General Assembly Preserves Funding for Pennsylvania’s Anti-Hunger Programs

State Budget Maintains Critical Investments as Food Insecurity and Costs Remain High

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Harrisburg, PA (July 13, 2026) – Feeding Pennsylvania applauds Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly for preserving funding for the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) in the FY 2026-27 state budget.

These investments in Pennsylvania’s anti-hunger programs remain essential as food banks and local pantries continue to experience elevated demand and rising operating costs.

PASS plays a vital role in strengthening Pennsylvania’s interconnected food system. The program creates markets for Pennsylvania farmers’ surplus products by enabling food banks to purchase fresh, nutritious, locally grown produce, dairy and protein that might otherwise go to waste.

PASS works alongside SFPP, which provides a dependable source of funding that helps keep food pantry shelves stocked in every county. Together, these programs support local agriculture and rural economies while helping ensure the 1.7 million Pennsylvanians facing hunger have access to the healthy food they need to thrive.

Although maintaining funding provides important stability, the charitable food network faces growing pressure as the ongoing affordability crisis forces more Pennsylvania households to turn to food banks and local pantries for help putting food on the table.

The budget also provides $7 million to support the transition to secure, chip-enabled EBT cards, an important investment that will help protect SNAP recipients from electronic benefit theft. Updating EBT cards to current industry security standards will help prevent skimming, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and ensure Pennsylvanians can rely on the nutrition benefits they need to put food on the table. Feeding Pennsylvania thanks Representatives Dan Williams and Doyle Heffley and Senators Sharif Street, Art Haywood and Joe Picozzi for their bipartisan leadership in advancing this legislation and helping ensure SNAP benefits remain secure and available for the Pennsylvanians who depend on them.

Feeding Pennsylvania supports the inclusion of funding to help offset Pennsylvania’s increased share of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative costs following recent federal changes that shifted more of those costs from the federal government to states. SNAP remains the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, serving as a vital bridge for people as they work to get back on their feet. Ensuring the Commonwealth can continue administering this critical program strengthens food security for families while helping food banks meet growing demand. SNAP must remain a reliable support for families facing hunger, grocers and retailers, agriculture, and local economies.

As need continues to rise, Feeding Pennsylvania and our network of food banks and pantries will keep showing up for our community. But meeting this challenge requires all of us. Now more than ever, we need to stand united to ensure every Pennsylvania family has reliable access to nutritious food.

We appreciate the Governor and General Assembly’s continued commitment to addressing food insecurity. Feeding Pennsylvania remains committed to working alongside state leaders to ensure Pennsylvania’s anti-hunger programs continue to meet the growing needs of families, strengthen agriculture, and build healthier communities.

About Feeding Pennsylvania

Feeding Pennsylvania is the state association of Pennsylvania’s nine Feeding America partner food banks serving all 67 counties across the Commonwealth. Our collective efforts support member food banks in securing food and other resources, raising public awareness about food insecurity, and advocating for effective anti-hunger policies with a unified voice. Together, Feeding Pennsylvania’s partner food banks distribute more than 237 million pounds of food each year through a network of nearly 3,000 local food pantries and partner agencies. By connecting food banks, farmers and producers, policymakers, and community partners, Feeding Pennsylvania helps build a stronger food system while ensuring Pennsylvanians facing hunger have access to fresh, nutritious food.

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