Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is part of the U.S. government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (PL 116–127), as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (PL 116-260), the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (PL 117-2), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 (PL 117-328) provides the Secretary of Agriculture authority to approve state agency plans to administer P-EBT.
Through P-EBT, eligible school children receive temporary emergency nutrition benefits loaded on EBT cards that are used to purchase food. Children who would have received free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Act if their schools were not closed or operating with reduced hours or attendance for at least 5 consecutive days are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits. P-EBT also provides benefits to younger children in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) whose covered child care facility is closed or operating with reduced hours or attendance, or who live in the area of schools that are closed or operating with reduced hours or attendance.
On Jan. 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that it intends to end the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration on May 11, 2023. If the PHE ends on this date as anticipated, children under 6 in households participating in SNAP will not be eligible for summer 2023 PEBT benefits. However, school children who attended an NSLP-participating school at the end of school year 2023-24 will still be eligible for summer 2023 P-EBT benefits. Additionally, all P-EBT funds, for both the school year and the summer, must be distributed by the end of fiscal year 2023, which is Sept.30, 2023.
Resources for SY 2022-23 |
Resources for Summer 2023 |
State Participation for Summer 2023
The following states and territories have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during summer 2023:
| Alabama Arizona CNMI Georgia Hawaii |
Indiana Louisiana Michigan Minnesota Nebraska |
New Mexico North Carolina Oklahoma Utah Vermont |
Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming |
State Participation for School Year 2022-23
The following states and territories have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during school year 2022-23:
| Alabama Arizona Georgia Hawaii Indiana |
Louisiana Massachusetts Minnesota Michigan New Jersey |
New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma |
Rhode Island Virginia Vermont Wisconsin |
Prior Year P-EBT Approvals and Resources
- Summer 2022
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The following states and territories have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during summer 2022.
Resources for Summer 2022 - School Year 2021-22
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The following states and territories have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during SY 2021-22:
Resources for School Year 2021-22 - Summer 2021
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The following states have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during SY 2020-21.
Resources for Summer 2021 - School Year 2020-21
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The following states have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during SY 2020-21.
Resources for School Year 2020-21 - School Year 2019-20
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The following states have been approved to operate a Pandemic EBT program during School Year 2019-20.
Resources for School Year 2019-20