U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), along with Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Zach Nunn (R-IA), announced the introduction of their Hot Foods Act, which would permit the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to cover hot food purchases.
Currently, SNAP contains a provision that limits purchases to food that needs to be prepared at home before it is consumed or specifically cold prepared foods. The Hot Foods Act would remove this prohibition and allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy hot foods like prepared rotisserie chickens, hot sandwiches, soups and more.
“A working mom trying to put food on the table for her kids can use SNAP to buy a cold sandwich—but not a hot bowl of soup or a rotisserie chicken. That just doesn’t make sense,” said Rep. Garbarino. “Outdated restrictions like this ignore the reality many families face. The Hot Foods Act is a commonsense reform that would give families more flexibility to purchase nutritious, ready-to-eat meals. I’m proud to co-lead this effort to ensure children have access to the healthy, hot meals they need.”
Originally introduced in May 2023, this legislation has 78 cosponsors. A copy of the bill can be viewed here.
