Update on Arizona Hunger Bills
Hunger
The two bills we are championing — HB2213 Free School Lunches (Gutierrez) and HB2385 Double Up Food Bucks (Marshall Sr) have seen ups and downs. HB2213 didn’t get a third read, and is stalled as of today, but we’re hopeful that due to bipartisan support, final appropriation through the governor’s office will be ongoing. HB2385 is still alive at a much lower appropriation amount, but ultimately, we don’t want the two bills’ funding needs to cancel each other out.
There aren’t many bills we are able to champion this session; it’s mostly about trying to protect SNAP. The bills below affect SNAP benefits in Arizona. If passed, the bills are likely to cause much more harm than good, making it more difficult for people in need to access help securing food.
Hunger RTS Action Alerts. The following bills are moving through the Arizona legislature even as we speak. It’s time to make our voices heard and demonstrate our love and care for our neighbors.
Support
HB2213 - appropriation; free school meals (support). Primary Sponsor: Nancy Gutierrez. Prohibits public schools from serving, selling, or allowing third parties to sell "ultraprocessed food" (defined) on campus during the school day. Does not prevent a student's parents or guardians from providing such foods to the student. Requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to post a standardized compliance certification form and a list of compliant schools on its website. Appropriates $3.8 million from the state general fund in FY2025-26 to ADE to provide free school lunches for children who meet the income eligibility requirements for free and reduced-price lunches under the federal National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Acts. HOUSE ENGROSSED. NOTE: After the amendment was added (most of the language from HB2164), our colleagues at Arizona Food Bank Network noted some concern about how the funding was going to work with the additional requirements. AzFBN will continue to work with the Governor’s office, but with the bipartisan support of HB2213, they’re hoping the final appropriation will be ongoing. UPDATE: House - Committee of the Whole - House COW passed amended - Feb 25, 2025; however, as of 11:00 am Mar 11, this bill is dead.
HB2385 - produce incentive program; appropriation (support). Primary Sponsor: David Marshall Sr. Appropriates $5 million annually from the state general fund to the Department of Economic Security for the Produce Incentive Program. NOTE: Strike-Everything Amendment Adopted by House Committee on Appropriations - Feb 20, 2025: Appropriates $1 million from the state general fund in FY2025-26 to the Department of Economic Security to implement the produce incentive program. This is the “Double Up Food Bucks” bill from our coalition partners at Pinnacle Prevention; we are being cautions about advocacy here, as we don’t want HB2213 and HB2385 to be pitted against each other for funds down the line. Both need funding! UPDATE: Senate First Reading - Referred to Senate Rules Referred to Senate Natural Resources Referred to Senate Appropriations - Mar 10, 2025; Senate Second Reading - Tuesday, 03/11/2025 08:33 A.M.
Oppose
The bills LAMA and our anti-hunger coalition partners oppose unfairly target the most vulnerable Arizonans and take away much of the already meager support available to our neighbors living in crisis. If these bills pass, hungry Arizonans will have fewer options to put food on their tables.
SB1071 - SNAP; TANF; public welfare; verification (oppose). Primary Sponsor: John Kavanagh. Requires the Department of Economic Security (DES) to verify eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients through data-sharing agreements with various agencies, such as the Department of Revenue and the Department of Health Services, to identify changes in circumstances like lottery winnings, residency changes, or incarceration, that may affect eligibility. DES is required to conduct monthly reviews of income, employment, and other relevant records. Requires DES to use the data from Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to identify any individual who has made purchases exclusively out-of-state for a 90-day period and determine whether those individuals reside in Arizona. SENATE ENGROSSED. UPDATE: House First Reading - Referred to House Rules Referred to House Health & Human Services - Mar 03, 2025; House Health & Human Services - Monday, 03/17/2025 2:00 P.M. or upon recess or adjournment of Floor - HHR 4
HB2121 - SNAP; mandatory employment and training (oppose). Primary Sponsor: Julie Willoughby. The Department of Economic Security must require able-bodied adults under the age of 60 receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to participate in a mandatory employment and training program, as outlined in federal regulations. Exceptions are provided for individuals meeting specific criteria, including compliance with work registration requirements under certain federal programs, caregiving responsibilities for young children or incapacitated persons, enrollment in qualifying educational or rehabilitation programs, or employment meeting specified hours or income thresholds. UPDATE: Bill passed House Third Reading on Feb 25 (33-27-0-0-0); Now ready for Senate First Reading - Referred to Senate Rules Referred to Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency - Mar 03, 2025
HB2122 - SNAP; work requirement waivers; exemptions (oppose). Primary Sponsor: Julie Willoughby. Prohibits the Department of Economic Security from seeking, applying for, accepting, or renewing waivers of work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents under certain conditions unless required by federal law or authorized by state law. UPDATE: Senate First Reading - Referred to Senate Rules Referred to Senate Natural Resources Referred to Senate Appropriations - Mar 10, 2025
HB2449 - AHCCCS; enrollment verification; presumptive eligibility (oppose). Primary Sponsor: Michael Carbone. Requires the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to establish data matching agreements with state agencies to verify member eligibility, including lottery winnings, death records, unemployment benefits, and tax records. Prohibits AHCCCS from accepting self-attestation of eligibility factors without independent verification unless required by federal law. Directs AHCCCS to seek a federal waiver to eliminate mandatory hospital presumptive eligibility and limit it to children and pregnant women. Establishes performance standards for hospitals making presumptive eligibility determinations and implements penalties for noncompliance. Effective January 1, 2026. HOUSE ENGROSSED. UPDATE: Bill passed House Third Reading on Feb 25 (33-27-0-0-0); Now ready for Senate First Reading - Referred to Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency Referred to Senate Rules - Mar 03, 2025
Monitoring
HB2164 - public schools; ultra processed foods (monitoring). Primary Sponsor: Leo Biasiucci. Prohibits public schools from serving or selling "ultraprocessed foods" (defined) on campus during the normal school day. Does not prevent a student's parents or guardians from providing such foods to the student. NOTE: coalition partners Arizona Food Bank Network is NEUTRAL on this legislation. UPDATE: Bill passed House Third Reading - Feb 24, 2025 (59-0-1-0-0); Transmit to Senate - Ready for Senate - Feb 24, 2025
HB2165 - SNAP; prohibited purchases; waiver (monitoring). Primary Sponsor: Leo Biasiucci. Requires the Director of the Department of Economic Security (DES) to request a waiver from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to exclude candy, soft drinks, and comparable food items from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If the waiver is granted, DES is required to prohibit SNAP enrollees from purchasing these items with program benefits. If the waiver is denied, DES must reapply annually until it is granted. NOTE: coalition partners Arizona Food Bank Network is NEUTRAL on this legislation. UPDATE: Bill passed House Third Reading - Feb 26, 2025 (32-27-1-0-0); Senate First Reading - Referred to Senate Rules Referred to Senate Health and Human Services - Mar 03, 2025
Using your RTS Account
Navigate to azleg.gov, click on Legislative Information/Request to Speak)
Sign in, click the blue ‘Request to Speak’ button
Click ‘My Bill Positions’, enter the bill number, and let the title auto-fill into the field
Indicate your position, and click ‘Add’
If you have any questions on these bills, make sure to read the bill texts, available on your RTS accounts! If you still want to know more about how these bills might affect vulnerable Arizonans, reach out to us at director@lamaz.org.
For a tutorial on navigating your RTS account check out our last post in this series!