A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation aimed at expanding what people can buy with SNAP benefits, arguing that the program’s current rules exclude convenient prepared foods many families rely on. The senators this week unveiled what they called the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would make rotisserie chicken an eligible purchase under SNAP, the federal nutrition program formerly known as food stamps.
The bill targets a rule that limits SNAP purchases to groceries and excludes hot, prepared foods. Under the current SNAP framework, the program provides a monthly stipend for low-income families to buy groceries but does not pay for hot prepared items from the grocery store. The senators said the restriction has been in place for decades and, in their view, no longer fits how families shop and eat.
Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, joined Republican Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia in sponsoring the bill. Fetterman said, “America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken,” and added that he was “proud to join this bill with Sen. Justice for all to try.” He argued that “SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it.”
Justice said in a statement that the legislation would give people a meal option without long preparation time. “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,” Justice said.
Supporters of the measure said the longstanding ban penalizes families who are already trying to make ends meet, including those looking for convenient food options. They also said the exclusions can shut out foods they view as nutritious and practical for households balancing work, childcare, and other responsibilities.
The bill was introduced amid ongoing national and state debates over which foods should count as eligible or ineligible for SNAP. The cluster description notes that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed states to exclude “junk food such as soda and candy,” and that 22 states have requested or been granted permission to ban certain foods.
SNAP remains a large part of the U.S. social safety net, the senators said in support of the policy change. The program helps nearly 42 million people, or about 1 in 8 Americans, buy groceries, according to the reporting. On average, the monthly benefit is about $350 per household and about $190 per person.
Besides Fetterman and Justice, the senators introducing the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act include Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado. The reporting also said Republican Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas has pushed for similar changes in the House.