LANSING, Mich. (Oct. 30, 2025) — Today, Michigan Senate Democrats continued their fight to protect food access for 1.4 million Michiganders, passing legislation to immediately provide $71 million to continue SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits beyond Nov. 1 and support food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and other organizations.
Senate Bill 182 includes funding to help prevent kids, families, veterans, and seniors from going hungry when their SNAP benefits end on Saturday, Nov. 1, due to federal Republicans’ government shutdown, the second longest in American history. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.
“Food for more than a million of our fellow Michiganders — kids, families, people with disabilities, veterans, seniors — is being blocked by federal Republicans’ self-made political crisis and their valuing of billionaires over our most vulnerable,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). “For all of us in public service, this should be a call for compassion and a call to action. Today, in the State Senate, our Majority did our part to help. But President Trump and federal Republicans can use the same power that created this emergency to end it — releasing SNAP funds immediately and ending the shutdown before the impacts get even worse.”
This legislation provides $50 million to create an Emergency Assistance Fund in the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services to enable households with lower incomes to maintain food access. Ten million dollars will go to the Michigan Food Bank Council’s Michigan Agricultural Surplus System to help meet the increase in demand for their services due to the SNAP interruption, especially in rural and remote communities. The legislation also secures $10 million for local food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food providers to bolster their capacity during these trying times. And $1 million will go to the Double Up Food Bucks program, continuing the Senate Democrats’ support for their work to provide Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables to families receiving food assistance.
“Every single day, the Trump administration launches a new attack on working families, and our state does not have the financial means or the ability to fix every single problem coming out of D.C.,” said Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing). “What we’re doing today with this funding is not a permanent fix, but we have a responsibility to provide for the people of this state. We will keep fighting for as long as we can, with the resources we have, for the people we serve. And it’s time for Republicans in Washington and in the Michigan House of Representatives to do the same and stand up for what is right instead of playing political games with people’s lives.”
“Today, we are taking swift action to ensure that families across Michigan don’t go without nutritional meals this November,” said Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Dearborn). “While partisan politics in D.C. are keeping food away from our people, the leaders in this chamber are doing the right thing to support SNAP recipients and food providers.”
The Senate’s action today was vital, but still only a stopgap if the federal government shutdown continues. That’s why the Senate Democratic Majority also passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 to urge the Trump Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding. As the resolution notes, the USDA has the option to use the billions of dollars available in contingency reserves, already authorized by Congress, to fund SNAP benefits.
Last week, the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services announced that they have received communication from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service indicating that, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown funding lapse, MDHHS is being told to hold November SNAP issuance and ongoing benefits until further notice. In Michigan, that means less to eat for 1.4 million Michiganders, including 527,620 children (23% of kids in the state) and 39,000 veterans (roughly 10% of our servicemembers).
Rural communities, which face higher rates of poverty and food insecurity, will be hit particularly hard by the delay of SNAP benefits. Of the 30 counties with the highest percentage of people who use SNAP, 26 are rural counties. In addition to helping residents, the SNAP dollars spent at these smaller grocers, farmers markets, and mom and pop shops help local economies, and small businesses and their workers.