Policy Recommendations for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
Feeding America shares the White House's commitment to end hunger in America by 2030. The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health—to be held in September—is an opportunity to catalyze a broad and inclusive anti-hunger movement across the U.S. With this call to action from Congress and the administration, we are on the precipice of real and lasting change to improve the lives and health of millions of people throughout the nation.
The Feeding America network strives to keep people facing hunger at the center of all we do. We gathered insights from nearly 36,000 people who self-identified as facing challenges getting the food they need/ Our policy recommendations reflect these insights. Learn more about the experiences, concerns and ideas of people across the U.S. who have faced hunger in our Elevating Voices to End Hunger Together report.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) should encourage states to reduce barriers to TEFAP eligibility, such as minimizing paperwork for people seeking assistance.
Congress should ensure SNAP benefits are appropriately leveled, based on the Low-Cost Food Plan, for people to buy sufficient amounts of nutritious foods.
Congress should improve the SNAP benefit-taper structure to reduce the “benefits cliff.”
Congress should maintain the dignity of choice for people receiving SNAP benefits.
USDA and Congress should simplify SNAP eligibility and enrollment for older adults, college students, immigrants and other groups who face additional barriers to access.
Congress should improve SNAP enrollment processes by providing more resources for program administration and using technology to streamline the application process.
Congress should remove the time limit on SNAP benefits to better support individuals searching for work. Ending food assistance after three months has not been shown to positively impact employment.
Congress should extend and expand the Summer EBT Program to boost the grocery budgets of families with low incomes during school breaks.
Congress should provide more flexibility for summer meal programs, including the option to serve meals in a non-congregate setting, streamlining program operations and regulations, and lowering the area eligibility requirement to better serve rural communities.
Congress should improve access to and the quality of school meals.
Congress and USDA should provide resources and technical support to bolster food rescue programs.
The administration should support innovative efforts, such as mobile food pantries, to serve people living in food deserts.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand coverage for produce prescription programs.
HHS and CMS should support and provide funding for food pantries at medical facilities.
Congress should allow for continued local control and implementation of food box programs.
Congress should make permanent the COVID-era expansion of and improvements to the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit, both of which helped reduce hunger and poverty during the pandemic.
Congress should allow Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to participate fully in SNAP.
Congress should address military hunger by removing the basic housing allowance from the SNAP calculation. Congress should also take steps to support veterans facing hunger, such as bolstering food security efforts based at Veterans Affairs hospitals.
