Tennessee’s deadline to opt into federal summer food program nears | Chattanooga Times Free Press

The deadline for Tennessee to enroll in a federal summer nutrition benefits program is around the corner — and still no word from Gov. Bill Lee.States have until Thursday to opt into the program, which provides an extra $120 in grocery benefits per school-age child during the summer. The benefits, commonly known as Sun Bucks or Summer EBT, are meant to bridge the gap between school years when children may be getting free school breakfast and lunch, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.About 75% of states enrolled in the program in 2025. Tennessee was not one of them.Dozens of leaders across the state have thrown their support behind the federal program, asking Lee to enroll. A letter written by the Tennessee Justice Center was signed by over 30 county mayors as of Tuesday, including Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. The Southern Christian Coalition sent its own letter in support, signed by around 300 reverends, pastors and ministers, including several from the Chattanooga area.”Folks have been baffled that this is something Tennessee wouldn’t do,” said Signe Anderson, who leads nutrition advocacy for the Tennessee Justice Center. “It’s something that’s just so simple to help families. It just seems like a no-brainer.”Lee opted out of the program, which the state had participated in since 2018 in a partial or statewide capacity, citing the state’s share of administrative costs as one reason to discontinue the state-federal partnership. The program targeted 700,000 children in Tennessee in 2024, according to the USDA.Staff file photo / Gov. Bill Lee listens to then-candidate for county mayor Weston Wamp. Wamp signed a letter urging Lee to rejoin a federal nutrition program. Lee has been silent on his plans as the Jan. 1, 2026, deadline approaches.(SIGN UP: Get the weekly politics newsletter, “Open Door,” in your email box by going to timesfreepress.com/opendoor)Instead, Tennessee officials announced the state’s own summer nutritional assistance program in 2025, limited to a little over a dozen counties and only for families eligible specifically for the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The state budget set aside $3 million for the program. In comparison, the federal program offered about $80 million to the state in 2024.The state program was predicted to reach about 25,000 children — or 3.5% of the amount the federal program did in 2024. In Southeastern Tennessee, only Rhea and Sequatchie counties qualify for the state program.With the minutes ticking down, Anderson said in a phone interview that there’s still hope. She remembers Lee announcing the state’s participation in the program for 2024 during the last few days of 2023. Still, the Tennessee Justice Center has had little to no communication from state officials about what they plan to do for 2026, and the organization is bracing for what might be another year without the program, she said.(READ MORE: Gov. Bill Lee stays mum as a deadline looms to opt into Read More