Legistlative Session Adjourned 

The 84^th Texas Regular Legislative Session adjourned sine die on Monday, 1^st June.  The Houston Food Bank engaged actively throughout the Session, most particularly in a statewide effort headed by Feeding Texas to increase Texas Department of Agriculture surplus agriculture grant funding for food banks to access fresh produce otherwise left in the fields of Texas.  Our combined efforts were modestly successful. 

Our former funding, combined with additional new funding, totals only 1/3 of the $18M total we pursued ($5.9 received, $18M requested); however, the $5.9M funding for the upcoming biennium represents a doubling of such funding for the past biennium ($2.9M).  We will be back in Austin in 2017 for a greater increase during the 85^th Texas Regular Legislative Session; clearly there is room to grow!

Funding for the Brighter Bites nutrition education and produce distribution program was revised to enable use for additional similar programs; however, the amount was not increased.  We face a few challenges in optimizing use of state funding in our Feeding with Impact programs.      

Feeding Texas member food banks across the state also worked to prevent passage of several bills which would penalize children of struggling parents by reducing families’ access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).