Summary
Federal nutrition programs reduce food insecurity and are critical to the health and well-being of one in four Americans each year, including nearly one in three children under five. These programs are especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as hunger has soared and disparities in nutrition security have been exacerbated. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented a variety of flexibilities provided by Congress to address the pandemic, such as providing pandemic electronic benefits transfer (P-EBT) or removing the requirement for in-person eligibility interviews. The reauthorization of the Farm Bill before it expires on September 30, 2023; long overdue Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR); and fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations process provide Congress with three distinct opportunities to incorporate lessons learned into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch program, and other nutrition programs.
Whether nutrition reform will rise to the top of Congress’ legislative to-do list this year remains to be seen. However, we anticipate lawmakers will continue their review of nutrition programs and potential policy changes in preparation for future negotiations. In the meantime, we could see more concrete changes on the regulatory front. The Biden Administration has taken steps to promote nutrition and will hold the second-ever White House Conference on Nutrition, Hunger, and Health in September 2022. We developed this resource to provide a state of play of the federal nutrition policy landscape over the next few years.