WHAT HAPPENED: Sens. Jim Justice (R-WV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) this week introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase hot rotisserie chicken using their benefits. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) introduced companion legislation in the House.
WHAT IT DOES: The bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to add “hot rotisserie chicken” to the definition of SNAP-eligible food items. It DOES NOT expand SNAP funding, broaden participant eligibility, or open SNAP to restaurants — it applies only to eligible retailers and only to hot rotisserie chicken.
WHY IT MATTERS: Under current law, SNAP participants can purchase a cold rotisserie chicken but are barred from buying the same chicken if it is served hot — a distinction with no nutritional basis. To comply, some grocers heat rotisserie chickens and then cool them back down before sale, wasting energy and adding unnecessary cost. At roughly $7, a rotisserie chicken is one of the most affordable and complete protein options available in grocery stores and can feed an entire family. For the approximately 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP, removing this arbitrary restriction would expand access to a nutritious, ready-to-eat meal without adding a dime to the federal budget.
NCC’s TAKE: NCC strongly supports the bill and commends the bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers for their leadership. “The Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act is a commonsense solution to an unnecessary problem,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “Right now, a SNAP family can buy a cold rotisserie chicken — but the moment it’s hot, it’s off limits. There is no nutritional difference, only an outdated technicality.”
BACKGROUND: This is not the first time Congress has taken up the issue. During the House Agriculture Committee markup of the Farm Bill on March 4, Rep. Crawford offered an amendment to include hot rotisserie chicken in SNAP, which drew strong bipartisan support. Crawford ultimately withdrew the amendment, but the strong support expressed during the markup helped pave the way for this standalone legislation.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:
“Allowing folks on SNAP to buy hot rotisserie chickens is truly just common sense. It’s as basic as you can get to help busy parents or grandparents put something as simple as this on the table to feed their families. We have to give people the option to put a healthy, protein-dense choice on the table that actually tastes good and doesn’t take an hour and a half to cook,” said Senator Jim Justice.
“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken 
. It’s one of my family’s favorites and I’m proud to join this bill with Senator Justice for all to try. SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it,” said Senator John Fetterman.
“Allowing SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken is a simple, practical step to make the program work better for the people it serves. For seniors, working families, and those without reliable access to cooking equipment, this is about convenience and dignity. With multiple states—including West Virginia—already requesting flexibility in this area, this bill brings SNAP in line with real-world needs while making smart, efficient use of taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
“Congress should be making it easier, not harder, for families to put food on the table. This bill fixes an unnecessary barrier and helps Colorado families get a quick, nutritious meal when they need it,” said Senator Michael Bennet.
“Hot rotisserie chicken is healthy, widely available, popular in grocery stores, and aligns with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans promoting nutrient-dense protein,” said Rep. Rick Crawford.
“Hot take: putting hot rotisserie chicken on food stamps is common sense. Arkansas took items like candy and soft drinks off SNAP. Now let’s put healthy, affordable options like hot rotisserie chicken on,” said Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
WHAT’S IN THE PRESS: Bipartisan lawmakers cook up ‘Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act’ – USATODAY; Senators to introduce Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act for SNAP recipients – The Hill; What to know about the ‘Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act’ – Associated Press; Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act introduced in US Senate – WATT Poultry; ‘So much healthier’: Shoppers say adding hot rotisserie chicken to SNAP is a no-brainer– CBS Harrisburg; Giving them wings: Bipartisan bill would add rotisserie chicken to SNAP benefits – Courthouse News; Got drumsticks? Bill would allow SNAP participants to buy hot rotisserie chicken – Washington Times; “Hot rotisserie chicken should be included in SNAP, John Fetterman and colleagues across the aisle agree” – Philadelphia Inquirer
WHAT’S NEXT: NCC will continue to work with members in both chambers to advance the bill and build additional support, and we will be advocating for its inclusion in the upcoming Farm Bill.
WHAT HAPPENED: NCC this week filed comments with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) strongly supporting a proposed rule that would raise the maximum line speed for young chicken processors operating under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) from 140 to 175 birds per minute (bpm).
WHY IT MATTERS: The current 140 bpm cap is one of the most restrictive line speed requirements in the world. Major competitors — including the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada — have eliminated mandatory line speed caps while maintaining food safety standards, putting U.S. producers at a significant competitive disadvantage. Higher throughput also supports independent contract growers by improving farm cash flow, and is expected to create additional jobs in second processing, where workers trim, debone, and package product.
NCC’S TAKE: NCC strongly supports the proposed rule and urged FSIS to finalize it as quickly as possible. “This is a science-based rule backed with decades of data that will make chicken more affordable for American families, create jobs in rural communities, and strengthen U.S. global competitiveness — all while maintaining our industry’s commitment to food and worker safety,” said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., NCC Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. NCC’s full comments can be found here.
THE SCIENCE: NCC’s comments highlight nearly three decades of research and real-world data demonstrating that higher line speeds do not compromise food safety. Since 1997, FSIS’s HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project (HIMP) — and later the NPIS line speed waiver program — have consistently shown that processors operating up to 175 bpm meet or exceed food safety performance standards, including for Salmonella reduction. FSIS’s own data shows that since NPIS line speed waivers were first approved in 2017, Salmonella illnesses per one million pounds of chicken consumed have declined by 9.2 percent. On worker safety, the industry’s total recordable illness and injury rate in 2024 was 2.4 cases per 100 full-time workers — a 90 percent decline since 1994 and well below the broader food manufacturing sector rate of 3.3. FSIS’s PULSE study, published in January 2025, found no correlation between higher evisceration line speeds and increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
WHAT’S NEXT: The comment period has now closed, and FSIS will review submissions before moving toward a final rule. NCC will continue to engage with USDA and the administration to advance this commonsense modernization and keep members updated as the rulemaking progresses.
Representative David Scott, a Georgia Democrat who served nearly three decades in the state’s legislature before being elected to Congress, has died, his office announced on Wednesday. He was 80.
Mr. Scott represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District for more than 20 years. He was the first African American to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was a member of the Congressional Chicken Caucus.
“Mr. Scott was a huge ally to not only Georgia’s chicken producers, but the entire industry more broadly,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. “Throughout his more than two decades in Congress, he understood and advocated for the vital role that poultry and livestock producers play in feeding families and supporting local economies. But above all, he was a class act. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his staff, and his constituents back home in Georgia who he served with dedication for so many years.”
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
WHAT HAPPENED: NCC today submitted formal comments to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service supporting the agency’s proposed 18-month delay of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rule, which is set to go into effect on July 1, 2026. AMS proposed the delay in March after reviewing the rule’s potential costs to the poultry industry and consumers.
WHY IT MATTERS: Beyond the millions of dollars in compliance costs the rule would impose, it would effectively ban bonuses for the best chicken farmers. Eliminating this performance-based compensation system would pay all farmers the same, regardless of hard work, investments, or husbandry practices. It would drive experienced farmers out of the industry and reduce efficiency and competition in rural markets. Even the Biden administration conceded it was “unable to quantify benefits” and acknowledged that any gains for some growers would come at the expense of higher-performing growers.
NCC’s TAKE: NCC strongly supports the proposed delay and urged AMS to finalize it as swiftly as possible to give the industry much-needed certainty and allow integrators to pause costly compliance preparations. “This regulation threatened to dismantle an efficient and successful industry model that has worked well for decades and helps keep chicken affordable for American consumers,” said NCC President Harrison Kircher. NCC also reiterated the legal and policy deficiencies it has raised throughout this rulemaking. NCC’s full comments can be found here.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: “We have it hard enough feeding America, don’t make it harder on the growers who actually take pride in their work by making it an ‘everyone gets a trophy’ situation.” – Grower comment on the proposed delay
WHAT’S NEXT: The public comment period closes today, and AMS will review the comments submitted and make a decision on whether to move forward with the delay. NCC urged AMS not to stop at a delay, but to use this period to fully rescind the rule. We will continue to engage with USDA and the administration to ensure the outcome protects farmers, preserves the efficiency of the broiler production system, and keeps chicken affordable for American consumers.
WHAT HAPPENED: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Thursday about the Department of Agriculture’s FY27 budget. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins was the lone witness. Her opening remarks can be found here.
WHY IT MATTERS: Several issues of importance to the broiler industry were discussed during the hearing, including poultry line speeds, Packers and Stockyards regulations, and avian influenza.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Fewer onerous regulations mean our farmers, ranchers, and foresters have more freedom to do what they do best. That’s why we’ve pursued rules to speed up lines at poultry processing plants, streamline the National Environmental Policy Act process from seven to one rulemaking and we are making it easier for livestock to graze on federal lands, which we are executing in partnership with Secretary Burgum and the Department of the Interior.” — Secretary Rollins in her opening statement.
“I appreciate your efforts, Secretary Rollins, to modernize meat and poultry processing systems, and proposed updates to line speed regulations, for instance, to increase processing efficiency, to lower costs for consumers, while upholding USDA’s high standards for food and worker safety. I appreciate that you’ve delayed the Biden-era Packers and Stockyards rules that would end the poultry tournament system. I’m confident that a comprehensive economic analysis will show the financial harm this rule will cause to poultry growers, and increasing prices, especially for producers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. I urge you to fully repeal the rule, rather than allow it to tear down the efficient, successful poultry market structure that helps both farmers and consumers.” — Committee Chairman Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01) in his opening statement.
“I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your leadership on two particular areas important to the district I represent. I represent the 4th district of Alabama, which is the northern part of the state of Alabama, and it’s one of the leading poultry districts in the nation. I appreciate your recent directive to permanently increase the line speeds for poultry and pork processors and eliminate outdated administrative requirements. For too long, these requirements have constrained production. They’ve imposed unnecessary costs on American producers, while countries like Canada, Brazil and Argentina operate at significantly higher line speeds using comparable equipment, placing U.S. producers at a competitive disadvantage. Also, I’d like to thank you for your recent announcement proposing an 18-month delay on implementation of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement rule. I’d advocate for this rule to be fully rescinded, as well.” — Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) in his remarks.
“A year ago, when I came in, this is what was sort of told to me: ‘The vaccines are ready, they are produced here.’ Let’s go. And I assumed that made a ton of sense to me. But then I asked the question, ‘Where across the world have these vaccines for HPAI been deployed?’ Because avian bird flu is all over the world. Where has it been deployed and where has it been proven that the vaccine can beat the virus? Because obviously on the health side of things, often the virus, the quote is, ‘The virus often wins.’ So I started a pretty significant pretty couple of months research effort. I visited several of the research facilities. I talked to veterinarians who are on both sides of the issue. And what it came down to is there is nowhere yet in the world that has gone ahead of us on this, that has proven that this vaccine can be effective. So as we’re looking at it, and by the way, I’ve got a $100 million innovation grant, we’ve got about 40% of that is on the vaccine side. We’re considering pilot programs on the vaccine. We are moving out. I’ve been talking to Gov. Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gov. Polis of Colorado, and of course there are other egg-heavy states, Iowa, Ohio. And they were just in for the Easter Egg Roll. So I talked to all of them. Again, they believe this is the only solution. And they could be right. But before I make that decision, we’ve already seen it jump to dairy cattle and we have to make sure that we’re not putting ourselves in a worse position by exposing humans. And so that’s what I’m working to try to resolve. As I mentioned in the top of my comments, we’ve put so much money into biosecurity, cases of HPAI are down 60% over last year, and the number of birds infected is down 46%. So we’ve made progress on biosecurity.” — Secretary Rollins when asked by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3) about the status of an HPAI vaccine.
NCC’s TAKE: We appreciate Reps. Harris and Aderholt, and Secretary Rollins’ support for increasing poultry line speeds and for delaying the implementation of the “Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems” rule. Until we have written assurances and trade protections in place with our trading partners, NCC will continue to oppose HPAI vaccination for any species.
