Advocacy - Montana Food Bank Network

Everyone deserves dignity, access to food, and a voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

MFBN works to end hunger in Montana through long-term policy solutions that support public nutrition and other anti-poverty programs at the state and federal levels. We work on an ongoing basis with lived experts, legislators, government officials, and other community partners to prioritize ending hunger in Montana. Help support our advocacy work and let your voice be heard by going to our Anti-Hunger Action Center.

Anti-Hunger Action Center

Federal Advocacy

MFBN advocates for policy solutions that strengthen public nutrition programs and address the root causes of hunger. We work alongside food pantries, individuals experiencing food insecurity, and a wide range of community partners to ensure Montana’s federal delegation hear a unified voice reflecting our shared vision of a hunger-free Montana.

SNAP

The food bank system alone cannot end hunger, nor was it ever meant to shoulder that burden by itself. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is essential for helping families, seniors, children, and community members keep food on the table.

Each month, SNAP helps an average of 81,500 Montana residents stretch their budgets and access the nutritious food they need to stay healthy and stable. It is the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program, proven to reduce poverty and improve long-term outcomes for adults and children alike.

With 1 in 8 Montanans, including 1 in 6 children experiencing food insecurity, SNAP isn’t just helpful; it is a lifeline.

HR 1 made the largest cut to SNAP in the program’s history, reducing funding by roughly $200 billion over the next decade. These cuts are realized through expanded work requirements for older adults and for parents and caregivers of children, shifting cost-shares onto states, barring previously eligible immigrants from the program, freezing SNAP benefit amounts outside of cost-of-living adjustments, and more. It is estimated that the expanded work requirements alone puts roughly 12,000 Montanans at risk of losing some or all of their SNAP benefits. MFBN expects the harm to neighbors to be ongoing. As an organization we will continue to mitigate and document the harm to the best of our ability.

Farm Bill

The Farm Bill is federal legislation that authorizes a wide range of food and agriculture programs. Its Nutrition title includes several key federal nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The American Relief Act of 2025 extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) for one year, through September 30, 2025.

In July, Congress passed HR 1, also referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), or Budget Reconciliation that included Farm Bill provisions. However, this legislation did not replace a full five-year Farm Bill. This legislation cut nutrition and conservation programs while increasing commodity subsidies, further delaying progress on a full five-year Farm Bill. Under HR 1, changes to nutrition programs like SNAP and TEFAP would be used to offset increases in the farm safety net. Weakening the Nutrition title of the Farm Bill harms both farmers and the families who rely on them.

We need a full five-year Farm Bill that strengthens—not cuts—nutrition programs. A comprehensive Farm Bill is essential to supporting both our agricultural communities and the millions of people who rely on SNAP, TEFAP, and other vital programs to put food on the table.

TEFAP

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides US-grown commodity foods through local organizations that serve low-income households. It is the cornerstone of food supply for Montana’s network of food pantries and congregate meal sites, ensuring that these agencies have a consistent source of nutritious, high-quality foods. It is essential to have a reliable and continuous stream of TEFAP foods as well as storage and distribution capacity.

USDA has confirmed that $500 million in TEFAP food purchases announced last year to be funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) have been permanently canceled.

Congress should:

Reauthorize and increase to $500 million/year, adjusted for inflation, for TEFAP food purchases;
Reauthorize and increase to $200 million/year for TEFAP storage and distribution;
Reauthorize $15 million/year in discretionary funding for TEFAP infrastructure grants; and
Increase funding for the TEFAP Farm to Food Bank Program

State Advocacy

MFBN engages in year-round state-level advocacy to advance policies that reduce hunger and strengthen access to nutrition for Montanans. We work closely with lawmakers, state agencies, community partners, and people with lived experience of food insecurity to ensure that the decisions made at the Capitol reflect the real needs of families across the state.

2025 Montana State Legislature

During the 2025 legislative session, MFBN advanced the policy priorities approved annually by our Board of Directors—priorities rooted in our vision of a Montana free from hunger. Working closely with our statewide network and community partners, we championed policies that strengthen food access and protect the nutrition programs that keep our communities fed and healthy.

A major focus this session was expanding access to local, nutritious foods. MFBN advocated for a farm-to-food-bank initiative that would have enabled food pantries to purchase Montana-grown food at fair prices from local farmers. Despite strong bipartisan support, the bill ultimately did not pass. MFBN remains committed to pursuing legislation that ensures people experiencing food insecurity have equal access to the high-quality Montana-grown food.

With 1 in 6 Montana children experiencing food insecurity, MFBN also prioritized public policies that help children thrive. In partnership with state lawmakers, we worked to expand access to free school meals and protect funding for SUN Bucks, recognizing the critical role these programs play in supporting children’s health and learning.

Protecting SNAP, which supports an average of 81,500 Montanans each month, was another central focus. Multiple bills this session sought to restrict food choice for SNAP participants, undermining neighbors’ dignity and weakening SNAP’s effectiveness as an economic stabilizer. MFBN successfully helped defeat these harmful proposals, safeguarding both SNAP participants and the program’s economic impact.

While we are grateful to the advocates who raised their voices in support of dignity, health, and economic security, lawmakers also passed significant tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest Montanans—while doing little for people with low incomes and threatening the state’s long-term ability to fund essential public services.

Nevertheless, there were important victories. Legislators voted to lift the sunset on Medicaid expansion, securing ongoing health coverage for tens of thousands of working families. The state budget also included funding for SUN Bucks, meaning more kids can access nutritious meals during the summer months without financial barriers.

As we move into the legislative interim, MFBN will continue working with lawmakers to advance policies that strengthen food and economic security for all Montanans.

2027 Montana State Legislature Priorities

Our 2027 Montana State Legislature priorities are:

Policies that increase access to adequate food and nutrition for low-income households, including:

Policies that protect and strengthen public nutrition programs, including but not limited to:
1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
2. Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
3. Food Distribution Program in Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
4. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
Policies that impact MFBN or its partners, programs, or services.

Policies that address root causes of hunger, including:

Policies that improve economic security for households such as:
1. Affordable housing, including policies that address homelessness
2. Healthcare and health insurance coverage
3. Child care, including support for early childhood education programs
4. Access to education, training, and workforce development
Policies that improve access to local food, supporting local food systems and agriculture
Policies that support community-based solutions to improve food access in rural and remote areas, including tribal food sovereignty
Policies that promote tax fairness and generate revenue to ensure fair, sustainable, and sufficient funding for programs helping low-income people meet their basic needs. MFBN’s position on revenue measures will be evaluated on the following:
- Impact to individuals experiencing or at risk of food insecurity
- Impact to both public and private efforts to reduce hunger in Montana

Child Nutrition

1 in 6 children in Montana live in a food-insecure household, equating to nearly 40,000 youth in our state who do not consistently have enough food and may not know when their next meal is coming from. MFBN takes a multi-pronged approach to improving children’s access to nutritious, nutrient-dense food. One key strategy is advocating for public policies that strengthen child nutrition programs.

School Meals

School meals are a critical lifeline for children across Montana, supporting their health, learning, and well-being. Federal and state laws play a major role in determining who has access to free or reduced-price school meals, how meals are funded, and the nutritional standards schools must meet. MFBN advocates for policies that strengthen and expand school meal programs, reduce barriers for families, and ensure all kids have access to consistent, nutritious meals at school. By engaging with lawmakers and elevating community voices, MFBN works to protect and advance school nutrition policies that help Montana children thrive.

Summer Meals

When school is out, many children lose access to the meals they rely on during the school year. New federal flexibilities are helping feed more kids in Montana by making it easier for communities to offer summer meal programs in more places and in ways that better meet families’ needs. MFBN advocates for state and federal policies that strengthen summer nutrition programs so kids can access healthy food all summer long.

SUN Bucks

SUN Bucks—also known as Summer EBT—is a federal program that helps families buy groceries for their children during the summer months when school meals are not available. The program provides grocery benefits directly to eligible families, giving them flexibility to purchase food that works for their household. Federal and state policies determine how SUN Bucks is implemented, who is eligible, and how families can access benefits. MFBN has been a leader in ensuring the implementation of SUN Bucks in Montana and supports policies that maximize participation, reduce barriers for families, and ensure children have reliable access to food when school is not in session.

Resources and Reports

H.R. 1 Analysis

Hunger Report