Military Family Food Security & Readiness Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 1059

Short Title: Military Family Food Security & Readiness Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Applewhite, Murdock, and Bradley (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S1059-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO PROVIDE TE MPORARY NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT AND ELIGIBIL ITY 2
FLEXIBILITY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES DURING PERIODS OF DEPLOYMENT OR 3
ACTIVATION. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by 6
adding a new Part to read: 7
"Part 5A. Military Family Food Security and Readiness Act. 8
"§ 108A-53.25. Short title. 9
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Military Family Food Secur ity and 10
Readiness Act." 11
"§ 108A-53.26. Legislative findings. 12
The General Assembly finds that members of the Armed Forces of the United States and their 13
families make significant sacrifices in service to this State and Nation. Periods of deployment or 14
activation may result in temporary disruptions to household income, including loss of spousal 15
income due to caregiving responsibilities. Certain components of military compensation, 16
including the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), 17
may artificially inflate household income calculations for purposes of determining eligibility for 18
nutrition assistance programs. Food insecurity among military families negatively impacts 19
military readiness, retention, and family stability. 20
"§ 108A-53.27. Definitions. 21
For purposes of this Part, the following definitions apply: 22
(1) Activated service member. – A member of the North Carolina National Guard 23
or a reserve component of the Armed Forces ordered to duty under Title 10 or 24
Title 32 of the United States Code. 25
(2) Deployed. – An act in which a service member is ordered to active duty 26
outside the member 's permanent duty station for a period of 30 consecutive 27
days or more. 28
(3) Eligible military househo ld. – A household in which a service me mber is 29
deployed or activated and which includes at least one dependent. 30
"§ 108A-53.28. Temporary income disregard. 31
(a) The Department shall, to the extent permitted under federal law or through any 32
necessary waivers, exclude the following from household income calculations for purposes of 33
determining eligibility for electronic food and nutrition benefits during a qualifying deployment 34
or activation: 35
(1) Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 1059-First Edition
(2) Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS). 1
(3) Family Separation Allowance. 2
(4) Imminent danger pay or hazardous duty pay. 3
(b) The Department shall seek any necessary federal approvals or w aivers to implement 4
this section. 5
"§ 108A-53.29. Deployment-based eligibility flexibility. 6
(a) During a qualifying deployment or activation, the Department shall apply an income 7
eligibility adjustment for eligible military households by increasing the gross income eligibility 8
threshold by up to twenty-five percent (25%), to the extent permitted under federal law. 9
(b) If federal approval is not granted, the Department shall implement equivalent relief 10
through a State-funded supplemental nutrition program as provided in G.S. 108A-53.30. 11
"§ 108A-53.30. Military family deployment supplemental nutrition program. 12
(a) The Department shall establish a State -funded supplemental nutrition program for 13
eligible military households that do not qualify for electronic food and nutrition benefits under 14
Part 5 of this Article due to income thresholds but demonstrate financial hardship due to 15
deployment or activation. When applyin g for benefits pursuant to this section, the service 16
member's spouse or household d ependent, as applicable, shall present Department of Defense 17
identification and a copy of the service member 's military orders calling the service member to 18
deployment. 19
(b) The monthly benefit shall be not less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) and not 20
more than three hundred dollars ($300.00), as determined by the Department based on available 21
funds. 22
(c) Benefits shall be provided for the duration of deployment and up to 90 days following 23
the service member's return. The household receiving benefits pursuant to this section shall notify 24
the Department, in a manner determined by the Department, of the service member's return. 25
(d) The Department shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee 26
on Health and Human Services by March 1 of each year detailing program participation, 27
expenditures, and outcomes. 28
"§ 108A-53.31. Expedited access. 29
The Department shall establish an expedited application and approval process, not to exceed 30
10 calendar days, for military households eligible for the supplemental nutrition benefits pursuant 31
to G.S. 108A-53.30 and shall coordinate with appropriate military installations to streamline 32
verification of deployment status. 33
"§ 108A-53.32. National Guard and Reserve. 34
All provisions of this Part shall apply equally to members of the National Guard and Reserve 35
who are activated under federal or State authority. 36
"§ 108A-53.33. Exemptions. 37
Notwithstanding G.S. 108A-52 and as permitted by federal law, the Department shall seek a 38
waiver to exempt able-bodied adults from the work requirements under 7 U.S.C. § 2015(o) for 39
purposes of eligibility of benefits pursuant to this Part. 40
"§ 108A-53.34. Applicability of Part. 41
This act does not apply when a member makes a permanent change of station or assignment 42
without dependents." 43
SECTION 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 44
Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, the sum of seventy -seven million six 45
hundred thousand dollars ($77,600,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2026 -2027 fiscal 46
year to implement this act. 47
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2026, and applies to qualifying 48
deployments or activations occurring on or after that date. 49