Arizona Must Fund SUN Bucks Before Children Pay the Price
A small state investment could unlock more than $80 million in federal food assistance for Arizona children
PHOENIX — Arizona lawmakers face an immediate budget choice that could determine whether hundreds of thousands of children continue receiving summer food assistance — or whether the state leaves tens of millions of federal dollars on the table.
A new analysis from the Arizona Center for Economic Progress highlights the urgent need for lawmakers to fund the state administrative costs required to continue SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, a federal program that helps eligible families buy groceries during the summer months when school meals are unavailable.
Gov. Katie Hobbs’ budget proposal includes $1.8 million for summer 2026 and an additional $1.8 million for summer 2027 to cover Arizona’s share of the administrative costs needed to operate the program. Without that state investment, Arizona risks losing access to more than $80 million annually in federal food assistance, and more than 640,000 eligible children could lose access to SUN Bucks benefits.
“Arizona does not need to create a new program to address summer hunger. The federal government has already done that,” said Gauri Agarwal, AZCenter state policy fellow. “What lawmakers must do now is make the relatively small investment needed to ensure those dollars actually reach children and families.”
SUN Bucks provides eligible families $120 per child during the summer to help purchase groceries. Federal evaluations of the program found that it reduced very low food security among children by about one-third, while USDA research found children receiving Summer EBT consumed more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy than non-participants.
The analysis also warns that the stakes are even higher as Congress considers proposals under H.R. 1 that would restrict access to SNAP and weaken the broader nutrition safety net. Because SNAP helps automatically connect children to free school meals and SUN Bucks through direct certification, disruptions to SNAP could ripple across Arizona’s child nutrition system.
“SNAP, school meals, and SUN Bucks are not separate programs operating in isolation,” Agarwal said. “They are an interconnected system. When one is weakened, the others become less effective. When they are supported together, they create stability for families and stronger outcomes for children.”
Approximately 58% of Arizona public school students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, underscoring how central child nutrition programs are for families across the state. The analysis calls on lawmakers to fund SUN Bucks administration, strengthen outreach and data coordination, and expand participation in the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows eligible schools to serve free meals to all students without individual applications.
“Failing to fully implement SUN Bucks is not a neutral decision,” said Agarwal said. “It means fewer resources for families, less support for local grocery stores and food supply chains, and more children at risk of hunger when school is out.”
