The Contingency Review Board on Nov. 3, 2025, declared an emergency tied to the federal government shutdown and authorized a series of actions to address food insecurity across Oklahoma, including allowing the governor to spend up to $1,000,000 per week from the state emergency fund until the emergency ends or the fund is depleted.

The action, taken under Title 62, Oklahoma Statutes §139.48, also approved an additional $72,000 to cover costs directly associated with assistance administered by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) and directed the DHS to administer weekly disbursements, with two-thirds allocated to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and one-third to the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

"This is a federal problem, that Congress has gotta fix," Governor Kevin Stitt said during opening remarks, framing the board's measures as stopgap steps while calling on federal lawmakers to resolve the shutdown. Governor Stitt chaired the meeting and the recorded roll calls show Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton voting with Stitt on each motion.

Board members discussed limits on the state's options for replacing SNAP benefits, noting the state cannot directly deposit funds onto SNAP cards without system changes. Meeting remarks identified a planned software update (costed at $72,000 in the motions) to allow nonfederal deposits to SNAP recipients as one of the actions approved.

Key motions passed at the meeting were:

- A declaration that an emergency exists and that it was not foreseen or reasonably foreseeable by the legislature under Title 62, O.S. §139.48 (motion carried by roll call).

- A certification in writing to the governor and the director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) of facts submitted by DHS under 62 O.S. §139.48, paragraph 1 (motion carried by roll call).

- Authorization for the governor to expend up to $1,000,000 per week from the state emergency fund until the emergency ends or the fund is exhausted. Conditions include: weekly disbursements may be made only after the prior week's funds are expended; DHS administers disbursements; DHS may allocate up to two-thirds to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and one-third to the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma; and funds are restricted to purchasing or distributing food or other direct nutritional assistance to elderly, disabled and child Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Oklahoma who lost access to benefits because of the federal shutdown (motion carried by roll call).

- Authorization to spend an additional $72,000 from the state emergency fund for costs directly associated with assistance administered by DHS (motion carried by roll call).

- Authorization for the chair and staff to memorialize the motions and execute necessary documents (motion carried by roll call).

Roll-call votes recorded by the board clerk show Speaker Kyle Hilbert, President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton and Governor Kevin Stitt voting "Aye" on each motion; no "No" or abstention votes were recorded in the provided transcript.

The board identified a total emergency funding amount on the agenda as $7,800,000 to address food insecurity; the motions authorized authority to spend weekly allocations and specific additional amounts but did not, in the transcript, itemize any immediate lump-sum disbursement of the full $7.8 million.

The board adjourned after completing the motions and directing staff to finalize paperwork and disbursement procedures.