As the membership association for state and local human services agencies, APHSA is committed to uplifting recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill that focus on smart policy that improves customer experience and reduces gaps in participation, while mitigating administrative burden for agencies that administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Farm Bill is reauthorized every five years, and in 2023, over 80% of the spending in the Farm Bill is estimated to be focused on nutrition programs—including SNAP.

SNAP is the largest federal program dedicated to advancing food and nutrition security, which are both critical social determinants of health and well-being. Through the economic nutrition supports that SNAP provides, to its programs including SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T), SNAP Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed), and SNAP Outreach, SNAP is working to support families on their path to better their health outcomes for the long term.

Over the 2023 calendar year, APHSA will release a series of policy briefs as part of The Path Forward: State and Local Policy Priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill, sharing recommendations that have been guided by our members and have received consensus across the country. Additionally, APHSA will bring in perspectives from communities, partners, and members through our new blog series, Making the Sauce: Ingredients for People-Powered Policymaking in the Farm Bill. Across both series, we will focus on the following: