June 11, 2014

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District today issued the following statement on the passage of her amendment to H.R. 4800, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This amendment increases funding for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children pilot program by $3 million:  

“Across the country, almost one out of every five children is at risk of going hungry, and in Nevada 54 percent of  students come from low income households that struggle with hunger,” said Representative Titus. “While these children can eat free and reduced price meals during the school year, the vast majority are left without adequate nutrition during the summer.”

The Summer EBT program is a pilot program that helps fill this gap by providing eligible families with additional SNAP benefits during the summer months. In 2012, this program served almost 67,000 children who might otherwise have gone hungry.  According to USDA, participation in this program is dramatically higher than other summer food programs, reaching up to 75 percent of eligible students. And more importantly, these children experienced large and significant reductions in food insecurity.  

Congresswoman Titus is the author and sponsor of the Weekends Without Hunger Act and the Helping Hungry Students Learn Act, both of which, if passed, would provide children living in food insecure households better avenues through which to receive the nutritious food that they need to grow and thrive.  

“A vacation from school should mean a day full of fun and play,” said Titus. “It should not mean a day devoid of food and an empty tummy.”