CB 121126 — Version 1 https://webapi.legistar.com/v1/seattle/Matters/16666/Texts/17997 CITY OF SEATTLE ORDINANCE __________________ COUNCIL BILL __________________ ..title AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance 127156, which adopted the 2025 Budget; making appropriations from the General Fund for food programs and reserves; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council. ..body WHEREAS, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to more than 40 million Americans, including over 50,000 Seattleites; and WHEREAS, approximately 930,000 Washington residents receive SNAP benefits, amounting to $173 million in monthly payments from the federal government, of which Seattleites receive approximately $16 million per month; and WHEREAS, because of the October/November 2025 shutdown of the federal government, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that SNAP funding was ceased as of November 1, 2025; and WHEREAS, the cuts to SNAP exacerbated existing food insecurity and inaccessibility within Seattle and the surrounding region, which already disproportionately impacts low-income and BIPOC communities; and WHEREAS, without immediate emergency actions, a loss of SNAP funding and food access would have resulted in significant harm to Seattleites, caused individuals and families to go hungry, and caused financial loss and hardship - impacting the ability to afford housing, educational outcomes, and mental and physical health; and WHEREAS, on October 30, 2025, Mayor Harrell declared a limited state of Civil Emergency to allow the City to respond rapidly, including directing the City Budget Director to make funds available for immediate food assistance; and WHEREAS, for three weeks in November, the Human Services Department and Office of Sustainability and Environment worked with community partner organizations to ramp up and distribute existing food resource channels; and WHEREAS, uncertainty about future federal policies affecting City and community-provided programs increases the need for financial reserves; and WHEREAS, this legislation is needed to true up the City's revised 2025 Budget; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Council finds and declares: A. The U.S. federal government "shut down" on October 1, 2025 after the country's elected leadership failed to pass appropriations bills to fund federal agencies. B. Agencies that had existing funding on October 1 were able to continue some operations. C. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) funding will cease as of November 1, 2025. On October 30, 2025 the USDA's website stated "At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01." D. Tens of thousands of Seattle residents rely on SNAP benefits to provide meals for themselves and their families. E. Providing food assistance to Seattle residents during the civil emergency was necessary for the immediate preservation of public health. Section 2. In order to pay for necessary costs and expenses incurred or to be incurred, but for which insufficient appropriations were made due to causes that could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time of making the 2025 Budget, appropriations for the following items in the 2025 Budget are increased from the funds shown, as follows: Item Department Fund Budget Summary Level/BCL Code Amount 2.1 Human Services Department General Fund (00100) Supporting Affordability and Livability (00100-BO-HS-H1000) $2,700,000 2.2 Executive (Office of Sustainability and Environment) General Fund (00100) Office of Sustainability and Environment (00100-BO-SE-X1000) $300,000 2.3 Finance General General Fund (00100) General Purpose (00100-BO-FG-2QD00) $1,000,000 Total $4,000,000 Unspent funds appropriated in item 2.3 shall carry forward to subsequent fiscal years until they are exhausted or abandoned by ordinance. Section 3. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed. Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Sections 1.04.020 and 1.04.070. Passed by a 3/4 vote of all the members of the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2025, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this ________ day of _________________________, 2025. ____________________________________ President ____________ of the City Council Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this ____day of _______________, 2025. ____________________________________ Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2025. ____________________________________ Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk (Seal) Dan Eder/Tom Mikesell CBO Emergency Food Appropriations ORD D2a 2 Template last revised February 19, 2025 2 Version No. 1