs. Without addressing root barriers, this approach harms families. Lutherans oppose using food access as a compliance tool.
HB2448 / SB1334 — SNAP; work requirement waivers; exemptions
Prohibits the Department of Economic Security (DES) from seeking, applying for, accepting or renewing federal work requirement waivers for able-bodied adults without dependents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program unless required by federal law or authorized by state law. Prohibits DES from exercising discretionary exemptions from federal work requirements unless authorized by state law.
OPPOSE
This bill restricts Arizona’s ability to use federal SNAP flexibility during hardship. Limiting waivers increases hunger without improving outcomes. Restricting SNAP waivers reduces flexibility during economic stress and increases food insecurity. Hunger should never be used to force compliance. Our faith urges policies that protect life and dignity and rejects policies that punish poverty instead of meeting basic needs.
HB2797 / SB1002 — SNAP; TANF; public welfare; verification
Requires the Department of Economic Security (DES) to verify eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by cross-referencing state and federal data sources on a monthly or quarterly basis, including lottery or gambling winnings, employment status, incarceration, and residency. Directs DES to publicly post aggregate data on SNAP fraud investigations and recoveries. Requires the Department of Health Services to participate in eligibility reviews using federal data. Mandates DES investigation of SNAP recipients who make excessive out-of-state purchases and remove recipients found not to reside in Arizona.
OPPOSE
Expanded verification increases administrative burden and wrongful loss of benefits for eligible families. Assistance should be accessible, not policed. Lutheran social teaching prioritizes dignity and meeting human needs over surveillance. SB1002 mirrors harmful verification expansions that create fear, delays, and benefit loss. Public assistance should stabilize families, not create new barriers. Our faith calls for compassion and justice in policy.
HB2206 / SB1333 — SNAP; error rate; forensic audit
Requires the Department of Economic Security (DES) to reduce the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payment error rate to not more than 3 percent by December 30, 2030. Requires DES, beginning in FY2027-28 and each year thereafter, to submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing progress, strategies, and barriers to reducing the payment error rate. Requires DES, if interim or final targets are not met, to submit a corrective action plan, pay 50 percent of any federal liabilities resulting from excess error rates, implement corrective actions under Auditor General oversight, and accept a 10 percent reduction in administrative funding for noncompliance. Requires the Auditor General to complete a forensic audit by December 30, 2031, and requires DES to implement audit recommendations within 12 months unless waived by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Repeals these requirements on January 1, 2033.
OPPOSE
Punitive audits and error penalties risk discouraging benefit access and delaying aid. Feeding people should be the priority. Lutheran values call for accountability that does not undermine hunger relief.
If you have not used your RTS account before, or need a refresher, read on for a quick guide.
Click here to log into your account. If your account was set up by our office, you received an email from us with your password! After you log in, click on the RTS Application— the blue square with the microphone icon.
This will take you to the RTS dashboard. Select “My Bill Positions” from the menu on the list.
This is where you can add your opinion to the public record! In the search bar, enter the “HB2054",” then click on the bill that comes up.
Once you have the bill selected, click the green thumbs up to indicate your favor for the bill. Then, click the blue Add button.
After you click Add, your stance will be noted on record. It will added to the list of bills you support, and your name will be added to the list of the bill’s supporters.
And there you have it, you have now officially used your RTS account! The RTS system offers many more opportunities to speak on bills, read bill texts, stay up-to-date on committee hearings, and see who else has spoken on a bill, and we encourage you to explore it! Bills will be open for written and spoken comments when they are being heard in committee— stay tuned for our alerts!