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DHS seeks $50 million to continue summer EBT; officials say funding is mostly federal with small state match
Summary
The Department of Human Services told the Joint Budget Committee that Governor’s letter No. 7 would add roughly $50 million in appropriation authority to continue the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program across the fiscal-year boundary so children can receive benefits through summer 2025.
The Department of Human Services told the Joint Budget Committee that Governor’s letter No. 7 would add roughly $50 million in appropriation authority to continue the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program across the fiscal-year boundary so children can receive benefits through summer 2025.
Mary Franklin, director of the Division of County Operations at the Department of Human Services, told the committee that the program served a little over 293,000 children in summer 2024 and that the agency is estimating between about 350,000 and 370,000 children for the coming summer. Franklin said the $50 million helps the program continue across the state fiscal year change and covers estimated benefits plus administrative costs.
Jim Hudson, secretary at the Department of Finance and Administration, and Misty Eubanks, deputy secretary for operations and budget at DHS, answered questions about funding sources. Eubanks said the appropriation is primarily federal funds that go directly to EBT cards, and the state match is about $2.9 million. Eubanks also said Governor Sanders has publicly suggested using medical‑marijuana tax receipts to cover the state match; committee staff confirmed a statutory change allowing that use had been passed earlier in the session.
Committee members asked whether "participants" referred to children or families; Franklin confirmed the agency counts individual children. Senator Payton asked whether this is a new total or an additional $50 million; staff said this appropriation adds the authority because previous practice used temporary appropriations while the program was piloted.
Several senators asked whether the department can protect the program if federal funding were cut. Committee staff and fiscal officials said the appropriation opens the account for the program; it is primarily supported with federal funding and would need different legislative action to replace lost federal funds.
No final committee roll call was recorded on the record excerpt for the governor’s letter during this segment; staff said the letter will be drafted into bill form and brought back to the committee for formal action.
