S-EBT Data Collection

Overview

Summer EBT was established as a permanent, nationwide program by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The program aims to reduce summer hunger by providing families with a grocery benefit similar to SNAP to feed their children when school is not in session. It was first piloted in 2011 in select states and proved so successful at reducing food insecurity and improving diet quality that it was slowly expanded to additional states. The summer component of Pandemic EBT, which operated on a similar model as Summer EBT and took its place from 2021–2023, also proved successful in supporting families. Pandemic EBT ended in summer 2023 following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, but beginning in 2024, all states and territories can participate in Summer EBT.