In a press conference at the state capitol in Salem, advocates said Senate Bill 611 is especially urgent as Oregon faces a steep rise in hunger.
鈥淣o one, no matter their background, their zip code, or their circumstances, should ever have to go to bed hungry,鈥� said Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, a Democrat from Aloha who is a chief sponsor of the bill. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not just a belief. It鈥檚 a conviction that drives everything we鈥檙e fighting for.鈥�
If passed, the bill would establish the Food for All Oregonians Program in the Department of Human Services with the goal of helping people who can鈥檛 get federal food assistance through SNAP because of their immigration status. The bill would help people under the age of 25 and over the age of 55. It鈥檚 not clear how many people would benefit from the program nor how much it would cost.
So far, 18 Democrats, including House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, have sponsored the legislation. It is sponsored by one Republican representative, Mark Owens, R-Crane, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Federal SNAP benefits have never been available to immigrants who don鈥檛 have legal documentation proving citizenship. Advocates tried to pass similar legislation in Oregon during the 2023 session, but that bill, SB 610, died in committee.
Still, advocates say the legislation is necessary now to support immigrant and refugee communities amid a slew of new policies from President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration.
鈥淭he current federal administration is threatening cuts to SNAP and vital safety nets, posing significant risks to tens of thousands of Oregonians,鈥� said Andrea Williams, the president of the Oregon Food Bank, which is supporting the bill. 鈥淭hese policies are in direct opposition to our values as Oregonians.鈥�
Standing on the steps of the state capitol on a brisk and clear morning, advocates carried signs that said 鈥渆nd hunger鈥� and 鈥渇ood is a human right鈥� alongside drawings of fruits and vegetables. Many were from families of farmworkers in communities from Tillamook to Ontario, who prop up Oregon鈥檚 agriculture industry and fuels the state鈥檚 economy, bringing food to grocery stores and kitchens throughout the state.
One in eight people across the state are experiencing hunger, Williams said. Overall, people visited local food banks more than 2.5 million times last year in Oregon and southwest Washington, according to the food bank. That鈥檚 more than twice as many as before the pandemic and a 31% increase compared to the year before.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not just a number,鈥� said Campos, the deputy majority leader in the state Senate. 鈥淚t鈥檚 families, neighbors, children and elders 鈥� people who deserve better from all of us.鈥�
In addition, one out of every six children in Oregon face hunger, according to data from , an organization that includes food banks, pantries and other meal programs across the country.
鈥淭o put that in perspective, we are in the worst rate of hunger and food insecurity since the Great Depression,鈥� said Williams.
Food banks in Oregon and Southwest Washington distributed more than 109 million pounds of food last year, which was also a 5% jump from the previous year.
鈥淭he lines don鈥檛 disappear once the food is handed out,鈥� said Williams. 鈥淭omorrow, people will be there again. And the next day. And the next day.鈥�