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Bill

SB 944

Keep Families Fed Act.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Sophia Chitlik and 5 co-sponsors

Provides $6 million per year starting 2026-27, split equally among six nonprofit food banks to fund food-security programs regardless of budget passage.

Passed 1st Reading
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 944

Summary of SB 944 (Keep Families Fed Act)

Basic purpose

  • Aims to ensure ongoing state funding for vital food security programs and youth initiatives, even if the annual state budget process is not yet resolved.
  • Specifically directs recurring General Fund appropriations to support six nonprofit food-assistance organizations.

Key provisions

  • Funding mechanism and amount

    • Creates an appropriation from the General Fund to the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) totaling $6,000,000 in recurring funds.
    • The funds are to be allocated beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

  • Distribution method

    • The $6 million is to be divided in equal amounts among six nonprofit corporations to address root causes of food insecurity.

  • Qualified recipients (six nonprofit organizations)

    1. Food Bank of the Albemarle
    2. Manna Food Bank, Inc.
    3. Action Pathways, Inc.
    4. Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Inc.
    5. Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, Inc.
    6. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, Inc.

  • Effective date

    • The act becomes effective on July 1, 2026.

Who is affected

  • Recipients: The six named nonprofit food banks will receive recurring state funds starting in FY 2026-2027 to support food security initiatives and related programs, with no specified matching requirements in the bill.
  • State agencies: The Office of State Budget and Management administers the appropriation and distribution.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Source and filing: Filed in the North Carolina Senate on April 29, 2026.
  • Budget-related guarantee: The title and text emphasize maintaining funding for vital food security and youth programs “regardless of passage of the annual budget,” suggesting a mechanism to provide continuity of funding even if the budget process is unsettled.
  • Funding start date: Recurring funds commence in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Notes on impact

  • The bill directly increases and guarantees state funding for nonprofit food-security infrastructure, potentially stabilizing operations for the six organizations and enabling sustained programs aimed at reducing food insecurity and addressing related root causes.
  • By distributing funds in equal shares, the bill creates predictable, uniform support across the six specified entities.

If you’d like, I can add a section comparing SB 944 to prior NC funding patterns for food banks or provide potential fiscal impact scenarios based on different enrollment or program-outcome assumptions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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