Changes Instore for Summer EBT Program

The office of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee sparked controversy when it missed the January 1 deadline to renew the federal Electronic Benefits Transfers Program for Children (Summer EBT).

The program, which began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided families with $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy food during the summer months. 

In place of the Summer EBT Program, Lee's office announced on February 14 a proposed $3 million to provide a $120, one-time payment to eligible children in SNAP and TANF households in underserved counties identified by the Summer Food Service Program. The program will use existing EBT cards to provide one-time payments to families.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the Summer EBT Program bridged the gap for an estimated 21 million children in 37 states. In Tennessee, nearly 700,000 children benefited from the program during the 2024 summer season. 

The following will be eligible for this addition to the summer food program:

Families First or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households with at least one (1) school-aged child between the ages of five (5) and eighteen (18)

Residing in one of the Tennessee counties identified as unserved or underserved by the Summer Food Service Program:

Unserved Counties

Houston, Humphreys, Marshall, Moore, Sequatchie, & Sumner

Underserved Counties

Benton, Carroll, Carter, Cocke, Fayette, Grainger, Johnson, Lauderdale, & Rhea