More North Texans may become eligible for food benefits after state lawmakers expanded access to programs aimed at fighting hunger and helping people make ends meet in the face of persistent inflation.
In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law three bills that are considered measured wins for food banks and hungry Texans — many of whom still don’t qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is a federal program, but it’s up to each state to set eligibility requirements.
The passage of these bills, which go into effect Sept. 1, comes after millions of food insecure people in the region lost their COVID-era boost of $95 a month that expired in February.