Advocate
1 in 6 Nevadans faces hunger, and we believe that together, we can change that. Use your voice to help create a hunger-free Nevada.
Advocacy is a vital part of the Food Bank’s commitment to ending hunger in our community. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada amplifies the voices of the 1 in 6 Nevadans who experience hunger every day. Those voices are heard in city halls, county government, Carson City, and Washington, D.C.
There is strength in numbers. Our advocacy program relies on passionate people like you to help advance our mission and ensure every neighbor has access to the food they need to thrive. By joining us, you can make a lasting difference in your community and help champion policies that close the hunger gap at the federal, state, and local levels.
ADVOCACY MISSION & GOALS
We work tirelessly to reduce food insecurity by promoting policies to increase food security at all levels of government through partnerships with public officials and community advocates.
Increase Funding
Advocate for enhanced support and funding for crucial hunger relief programs across all government levels.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaborate with local, state, and federal agencies to identify and seize opportunities to reduce food insecurity.
Build Coalitions
Forge alliances with public officials and community advocates to strengthen anti-hunger initiatives.
2026 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES
Child nutrition programs provide high quality meals that support children’s health, education, childcare, and enrichment activities nationwide, especially for children from families with low incomes. These programs help children grow, learn, and thrive by supporting their health, development, and academic success.
In addition to maintaining strong eligibility structures, Congress should take further action to strengthen these programs and ensure all eligible children have access to the nutritious meals they need to succeed.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program:
Fund CSFP at levels that allow programs to maintain current caseloads and responsibly expand services to reach more food-insecure older adults.
Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program:
Provide $21 million to offer low-income seniors coupons for eligible foods at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture programs.
Provide $1.6 billion for Older Americans Act (OAA) nutrition programs. Home-delivered and congregate meals are critical sources of nutrition for older adults, and increased funding is necessary to meet growing demand.
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Provide $342 million for food purchases and administrative costs, $5 million for demonstration projects allowing Tribal organizations to procure food for FDPIR packages, and $5 million for traditional foods market development. Congress should also authorize and fund the ability for participants to receive both FDPIR and SNAP benefits.
- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
Provide $472.3 million for food purchases to support emergency food assistance. Nutritious TEFAP foods are essential for food banks and local emergency food providers.
Storage, Distribution, and Infrastructure:
Provide $100 million for TEFAP storage and distribution and $15 million for the TEFAP Infrastructure Grants Program.
Fully fund school meals programs for all K–12 students in fiscal year 2026. This includes $10 million for direct certification grants to reduce administrative burdens and $35 million in school equipment grants to help schools prepare healthier, more cost-effective meals on site.
Expand the Community Eligibility Provision by increasing the funding multiplier from 1.6 to 2.5 and creating a statewide option so more schools can offer free meals to all students.
Reinstate funding for local food purchasing for schools and childcare programs.
Oppose any efforts to weaken school meal nutrition standards.
SNAP is the nation’s primary defense against hunger. It responds quickly and efficiently to increased need caused by local or national economic downturns and natural disasters. However, SNAP benefits are not sufficient to support a healthy diet for an entire month. On average, SNAP provides about $6.20 per person per day. Research shows that when food budgets run low later in the month, caloric intake declines, school performance suffers, and hospitalizations related to low blood sugar increase.
Congress should strengthen and protect SNAP through fiscal year 2026 appropriations, including rejecting any efforts to restrict food choices for SNAP participants.
Criminals are increasingly targeting SNAP participants and stealing their benefits. Currently, participants have little protection against this theft and often receive no replacement benefits, leaving children, older adults, and people with disabilities without food. Congress must fully fund benefit replacement and support states in transitioning to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) chip cards to prevent fraud.
POST HR 1 SNAP POLICY PRIORITIES
Problem: Eligible households are losing benefits due to paperwork and reporting barriers, not ineligibility.
Reforms
- Standardize plain-language notices nationwide
- Limit mid-certification reporting requirements
- Require a grace period before termination for noncompliance
- Align SNAP reporting with Medicaid and TANF
Impact: Fewer wrongful terminations; lower state administrative costs.
Problem: Current exemptions do not account for caregiving, unstable work, or episodic health conditions.
Reforms
- Expand caregiver exemptions (including care for adults)
- Allow self-attestation for good-cause exemptions
- Clarify eligibility for individuals with mental or chronic health conditions
Impact: Preserves work incentives while preventing unnecessary hunger.
Problem: Many individuals subject to work rules lack access to qualifying employment or training.
Reforms
- Guarantee access to SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) slots
- Expand allowable activities (education, job search, caregiving)
- Support transportation, childcare, and digital access
Impact: Improves employment outcomes and program integrity.
Problem: Rigid federal rules limit state response to local labor market conditions.
Reforms
- Restore broader area-based waiver authority
- Create automatic triggers during recessions or disasters
- Require USDA to provide written justification for waiver denials
Impact: Prevents harm in high-unemployment and rural areas.
Problem: Individuals with qualifying disabilities are losing benefits due to documentation barriers.
Reforms
- Presumptive disability exemptions
- ADA-compliant accommodations in eligibility systems
- Continued benefits during appeals
Impact: Reduces litigation risk and protects lawful beneficiaries.
Problem: Congress lacks clear data on implementation outcomes.
Reforms
- Public reporting on procedural closures and exemption denials
- Independent SNAP ombuds or review mechanism
- Mandatory evaluation of employment and food security outcomes
Impact: Improves accountability and evidence-based policymaking.
Problem: Benefit volatility undermines household stability and job retention.
Reforms
- Reduce benefit cliffs from small income changes
- Increase minimum benefits for single-person households
- Regular updates to the Thrifty Food Plan
Impact: Supports consistent employment and food security.
ADVOCACY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- SB 341 and AB 525 provided food purchase dollars to help bridge the need following the expiration of pandemic benefits.
- SB 370: Creates the Home Feeds Nevada Program designed to connect Nevada-produced agricultural products to Nevada’s two food banks.
- AB 138: Repeals the drug felon ban for SNAP and TANF
- SB 323: Establish a workfare program in for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in accordance with the requirements set forth in federal guidelines to allow a person to meet the eligibility requirements by participating in such a program. The workfare program must provide that participant will receive benefits at a rate equivalent to the state minimum wage.
- SB 443: Increases the reimbursement rates for senior meals offered through programs run though Nevada’s Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
- SB 503: Breakfast after the bell – Bill requires schools to offer breakfast to students after the beginning of the school day.
TAKE ACTION WITH US
Ready to get involved? Sign up for the Advocacy in Action Newsletter to stay up-to-date with the Food Bank’s advocacy work, including calls to action and other steps you can take to support our neighbors in need.
Political Endorsement Disclaimer: While the Food Bank of Northern Nevada may issue position papers on information related to political and policy issues, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada does not endorse any political parties or candidates for public office. Any political statements or endorsements made by individuals or organizations adding the Food Bank of Northern Nevada’s information to their website does not represent a political endorsement, the position, or policy of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Any candidate for public office claiming an endorsement from the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, its departments or offices is doing so without permission.
For more information on how you can get involved, contact Shane Piccinini, Government Relations.