No Cuts to SNAP resources; Sun Bucks update; FRAC Webinars & Language Access Webinar

Thanks to all of you who weighed in on the SNAP Day of Action on April 30th! Over 1,000 MA residents weighed in with our Congressional Delegation of the importance of continuing to protect and defend SNAP! We have some important updates for you including two FRAC webinars and good news on Summer EBT- now called “SUN Bucks.” Stay tuned for other updates on the FY26 state budget soon!

Oppose Cuts to SNAP - More Resources!

Republicans in Congress are considering the most severe changes and cuts to SNAP in the nearly 50 year history of the program. We need you to continue to raise your voice: 1) Ask our Delegation to be public opposing cuts to SNAP, 2) Engage municipal leaders, retailers and healthcare providers to oppose cuts. 3) Reach out to families, friends and colleagues in sister states. AND please tune into the two FRAC webinars, May 12th and 14th at 3 PM EST (see below).

Here are fact sheets from MLRI and Project Bread with more information to share:

• Statewide fact sheet with information about SNAP in MA, and an overview of the four areas of greatest concern (state cost requirement, cutting benefit amounts, expanding work requirements, and slashing eligibility)
• Fact sheets for each Massachusetts Congressional District on the role of SNAP in each district

SUN Bucks food benefits are coming this summer!

SUN Bucks (formerly called Summer EBT) is a $120 summer food benefit for eligible school-aged children. DTA has started to reach out to households who will be automatically issued SUN Bucks. Hundreds of thousands of kids are automatically eligible!

We will share more information about SUN Bucks in the coming weeks! What to know right now:

• Most families do not need to apply! Most eligible families will be automatically issued SUN Bucks. We urge families to wait to see if they get texts/notices from DTA in May or early June before doing an application.
• Last year, DTA put SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) on SNAP EBT cards for SNAP households - DTA made a change and is issuing SUN Bucks cards to all eligible families. DTA will mail cards in June 2025.
• DTA started texting eligible families. It is very important that families who get the text check and update their mailing address so they get their SUN Bucks EBT cards (there is a link in the text to a form to do this).
• DTA will issue SUN Bucks in July (then on a rolling basis for families who become eligible after that).
• Learn more on DTA’s SUN Bucks FAQ here.

Protecting Language Access in Massachusetts Webinar

Register here to join our colleagues at MLRI on May 14, 2-3pm for MLRI's Protecting Language in Massachusetts webinar! Come learn about language access laws, the urgency of advocating for language access in this climate, how to investigate different agencies' language access performance, and ways to advocate for improvements. This webinar draws on lessons from MLRI's recent "Being Heard" report about language access at MassHealth, and in addition to MLRI attorneys, will feature guest speakers: Leslie Diaz from Health Care for All, and Katrina Lin, a former Tufts Tisch Scholar who did the investigation for MLRI's "Being Heard" report.

Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Events