Hot Foods Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would let people use SNAP benefits (food stamps) to buy hot, ready-to-eat foods like rotisserie chickens and hot soup at grocery stores. Currently, these items are excluded from what SNAP covers, even though they are sold at the same stores where people already shop.
• To prevent SNAP from turning into a restaurant benefit, the bill limits which stores can sell hot foods using SNAP. Only stores where hot food sales make up less than half of their total revenue would qualify. This keeps the benefit focused on grocery stores and supermarkets, not fast-food chains.
• The bill also updates the definition of 'staple foods' under SNAP to specifically include hot foods and hot food products ready for immediate consumption, clarifying that these items count as eligible food purchases under the program.
• This change would especially help people who lack cooking facilities, such as those experiencing homelessness, seniors, and people with disabilities. It also gives busy low-income families more flexibility by allowing them to buy a warm prepared meal at the grocery store instead of only cold or uncooked items.