$10M food bank grant bill stalls as demand surges
A bill to give Minnesota's five regional food banks $10 million a year has passed the Senate but stalled in the House, leaving shelves facing cuts. (fox9.com)
The measure has 34 House co-sponsors, but advocates say food shelves logged about 9 million visits in 2025 and could see the food given per visit fall from roughly 25 pounds to 20 if state help does not arrive.
The episode traces back to surging demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, when food shelf visits hit 3.8 million in 2020, then rose as grocery prices stayed high and SNAP emergency allotments ended in March 2023. Visits reached about 9 million in 2025, and food banks now face the loss of $4.7 million in federal funding starting in fiscal 2026, which helped spur the push for state grants.
Lawmakers introduced HF1112 in March 2025 to create the $10 million annual grant. Minnesota's base Food Shelf Program funding is $4.5 million, and a $4.8 million one-time allocation brought total distributions to $9.3 million for 2025-2026. New SNAP work requirements that began January 1, 2026, limit benefits for some able-bodied adults to three months and affect about 27,000 Minnesotans. In 2025, 22% of Minnesota households reported they could not afford the food they needed.
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📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota's base annual funding for the Minnesota Food Shelf Program is $4.5 million, with an additional $4.8 million in one-time funding bringing the total distribution to $9.3 million for 2025-2026. ([The Food Group](https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Food-Shelf-Program-Grant-Guidance-2025-26-FINAL.pdf)) ([The Food Group](https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Food-Shelf-Program-Grant-Guidance-2025-26-FINAL.pdf)) ([The Food Group](https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Food-Shelf-Program-Grant-Guidance-2025-26-FINAL.pdf)) ([The Food Group](https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Food-Shelf-Program-Grant-Guidance-2025-26-FINAL.pdf))
Minnesota Food Shelf Program (MFSP) Annual Grant 2025-2026 Guidance — The Food Group
New federal SNAP work requirements, effective January 1, 2026, limit benefits to three months in a 36-month period for able-bodied adults without dependents who do not meet work rules, affecting an estimated 27,000 Minnesotans. ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/some-minnesotans-to-keep-snap-benefits-months-longer-than-expected)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/some-minnesotans-to-keep-snap-benefits-months-longer-than-expected)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/some-minnesotans-to-keep-snap-benefits-months-longer-than-expected)) ([KSTP](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/some-minnesotans-to-keep-snap-benefits-months-longer-than-expected))
Some Minnesotans to keep SNAP benefits months longer than expected — KSTP
In 2025, 22% of Minnesota households reported being unable to afford the food they need. ([Second Harvest Heartland](https://www.2harvest.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/MHH_MetricExplainer_FY26.pdf)) ([Second Harvest Heartland](https://www.2harvest.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/MHH_MetricExplainer_FY26.pdf)) ([Second Harvest Heartland](https://www.2harvest.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/MHH_MetricExplainer_FY26.pdf)) ([Second Harvest Heartland](https://www.2harvest.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/MHH_MetricExplainer_FY26.pdf))
Measuring Food Insecurity in Minnesota — Second Harvest Heartland
📌 Key Facts
- A bill to provide an extra $10 million in annual grants to Minnesota’s five regional food banks has passed the Senate but is stalled in the House despite 34 House co‑sponsors.
- Food shelves recorded about 9 million visits statewide in 2025, and advocates say they are on pace for a fifth straight year of record demand.
- Food shelf leaders warn that without the state money, the food given per visit could drop from roughly 25 pounds to 20 pounds, directly affecting families already hit by rising prices and SNAP changes.
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