FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington Moves to Protect Food Security as Legislature Sends HB 2238 to Governor’s Desk

As federal cuts squeeze families, a statewide strategy is the solution Washington needs 

SEATTLE — As the 2026 legislative session draws to a close, Washington lawmakers have passed HB 2238: Statewide Food Security Strategy, sending the bill to the governor’s desk for signature. The legislation arrives as federal program cuts and rising costs put growing pressure on families, seniors and workers across the state.

“HB 2238 gives Washington a coordinated strategy to ensure communities aren’t left to shoulder the impacts of federal cuts alone,” said Anna Nepomuceno, director of public policy at Northwest Harvest. “This legislation centers lived experience, strengthens collaboration statewide and reflects what we’re hearing from partners serving families every day.”

Community partners say the need is rising

Across Washington, frontline organizations with which Northwest Harvest partners to distribute food are reporting increased demand, more first‑time visitors and resource strain as federal cuts and economic pressures compound.

In Spokane, Shalom Ministries has seen a clear spike in need. As the organization shared recently: “Growing needs means more meals served. We also have more diners who are working and volunteering with us all the time.”

Other Spokane partners, including Our Place Community Outreach, report serving more families who have never needed food assistance before. Staff describe using donation dollars to cover needs created by federal policy changes — leaving less flexibility to meet rising community demand.

In the Tri‑Cities, the Tri‑Cities Kennewick Food Bank notes a significant rise in both SNAP recipients and federal employees seeking food assistance: “We have seen an increase in clients needing services… more SNAP and federal employees and subcontractors to federal programs.”

Additional partners, such as Restoration Community Impact in Kennewick and Community Services of Moses Lake, report heightened concern around rising prices, shrinking safety nets and uncertainty about how local programs will keep pace.

These experiences reflect the statewide trends HB 2238 is designed to address.

What HB 2238 does

As passed by the Legislature, HB 2238:

• Directs the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to establish a coordinated statewide food security strategy
• Tasks the WSDA with assessing the health of Washington’s food system and spotlighting policy barriers that limit production or disrupt the supply chain
• Aligns food access with farmer support to ensure a stronger, more resilient agricultural sector
• Supports a unified, data driven approach to food security across agencies, sectors and regions
• Ensures lived-experience voices are at the center of solutions
• Requires root‑cause analysis to address the systemic drivers of hunger

Northwest Harvest acknowledges the leadership of Rep. Kristine Reeves (District 30, Position 2), who championed this bill, along with the many advocates, partner organizations and public agencies that helped build the case for a statewide food security strategy.

“We hear every day from partners who are doing everything they can, but the pressures families face are bigger than any one organization,” Nepomuceno said. “A statewide strategy helps us move beyond patchwork solutions and build systems that actually meet the scale of the need.”

As part of the work ahead, Nepomuceno has been asked to serve on the Diversifying Voices Subcommittee of the Washington Food Policy Forum, where she will help ensure that implementation of the new strategy reflects the priorities and lived experience of communities most impacted by hunger.

A solution that meets the moment

Food banks across Washington have warned that rising grocery prices, housing instability and federal cuts to SNAP and other programs are leaving more people unable to afford necessities — including many who have never needed help before.

“Our partners know the people behind these numbers,” said Carmen Mendez, director of Food Access Network and procurement at Northwest Harvest. “HB 2238 reflects their reality: hunger isn’t about individual choices — it’s about systems that need to be fixed. This legislation moves us closer to that goal.”

Taken together, these on‑the‑ground experiences show both the scale of the challenge and the strength of community leadership across Washington. With HB 2238 poised to become law, the state now has an opportunity to work alongside partners, advocates and people with lived experience to ensure the food security system is coordinated, equitable and resilient in the face of continued economic and federal pressures.

Media availability

Spokespeople from Northwest Harvest’s community partners are available for interviews. Contact Natasha Dworkin, director of communications, at 206‑715‑1696 or natashad@northwestharvest.org.

About Northwest Harvest

Northwest Harvest is a food justice organization striving to end hunger in Washington state. Part of a justice-centered movement, we advocate changing inequitable policies, practices, and institutions that perpetuate hunger and poverty. We partner with a network of over 375 organizations to operate an emergency food supply chain. Together, we ensure communities across our state can access the nutritious food they want and need to thrive.

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