1 in 13 children have a life-threatening food allergy, and the number is only increasing. With children spending most of their time at school — nine months a year, five days a week, and several hours a day — legislators are taking action to ensure that students can safely enjoy their time there, without fear of an allergic reaction.

Many students rely on free or reduced-priced meals at school. During the 2019-2020 school year, 43.31% of students in Washington State were eligible for the program. However, because many schools don’t provide meals during summer break, food insecurity increases for families while schools are not in session.

That’s where summer EBT comes in. Now called SUN Bucks, the USDA-approved program will help the families of about 550,000 low-income students in 37 states, including Washington, buy more groceries this summer.