Our 2026 Legislative Priorities

Federal Legislative Priorities

Reverse Cuts to SNAP

The Food Depository is strongly advocating for the complete reversal of cuts to SNAP contained in H.R. 1 by supporting the “The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025.”

Reverse Cuts to Healthcare Programs

Lack of healthcare is one of the root causes of hunger. The Food Depository is joining our health justice partners like Protect Our Care Illinois in advocating for the reversal of the attacks on healthcare contained in H.R. 1., by supporting the “Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025.”

Defend Against Further Cuts to the Safety Net

H.R. 1's harms will reverberate for a generation if not promptly reversed. It would be catastrophic for Congress to pursue further attacks on the social safety net or non-discretionary entitlements like Social Security or Medicare. We will remain vigilant and defend against further threats to basic needs.

Challenge Deportations and City or State Funding Cuts

We will monitor and work with other organizations to advocate against any policies that will result in the unnecessary deportation of neighbors and significantly reduce funding for the City of Chicago and State of Illinois due to our sanctuary city and state policies.

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Illinois State Legislative Priorities

The Greater Chicago Food Depository has three main legislative priorities before the 2026 Illinois General Assembly Session. All three are designed to mitigate harm from the cuts to SNAP in H.R. 1, support neighbors at risk of benefit loss and prepare the state of Illinois for future changes to this lifeline safety net program.  

Emergency Assistance for People Losing SNAP (FRESH Benefit)

S.B.3277 (Sims)/ H.B.4730 (Avelar) 

An estimated 250,000 Illinoisans are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits due to changing work requirements. We are urging the state to create an emergency assistance fund – called Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) – that will provide a one-time payment covering three months of a household's lost or reduced SNAP benefits. FRESH will keep food on the table for vulnerable families and individuals who are cut off from SNAP.

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Food Assistance for Lawfully Present Immigrants

S.B.3167 (Guzmán)/ H.B.4831 (L.Hernandez)

In the coming months, 16,000 lawfully present immigrant neighbors – including asylees, refugees and others – will lose access to SNAP due to new eligibility restrictions. Illinois can use existing state-funded programs to provide ongoing food assistance to lawfully present immigrants losing SNAP and keep our neighbors from going hungry. This bill will expand who is eligible for the VTTC food program, which provides food assistance for survivors of torture and trafficking pursing lawful status. 

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SNAP Response Working Group

S.B.3276 (Sims)/ H.B.5062 (Lilly) 

There are new, historic, and devastating cuts to SNAP that are being rolled out at different times. Legislators and advocates need to be kept aware of changes, evaluate the impacts, and make recommendations on how to mitigate harm. The Food Depository supports the creation of a time-bound, sprint working group within the Illinois Commission to End Hunger to shine a light on the harms of SNAP changes in Federal H.R. 1, and ongoing impacts to neighbors and the state of Illinois’ budget and economy. 

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Local Cook County Legislative Priorities

Build a Movement to End Hunger

This moment of historic attacks on the social safety net demands that we grow our community of advocates advancing federal, state and local policy change. The Food Depository will be advancing a statewide Save Our SNAP advocacy coalition for organizations, and launching a Champion Advocate training program to connect individuals and organizations with skill-building trainings in advocacy, storytelling and outreach to build the movement to protect SNAP.

Support WIC Agencies

We will support focused efforts in three priority neighborhoods to coordinate WIC (Women, Infants and Children) services and outreach, including mobile enrollment.