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Senate Human Services committee hears broad support and objections for ‘Food for All Oregonians’ program
Summary
Supporters, including lawmakers and hunger-relief groups, told the Senate Committee on Human Services that Senate Bill 6 11 would extend state-funded SNAP-equivalent benefits to youth and seniors excluded by immigration status. Opponents warned of costs and legal concerns. No committee vote was taken at the hearing.
Senate Bill 6 11, a proposal to create a state-funded “Food for All Oregonians” program that would mirror SNAP for people excluded because of immigration status, drew lengthy testimony for and against the measure at a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Human Services.
The bill, described to the committee as establishing the Food for All Oregonians program within the Oregon Department of Human Services to provide nutrition assistance to people who meet SNAP eligibility except for immigration status, also would require ODHS to convene an advisory group to recommend performance metrics for the program (Matthew, staff, overview).
Why it matters: Supporters said the program targets gaps that emergency food providers cannot fill, will improve health and school outcomes for children, and help seniors afford medication. Opponents said the proposal would direct taxpayer dollars to noncitizens and questioned legal and fiscal consequences.
Supporters’ arguments and details
- Senator Suzanne Weber, a bill sponsor, framed the bill as a response to hunger among children and seniors and said the measure has bipartisan, bicameral support from urban, suburban and rural legislators (Sen. Suzanne Weber). She said addressing hunger now could reduce later pressure on health and education systems.
- Senator Winswe Campos told the committee that “over 62,000 individuals … are excluded from federal food assistance programs solely because of their immigration status,” and said many excluded people are essential workers in agriculture and food processing (Sen. Winswe Campos).
- Representative Jacob Ruiz said SB 6 11 would establish state-funded nutrition assistance for people under 26 and those 55 and older who meet SNAP income and other eligibility criteria except immigration status; he said the bill would leverage the state’s existing SNAP infrastructure and create an advisory group drawn from immigrant and refugee communities to guide implementation (Rep. Jacob Ruiz).
- Andrea Williams, president of Oregon Food Bank, and Matt Newell Ching of Oregon Food Bank urged passage, citing research the organization submitted and saying every SNAP dollar spent in Oregon generates $1.50–$2 in economic activity. Williams testified that immigrant Oregonians contribute billions in taxes and that Oregon is the only West Coast state that has not extended SNAP-like benefits to certain immigrants (Andrea Williams; Matt Newell Ching).
- Community witnesses — including organizers, migrant leaders, representatives of the Afghan Support Network, Children’s Institute, Rogue Food Unites, PACUIN (Oregon’s Farmworker Union), and Unite Oregon — told personal and local stories of food insecurity, urged the committee to pass the bill, and emphasized culturally appropriate access to food for immigrant families and farmworkers (Eddie Melendrez; Maria Delgado; David Zakil; Timothy Herrera; Yessenia Salorsa Nomaden; Cynthia Ramirez; Elena Barreto; Gloria Chua Sandoval).
Opposition and concerns
- One remote witness, identified in the transcript as Chad Cornett (recorded testimony in opposition), urged the committee to reject SB 6 11 on fiscal and enforcement grounds. He argued U.S. law prevents benefits for noncitizens and said state dollars should prioritize citizens; he cited U.S. Code Title 8, Section 1325 in his testimony (Chad Cornett).
What the bill would do (as described at the hearing)
- Establish a state-run, SNAP-like program administered by ODHS to serve individuals who are otherwise SNAP-eligible but excluded because of immigration status; an advisory group would recommend metrics to improve service delivery (Matthew; Rep. Jacob Ruiz).
- Narrow initial eligibility in sponsor remarks to people younger than 26 and those 55 and older, while mirroring SNAP’s eligibility criteria and using existing SNAP systems to reduce administrative burdens (Rep. Jacob Ruiz; Andrea Williams).
Clarifying details cited in testimony
- Testimony cited a figure of “over 62,000” Oregon residents excluded from SNAP on the basis of immigration status (Sen. Winswe Campos).
- Oregon Food Bank testimony said immigrant Oregonians contribute about $5.6 billion annually in taxes and that SNAP provides about $2 per meal on average; proponents cited research linking SNAP participation to better educational and health outcomes for children and lower hospitalization rates for seniors (Andrea Williams).
Committee action
- The committee conducted the public hearing and then closed testimony on SB 6 11; no committee vote on the bill was recorded in the hearing transcript (committee clerk announcement). The hearing record will be available to committee members for follow-up and possible future work-session consideration.
Ending
Witnesses on both sides asked the committee to consider the bill’s fiscal impact and implementation details. Supporters urged the legislature to move quickly to reduce hunger among groups they said are being left out of federal benefits; opponents urged fiscal caution and raised legal questions. The committee closed the public hearing on SB 6 11 with no vote during this session.
