HB 1357

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1239, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to enact the "End Childhood Hunger Act, "" which establishes a 14-member task force to develop and recommend a strategic action plan to guide the administration and general assembly on how to: (1) Address the challenges of affordability and accessibility of high quality nutrition in this state; (2) More effectively use public resources to address those challenges, including, but not limited to, the temporary assistance for needy families (T ANF) program, the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), and the summer food service program; (3) Build partnerships between government and the nonprofit sector, through which nonprofits are motivated to create and participate in strategies th at address the hunger needs of children; (4) Streamline coordination between the department of human services, the department of education, the department of health, and the department of children's services in developing solutions to the state's childho od hunger challenges; and (5) Address administrative challenges with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, including, but not limited to, theft and fraud. The task force will consist of the following members: (1) The commissioner of human service s, or the commissioner's designee; (2) The commissioner of labor and workforce development, or the commissioner's designee; (3) The commissioner of education, or the commissioner's designee; (4) The commissioner of health, or the commissioner's desi gnee; (5) The commissioner of children's services, or the commissioner's designee; (6) The executive director of the Tennessee commission on children and youth, or the executive director's designee; (7) One member of the senate to be appointed by the speaker of the senate; (8) One m ember of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and (9) Six representatives from nonprofit organizations whose focus is food insecurity and childhood hunger, two of whom must be appointed by the speaker of the senate, two of whom must be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and two of whom must be appointed by the governor. The full text of this amendment specifies various organizational and procedural requirements that apply to the task force. The task force is administratively attached to the department of human services. This amendment requires the task force to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the general assembly no later than July 1, 2026. The task force ceases to exist upon completion of the task force's report and recommendations."