Lawmakers in TN working on bill to require the state to apply for federal EBT program

Tennessee lawmakers are working on a bill that would require the state to apply for a federal summer EBT program.  For the second year in a row, Tennessee is not opting into the federal summer EBT program designed to provide eligible families with extra money for food for children during the summer months. The state now has its own program, which only serves 15 counties in the state.  The bill would require the state to apply for the federal summer EBT program every year beginning in 2027.  If the bill passes, the state would have to fund an $8 million portion of the program to draw down the $80 million in federal dollars.