🚨 Advocacy Action Alert 🚨

Help Oklahoma Families Bridge the Summer Meal Gap – Support HB3638 - this crucial bill for kids has made it to the Senate and needs your voice!

When school is in session, many Oklahoma children receive breakfast and lunch at school. When summer arrives, that support disappears.

Child hunger doesn’t take a Summer Break.

HB3638 by Rep. Emily Gise (R-OKC) of the House and Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Deer Creek) of the Senate creates a responsible pathway for Oklahoma to participate in the federal Summer EBT program beginning in 2027, helping families already verified as income-eligible for SNAP access groceries during the months when school meals are unavailable.

Summer feeding sites are helpful, but they often operate only certain days, require on-site participation, and can be difficult to access — especially in rural areas where children are unable to transport themselves to the on-site feeding program.

HB3638 offers a practical solution for families already verified as eligible, while also supporting local grocery stores and community economies across Oklahoma.

This proposal is designed to be targeted, accountable, and fiscally responsible. HB3638 is good policy because it:

🍏 Ensures 55,000 Oklahoma children are receiving healthy nutrition during the summer months.

🍏 Serves only children already verified as eligible for SNAP

🍏 Uses the same SNAP food restrictions — no soda, no candy

🍏 Requires eligibility verification and fraud safeguards through DHS

🍏 Requires legislative funding approval before participation

🍏 Allows Oklahoma to withdraw if federal cost-sharing changes

🍏 Creates a revolving fund that allows public, private, tribal, and charitable partnerships

🍏 Brings an estimated $75 million in federal dollars back into Oklahoma grocery stores & communities.

This bill passed unanimously in 2 House committees and recently passed the House Floor.

Now the Oklahoma Senate must decide whether Oklahoma should claim the federal resources our taxpayers already send to Washington to ensure Oklahoma's children have access to food during the summer months.

HB3638 is common-sense policy and responsible stewardship of available resources. This bill keeps our most vulnerable children fed and puts tens of millions of dollars back into our local economies.

📢 Take Action Now 📢

Click “Start Writing” to send one message to the legislators listed and respectfully ask them to:

✔ Support HB3638.

✔ Allow Oklahoma families to access federal summer nutrition support .

✔ Ensure strong oversight and accountability in implementation.