TOPEKA — The advocacy organization Kansas Appleseed marked the 10th anniversary of the HOPE Act by denouncing the legacy of a state law blamed for undermining food security and work of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Dole to aid malnourished people.

The HOPE Act, formally known as the Kansas Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone Act, was signed into law in April 2015 by then-Gov. Sam Brownback. The measure significantly increased barriers to participation among Kansans in SNAP, previously known as the food stamp program. In the subsequent decade, Republican leadership in the Kansas Legislature has continued to seek expansion of restrictions on SNAP beyond minimum requirements in federal law.

“As a born-and-raised Kansan, living just 30 miles from Bob Dole’s hometown, I knew from a young age that if Bob Dole fought for something, it was the right thing to do.” said Jami Reever, executive director for Kansas Appleseed. “His fight to end hunger became Kansas’ fight to end hunger, and to see that legacy stripped away year after year is contrary to Kansas values.”

On Wednesday, Kansas Appleseed released a report on the 10-year anniversary of the HOPE Act that outlined political history of anti-hunger initiatives tied to Kansas, challenged criticism of SNAP and recommended the state embrace policies to better meet food needs of families.

The report said Kansas ranked 48th among the states and District of Columbia in terms of SNAP access. The state ranked fifth-lowest in terms of the rate of eligible people enrolled in SNAP, Kansas Appleseed said.

“This report highlights the sharp contrast between our state’s regressive approach to SNAP and the compassionate, bipartisan legacy of feeding people that Kansas forefather Bob Dole left our state,” said Haley Kottler of Kansas Appleseed. “Because of these regressive approaches, Kansas has gone from leading the nation on anti-hunger efforts to becoming one of the hardest places to access SNAP. That is not who we are, and it is not who we have to be.”

Kansas Appleseed proposed enhancing access to SNAP to mirror “real needs of everyday, hardworking Kansans.” Research showed participation in SNAP improved dietary intake, supported mental health, reduced poverty and promoted economic self-sufficiency, Kansas Appleseed said.

HOPE Act?

In 2015, Brownback took on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program borne of bipartisan advocacy by Republican U.S. Sen. Dole of Kansas and the late Democratic U.S. Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota.

Brownback signed the HOPE Act to limit adults without children to three months on SNAP during any 36-month period in which the person wasn’t employed part-time or enrolled in job training. In addition, individuals with a felony drug conviction were given a lifetime ban from SNAP in Kansas.

Brownback also banned use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance to buy alcohol, cigarettes or lottery, concert or sports event tickets. TANF cash couldn’t be expended in a movie theater, swimming pool, theme park or video arcade.

Brownback said the idea was to implement state laws that could compel people to lift themselves out of poverty.

“The primary focus of the bill is to get people back to work,” Brownback said at the time. “Because that’s where the real benefit is — getting people off public assistance and back into the marketplace with the dignity.”

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who voted against the HOPE Act in 2015 while a member of the Kansas Senate, said state laws undermining the potential of SNAP and TANF were a mistake.

“The HOPE Act was wrong then, and it remains wrong now,” Kelly said. “Now, more than ever, the Legislature should look for ways to support working Kansas families rather than further shredding the safety net that gives Kansans a bridge back to self-sufficiency.”

Research by a University of Kansas professor indicated state policy or law limiting enrollment in SNAP made it more difficult to prevent child abuse or neglect as well as prevent entry of children into foster care. In aftermath of the HOPE Act, the number of Kansas children in foster care reached a record level.

SNAP under attack

Hunger Free America reported U.S. Department of Agriculture data indicated 15.3% of Kansas residents lived in food insecure households between 2021 to 2023. That included 13.6% of children, 8.4% of working adults and 6.6% of elderly residents in Kansas.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, created in 2022 the House Welfare Reform Committee to advance the welfare agenda started by Brownback. In a speech, Hawkins said the state should focus on shrinking government rather than “growing the welfare state and dependency.”

He said tax dollars ought to be reserved for “the truly needy instead of siphoning them away to able-bodied adults who don’t want to work.”

That point of emphasis led to House Bill 2140, which was advanced in 2023 to further limit eligibility for SNAP. Existing law at that time blocked SNAP benefits to able-bodied adults 18 to 49 without dependents and not employed at least 30 hours per week unless they were in a job training program. The bill, which died in the Senate, would have extended the prohibition to Kansans 50 to 59 years of age.

Another piece of legislation in 2023, endorsed by the Florida think tank Opportunity Solutions Project , would cut SNAP benefits to noncustodial parents who fell behind in child support payments. GOP advocates of the concept said the legislation would withhold food aid from families as leverage to extract cash from “deadbeat” parents.

Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat, said the bill would have made it less likely parents could support their children and more likely people went hungry.

“Reducing access to food for Kansans who are already struggling financially is unnecessarily harsh and ineffective,” Faust Goudeau said.

In the 2025 session, the House and Senate approved a bill requiring the state to seek permission from USDA to exclude candy and soft drinks from Kansas’ list of products eligible to be bought with SNAP benefits. Kelly vetoed the bill. The Senate voted to override the governor, but the House didn’t challenge the veto.

“Restricting assistance under the guise of making sure low-income individuals are ‘healthy’ strips them of their dignity,” said Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas. “Families in poverty face enough challenges, but what they chose to eat should not be legislated.”