2024 Legislative Session Wrap Up

How have we been working to transform food systems this legislative session? 

Throughout this legislative session, we have worked to transform our food systems and empower communities. We have pursued policies that enhance food access and autonomy, working toward a food system that is equitable and resilient, where every individual and family can procure the nourishing foods they desire. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are proud of what we have accomplished with your support, and we look forward to continuing to build the movement for food justice in our state.  

Summer-EBT (S-EBT) 

Governor Polis signed a Summer EBT bill into law, setting up the implementing structure for the program, during a 2023 special session.  Summer EBT is a new federal program that will serve as an additional support for low-income households. Low-income families with children will be eligible to receive $40/month per eligible child in Summer 2024. Hunger Free Colorado, in partnership with the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, led advocacy on this important bill to pave the way for the program to launch this summer. We want to give a huge thank you to Governor Polis and the bill’s sponsors: Sen. Jeff Bridges, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, Rep. Shannon Bird, and Rep. Lorena Garcia, as well as the Colorado Department of Human Services and Colorado Department of Education, and all the dedicated advocates, for their tireless work to make this new program happen. This bill will make a positive difference in the lives of over 300,000 Colorado children this summer! Learn more about S-EBT HERE.  

Community Food Assistance Provider Grant Program 

The Community Food Assistance Provider Grant program provides funding to food pantries and food banks to purchase the foods their communities want, bolstering community resilience and autonomy over local food systems, supporting local farmers and ranchers, and ensuring access to healthy, culturally relevant foods within our communities. This session, in collaboration with Feeding Colorado, we successfully secured long-term funding for our local emergency food systems. HB24-1407 merges the former Food Pantry Assistance Grant program (FPAG) and the Food Bank Assistance Grant program (FBAG) to create the new program and invests $3 million annually for five years. Grants will be distributed to a wide array of food pantries and food banks of different types and sizes that operate in a variety of regions throughout the state. By channeling resources into this vital program, we reinforce our commitment to supporting food pantries and food banks, uplifting local farmers and ranchers, and ensuring equitable access to wholesome, culturally resonant foods across our communities. Thank you to the Joint Budget Committee for supporting this important investment in improving access to nutritious food while supporting Colorado agriculture.  

Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) 

This legislative session presented an unexpected funding challenge as the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program began its first year of feeding Colorado kids. HSMA, which passed through a popular ballot measure in 2022, allows schools participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. It has been a hugely popular program, with every eligible district opting in and meal consumption up by over 30%. However, heightened participation coupled with increased food costs and changes in federal reimbursement rates resulted in a significant funding shortfall. To ensure the sustained viability of the program and the implementation of all its essential components, such as support for staff wages and the procurement of locally sourced food, our policy and advocacy teams partnered with parents, farmers, cafeteria workers and other advocates to pursue a referred ballot measure that would have bridged the funding gap. We are incredibly grateful to work with Representative Lorena Garcia on the policy, who championed the proposal at the legislature.   

Despite our collective hard work and the support of 70+ other organizations, we were not able to secure the late bill status necessary to pursue a referred ballot measure. However, the session wasn’t without its victories. The Joint Budget Committee decided to temporarily bridge the funding gap for free breakfasts and lunches through the 2024-2025 school year (directing $15.4 million from the State Education Fund for the current fiscal year 2023-2024 and directing $22.9 million for fiscal year 2024-2025) and extended an existing local purchasing pilot program. However, grant programs that would have funded school nutrition professional wage boosts and support for local food procurement were postponed.  

Most importantly, however, the session provided a platform for community members from across the state to voice their support for the program and its impact on their lives.  We hosted a series of lobby days and had dozens of conversations with lawmakers. Seasoned community advocates joined us, as well as many parents and community members who lobbied for the very first time. While we did not get the referred measure we were hoping for, our collective advocacy for a late bill laid an important foundation for future efforts to fully fund and implement HSMA. Legislators and House leadership heard about the importance of a long-term solution for HSMA from hundreds of us, we engaged and mobilized new champions at the legislature, the program and our advocacy garnered media attention, and ultimately, we encouraged House leadership to go from a “no” to committing to working with us on a solution going forward. Thank you to everyone for making calls, sending messages, showing up at the Capitol, posting to social media, and sharing with friends and neighbors. Through your active engagement and advocacy efforts, we strengthened our collective impact and underscored the importance of HSMA in our communities. 

While the path forward remains challenging, our commitment to advocating for all components of HSMA and long-term sustainability is as strong as ever. If you haven’t already, we hope you will join our growing movement for Healthy School Meals for All – sign up for advocacy alerts HERE or contact our Organizing team to learn how your community can get involved.  

Conclusion 

This legislative session has been a journey filled with significant wins and ongoing challenges. As we reflect on the progress we’ve made and the obstacles we’ve encountered, we’re reminded of the importance of persistence and collective action in effecting meaningful change. Moving forward, we’re fueled by the opportunity to continue growing the power of community to drive transformational change. Together, we’ll navigate the path ahead, guided by our shared vision of a more equitable, resilient, and nourishing food landscape for all. With each step we take, we’re one step closer to realizing this vision and building a brighter future for our communities. 

News Articles from this Session:

• CO families must sign up to get $120 per child for food through Summer EBT, Public News Service.
• Colorado’s popular free school meals program faces a $50 million shortfall, jeopardizing local food grants, Denver Post.
• No such thing as a free lunch: Colorado’s taxpayer-funded free lunch program’s short on cash, Next with Kyle Clark
• Will there be another ballot measure to save Colorado’s free school meals program? Probably not., CPR.