The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will issue roughly $177 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, food benefits for the month of June, as announced in a June 4 state news release. The HHSC's extension, approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serves as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 900,000 SNAP households will receive additional funds to their Lone Star Card by June 12, per the release. The extension increases the permitted amount of SNAP benefits provided to recipients, based on family size.

The $177 million emergency allotment is additional to the $414.7 million in SNAP benefits supplied to recipients in April and May, per the release. SNAP, a federal program overseen in Texas by the HHSC, assists around 1.4 million eligible low-income individuals and families statewide.

"As we continue the process of safely and strategically opening Texas for business, we are committed to ensuring families across the state have access to nutritious food," Gov. Greg Abbott said in the release. "This extension of emergency benefits will help Texans in need provide for their families while our state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic."

For more information on SNAP benefits and how to apply, click here.