Anti-hunger advocates in Texas thought they had scored a win this year when state lawmakers included $60 million in the budget to launch a program to reduce food insecurity for children. But on Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott line-item vetoed the funding out of the state's $338 billion budget.
The Republican leader cited concerns about federal funding for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program.
"As the contingency portions of this rider detail, there is significant uncertainty regarding federal matching rates for this and other similar programs," Abbott wrote in a proclamation announcing the veto. "Once there is more clarity about the long-term fiscal ramifications for creating such a program, the Legislature can reconsider funding this item."
Celia Cole, the CEO of Feeding Texas, said in a news release Monday that Abbott's decision to veto funding for the Summer EBT program was disappointing.
"This decision comes at a time when nearly 1 in 4 children in Texas already face food insecurity," she said. "Families across our state are struggling to put food on the table, and Summer EBT is a proven tool to help bridge that gap."
The group No Kid Hungry Texas questioned Abbott's rationale for vetoing the funding.
"The reason given for the veto — uncertainty regarding the federal budget and the SNAP program — is unfounded. Summer EBT matching funds are not tied to SNAP rates, and we have no reason to believe they are at risk," Texas director Stacie Sanchez Hare said in a joint statement with Democratic state lawmakers Armando Walle and Toni Rose, who advocated for Summer EBT.
"This was a baffling decision and I am disappointed on behalf of the millions of Texans who would have benefitted," state Rep. Walle said.
The Summer EBT program, also known as SUN Bucks, provides low-income households with $120 per eligible child to pay for groceries while school is out. The U.S. Department of Agriculture rolled out the program in 2024. While more than 30 states opted to implement the program, Texas was not among them. State officials told KUT News at the time that Texas did not have enough time to get the program up and running because details were announced after the 2023 regular legislative session had already ended.
Texas is one of about a dozen states that did not implement the program this year, either.
Throughout the legislative session that ended earlier this month, advocacy groups pushed lawmakers to allocate funding for the program.
Ahead of this year's regular session, Feeding Texas — a statewide association of food banks — estimated Texas could see more than $400 million in federal funding if the state spent the money to set up the Summer EBT program. The group expected nearly $18 million of that to benefit families in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties.
"Food banks cannot end hunger alone," Cole said. "Our state must prioritize sustainable solutions like Summer EBT that reduce child hunger, expand access to nutritious food, and help every child in Texas grow up healthy and strong."
Ultimately, the state Legislature did set aside $60 million to get the program up and running in fiscal year 2027. Still, the budget stated that the implementation of the program and the money appropriated for it was contingent upon federal matching rates for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program remaining the same as of May 30, 2025.
The U.S. House passed a bill last month that would make significant cuts to SNAP and reduced how much the federal government spends to help states run the food benefits program. The U.S. Senate is working on its own version of the bill. Just this past weekend, the Senate parliamentarian said efforts to make states shoulder more SNAP-related costs conflicted with the chamber's rules.
Cole said Feeding Texas appreciates that Gov. Abbott is open to revisiting the implementation of Summer EBT.
"We stand ready to work with the governor and legislative leaders to find a path forward that ensures Texas children do not go hungry during the summer months," she said.
KUT News reached out to the governor's office for additional comment on the veto but did not hear back by the time this story was published.
While Texas does not offer Summer EBT, schools and other sites do provide free meals for children while school is out. Find locations here.
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