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To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require the Secretary to designate food and food products to be made available under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.
Summary
The Healthy SNAP Act of 2025 amends the Food and Nutrition Act to restrict the types of foods eligible for purchase under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill excludes soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts from SNAP eligibility, in addition to the existing exclusions of alcohol and tobacco. Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of Agriculture must establish regulations designating which foods and food products qualify for SNAP based on nutrition science, public health concerns, and the cultural eating patterns of program participants. The Secretary must also consider the fat, sugar, and salt content of eligible foods and conduct a scientific review at least every 5 years to update the list based on current nutrition science and public health guidance. States may request approval to substitute nutritionally equivalent foods to accommodate different cultural cuisines and eating patterns.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (R-UT)
6 cosponsors
- Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] (R-AL)
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT] (R-UT)
- Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH)
- Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY] (R-WY)
- Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL)
Actions (2)
- Feb 13, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. · senate
- Feb 13, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 13, 2025
Mr. Lee (for himself, Mr. Cramer, and Mrs. Britt) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require the Secretary to designate food and food products to be made available under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Healthy SNAP Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. FOOD UNDER SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) Definition of Food.—Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(k)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking “except alcoholic beverages, tobacco” and inserting “designated by the Secretary under section 4(d), except any alcoholic beverages, tobacco, soft drinks, candy, ice cream, prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, or similar products”; and
(2) by striking “clauses” and inserting “paragraphs”.
(b) Designated Food.—Section 4 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Designated Food.—
“(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall designate by regulation the foods and food products that shall be included in the definition of the term ‘food’ under section 3(k)(1).
“(2) Considerations.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
“(A) take into consideration food and food products that—
“(i) based on nutrition research, contain nutrients lacking in the diets of people in the United States; and
“(ii) promote the health of the population served by the supplemental nutrition assistance program, based on relevant nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns; and
“(B) to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that the fat, sugar, and salt content of the food and food products is appropriate.
“(3) Review of available foods.—As frequently as determined by the Secretary to be necessary to reflect the most recent scientific knowledge, but not less frequently than once every 5 years, the Secretary shall—
“(A) conduct a scientific review of the food and food products designated under paragraph (1); and
“(B) amend those foods and food products, as necessary, to reflect nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns.
“(4) Prepared meals.—Prepared meals described in section 3(k) shall have nutritional values consistent with regulations developed by the Secretary under this subsection.
“(5) Cultural cuisines.—To allow for different cultural eating patterns, State agencies may, with the approval of the Secretary, substitute different food for food designated under paragraph (1) subject to the condition that the different food is nutritionally equivalent to the substituted food.”. <all>
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