USDA
(Washington, D.C., May 28, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced Florida and Minnesota have been approved to operate Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), a new program authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), signed by President Trump, which provides assistance to families of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals dealing with school closures.
Background:
Florida and Minnesota will be able to operate Pandemic EBT, a supplemental food purchasing benefit to current SNAP participants and as a new EBT benefit to other eligible households to offset the cost of meals that would have otherwise been consumed at school.
For the 2019-2020 school year, Florida had approximately 2.07 million children eligible for free and reduced-priced lunch, or approximately 71% of children in participating schools.
For the 2019-2020 school year, Minnesota had approximately 350,000 children eligible for free and reduced-priced lunch, or approximately 39% of children in participating schools.