And the 88th Texas Legislative Session has come to an end!

Our neighbors had many wins this session, and we are excited to see the positive impact these policies will have on individuals and families. With the support of food banks and advocates across the state, the Texas Legislature passed several new laws that will continue to empower individuals and families to be successful. 

The Feeding Texas network, made up of all 21 food banks in Texas, successfully advocated for three bills and increased funding for food distribution. In addition to these priorities, the Houston Food Bank’s was granted funds to support our expansion project. 

The Houston Food Bank Government Relations team traveled to the Texas Capitol several times during the 88th legislative session to advocate for increased access to nutritious foods.

Here are this session’s legislative priorities and wins:

1. Priority: Updating the SNAP Vehicle Asset Test (HB 1287) Texas uses a Vehicle Asset Test to determine SNAP eligibility, placing limits on the value of the vehicles that a household may own and still qualify for the program.
Win: HB 1287 makes a one-time inflationary adjustment to the Vehicle Asset Test to better reflect today’s car values, increasing limits from $15,000 to $22,500 for the first car and from $4,650 to $8,700 for additional vehicles.

2. Priority: Implementing pre-release SNAP registration (HB 1743) Early access to SNAP benefits ensures formerly incarcerated Texans have immediate resources for food so they can begin rebuilding their lives.
Win: HB 1743 supports people exiting the criminal justice system by allowing eligible individuals to apply for SNAP before their release so that they have access to food upon release.This supports the reentry process and reduces recidivism. 

3. Priority: Increasing funds for produce rescue The Surplus Agricultural Products Grant helps food banks rescue surplus or unsellable produce from Texas farmers for distribution to Texans in need. 100% of program funds go to farmers and transportation providers to offset the cost of harvesting, storage, packaging, and freight.
Win: The network achieved a $10.2M increase in funding for the Surplus Agricultural Products Grant, doubling funds to $20.4M for the biennium. This is a win-win-win for Texans, farmers, and the environment.

4. Priority: Exempting state transportation-related taxes and fees for food banks (HB 3599) State transportation-related fees are significant food bank expenses.
Win: HB 3599 will give food banks an exemption from fuel taxes and registrations for their fleets, meaning food banks can reinvest those costs into feeding their communities.

5. Houston Food Bank was granted $10M to address the impact of poverty and food insecurity with a collaborative new distribution facility. Learn more about the expansion project.

We are one step closer to our vision of a world that doesn’t need food banks! This session’s wins could not have been achieved without the advocacy of the Food Bank staff, our neighbors, partners, donors, community organizations, and food banks across the State of Texas.Â