SPRINGFIELD ─ State Senator Ram Villivalam is spearheading a measure that would ensure townships are able to provide additional food assistance to residents.

“In November, many across our community had to worry about where their next meal was going to come from as a result of SNAP funds being frozen,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “This severely impacted our local food banks and pantries who began working overtime to try to fill the gap and ensure our neighbors were fed.”

As a result of H.R.1 – the federal budget bill – SNAP eligibility requirements have changed and funding was frozen for weeks, affecting millions of residents across Illinois. Without access to affordable, quality food, local food banks and pantries who were trying to fill in the gap were stretched thin.

Senate Bill 3565 would allow townships to use funding received and collected for public aid to establish and administer food banks and pantries for persons who are in need – regardless of their eligibility for general assistance.

“Ensuring townships can invest their resources in a way that directly positively impacts residents and continues to safeguard our communities against threats and cuts from the Trump Administration is imperative,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “Senate Bill 3565 bolsters our townships ability to support their neighbors, especially during a time that is so unpredictable.”

This would ensure that townships can continue to provide aid to residents, despite federal eligibility requirements for equivalent or similar programs, and that they can continue to invest funding into these services. 

“Senator Villivalam’s SB 3565 is grounded in the conviction that food is a basic human right and that strong communities take responsibility for one another. By giving townships greater flexibility in how we use our own local resources, this bill allows us to respond directly to the serious challenges facing our residents, especially the rising hunger and food insecurity intensified by recent changes to the SNAP program,” said Bonnie Kahn Ognisanti, Niles Township Supervisor. “As demand grows, food pantries are under increasing strain and must be able to access more available funding to meet the moment. When local government is empowered to act with compassion and urgency, we strengthen the stability, dignity, and future of the entire community.”

Senate Bill 3565 passed the Senate Local Government Committee and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.