(Washington, DC) U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Grace Meng (NY-06) introduced a bipartisan bill to allow Americans to use nutrition assistance benefits on warm, ready-to-eat meals. The Hot Foods Act is a commonsense fix that would support families across Iowa and the country—especially working parents, seniors, and individuals with disabilities.
“No family should have to choose between hunger and dignity,” said Rep. Nunn. “Iowans deserve the flexibility to use their nutrition benefits on warm, ready-to-eat meals that make life a little easier – especially for working parents.”
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a vital tool for over 40 million Americans, helping families afford food each month. The Hot Foods Act aims to modernize the SNAP program by eliminating a dated rule that prevents recipients from using their benefits to purchase hot or prepared meals. While SNAP currently allows cold or frozen versions of the same meals, this restriction disproportionately impacts working parents, seniors, and those without kitchen access. The bill would ensure that families have the flexibility to meet their hunger needs with dignity and convenience.
“Millions of American families rely on SNAP daily to put food on the table. It simply doesn’t make sense to restrict them from using their benefits to buy hot meals while allowing them to buy the exact same type of meal cold or frozen,” said Rep. Meng . “The Hot Foods Act removes this dated rule preventing people from purchasing hot foods with SNAP, giving flexibility to working parents, people with disabilities, and the many hard-working Americans who need to put food on the table every day. I am proud to work across the aisle to make this commonsense change.”
This bill is supported by The Food Research & Action Center, First Focus Campaign for Children, Feeding America, Hunger Free America, and the National Association of Convenience Stores.
