Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order Thursday afternoon to provide emergency food assistance to Ohio families affected by the suspension of federal SNAP benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Executive Order 2025-0D6 activates the Emergency Adoption of Rule 5101:1-23-40.1 of the Ohio Administrative Code and directs the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to immediately distribute emergency aid to families facing food insecurity.
The $25 million emergency allocation will be divided into two components. The state will provide $7 million directly to food banks throughout Ohio to bolster their capacity to serve families in need. An additional $18 million will be distributed as emergency relief benefits to more than 63,000 Ohioans who qualify under the emergency criteria.
The emergency benefits target the state’s most vulnerable residents, focusing on households at or below 50% of the federal poverty level. More than 57,000 children are among those who will receive assistance under the emergency order.
DeWine announced his intention to sign the order earlier Thursday, coordinating with state legislative leaders including Senate President Matt McColley and House Speaker Jason Stephens to address the crisis. The emergency measure comes as the federal government shutdown has disrupted the normal distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, leaving thousands of Ohio families without their expected food assistance.
The executive order allows ODJFS to bypass standard administrative procedures to expedite aid delivery to affected families. The emergency rule adoption enables the department to quickly process and distribute benefits without the typical regulatory timeline.
State officials have not indicated how long the emergency funding will last or what additional measures may be needed if the federal shutdown extends beyond current projections.
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