A Democratic bill with 11 Democratic cosponsors · See all 12 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Hot Foods Act of 2025," aims to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. The primary goal is to allow supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits to be used for the purchase of hot foods or hot food products that are ready for immediate consumption. It modifies specific subsections regarding what can be purchased and how certain offers are structured. These changes would expand the types of food items eligible for purchase under the program.
Yes
- Scored +6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides increased flexibility and utility for SNAP benefits used by low-income families.
- Scored +5
Is this likely to lift people out of poverty?
The bill expands food access for low-income individuals by allowing SNAP benefits to be used for hot foods.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Would business owners be better off under this?
Retailers may face new limitations on how they structure offers regarding hot food sales.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Expanded food options: The bill amends subsection (k)(1) to include "hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption" in the list of items that can be purchased with benefits. This allows people to use their benefits for hot meals rather than just cold items.
-
Modified purchasing rules: Under subsection (o)(1), the bill changes the language to allow for "home or immediate consumption," which potentially changes how certain food offers are categorized and used by program participants.
-
New product categories: By amending subsection (q)(2) to include "hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption" as an accessory, the bill expands the scope of what is recognized within the program's structure.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Restrictions on retail sales: Under subsection (o)(1), the bill adds a provision that certain offers may apply to businesses where "not more than 50 percent of the total gross sales are from hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption." This could create limitations for retailers regarding how they participate in certain types of offers.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill expands food access for low-income individuals by allowing SNAP benefits to be used for hot foods.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides increased flexibility and utility for SNAP benefits used by low-income families. Would business owners be better off under this? — Retailers may face new limitations on how they structure offers regarding hot food sales.
- 7/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/20/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/31/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 9 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat · Michigan
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont