By Katie Northcott, News Director
Coffee County Mayor Dennis Hunt joined a group of 40 county mayors in signing a letter to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee asking Lee to reinstate Tennessee’s Summer EBT program.
Tennessee participated in the Summer EBT program in 2024 but opted out of the funding in 2025. The program offered $120 to low-income families to help cover meal costs while kids are out of school and not eating school lunches.
According to reporting from News Channel 5, in Dec. 2024, “a spokeswoman for Lee wrote that the federal government had pushed more administrative costs onto states. The administration also cited other food assistance options available to families as reasons for choosing not to participate.”
Hunt replied to Peterson Media Group’s request for comment with a statement, which is copied below.
Our South Central Human Resources Agency is made up of 13 TN Counties. At a recent meeting, a couple of the mayors and myself were talking about the benefits of the summer EBT and thought signing on to the initiative would be a positive gesture on our part. The Governor and the State’s budget would ultimately determine the fate of the program. If there are hungry children 9 months of the year it would stand to reason they are probably hungry the other 3 months as well.
Hunt also provided the following press release from the Tennessee Justice Center. The press release was issued on Dec. 4, 2025. Since then, more mayors have signed the letter, and the early deadline has passed for states to submit Summer EBT plans to the federal government. According to News Channel 5, Tennessee could still submit a plan before the final deadline of Feb. 15.
Thirty (30) Tennessee county mayors have signed onto a letter urging Governor Lee and the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) to reduce hunger in Tennessee by bringing back Summer EBT (S-EBT), a federal summer anti-hunger program, in 2026. S-EBT provides a modest amount of money—roughly $120 per child— for the entire summer, for families to buy food for eligible school-aged children while school is out. This helps bridge the gap for children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year.
The S-EBT program served roughly 700,000 Tennessee children in 2024. Unfortunately, Governor Lee opted out of the program in 2025, stripping this support away from these children and their families. TJC, alongside community advocates and partners, have been advocating for the program’s return in Summer 2026.
Signe Anderson, the Tennessee Justice Center’s Senior Director of Nutrition Advocacy, said, “Tennessee’s reversal on Summer EBT this past summer was a hit to families trying to afford food. Families were also hit in November when SNAP benefits were blocked from reaching food insecure households.”
Mayors from 30 of the 95 counties have endorsed the S-EBT program’s return for 2026, encouraging the Governor to act: Bedford, Campbell, Cannon, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Coffee, Crockett, Dyer, Franklin, Gibson, Hancock, Hardeman, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Morgan, Pickett, Polk, Rhea, Smith, Stewart, White, Wilson
Mayors can still sign-onto the letter! Contact your Tennessee county mayor and
encourage them to support the return of Summer EBT in 2026. Mayors who want to support families and end summer hunger can sign on here: https://forms.office.com/r/EyNheNxjPq
The fight to secure Summer EBT for Tennessee children in 2026 is not over. States have until December 31, 2025, to opt in. Most states, including our neighbors in Alabama, Kentucky, and Arkansas, are providing this support to their families.
“Now is the time for Governor Lee and the state to bring back Summer EBT, which would put food in the homes of families who need it. Every resource should be made available to support families and the economy,” added Signe.
See the map of states that participated in 2025 here.
Urge Governor Lee to end summer hunger and bring back Summer EBT in 2026. TJC has resources at tnjustice.org/antihunger for individuals to advocate for S-EBT and food security in Tennessee.
About Tennessee Justice Center / www.tnjustice.org
For over 30 years, the Tennessee Justice Center has been standing with vulnerable
Tennessee families and helping them access basic necessities of life. Since opening our doors in 1996, TJC has used lawsuits, legislation and coalition building to overcome injustice, winning $2 billion in health care and hundreds of millions in financial and nutrition assistance for Tennesseans. Aside from lawsuits, TJC helps assist seniors and other individuals with TennCare, SNAP and other public benefit programs.
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