Bill Details
View committees (1)
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would change how SNAP food benefits are used in a few specific cases. It would require state agencies to put a hold on a household’s EBT account if all of its food card purchases happen outside the state for more than 60 days, unless the household proves it still lives in the state or the state finishes an investigation confirming that. The bill would also stop SNAP benefits from being redeemed at a grocery store or wholesale food business if someone in the household owns that business, with some exceptions for businesses owned by a public company or the government. The changes would begin one year after the bill becomes law.
- Households with only out-of-state EBT purchases for more than 60 days could have their accounts suspended.
- To restore benefits, the household would need to show proof that it still lives in the state, or an investigation would need to confirm residency.
- SNAP benefits could not be used at a store or wholesale food concern if a member of the household owns that business.
- That ownership rule would not apply to stores or wholesale concerns owned by a public company or by the government.
Official Summaries
Securing Strictly Needy Americans’ Pivotal (SNAP) Benefits Act of 2025
This bill establishes additional limitations on the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The bill requires that a state agency suspend a SNAP household account when the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card transactions are made exclusively out-of-state for a period longer than 60 days. The state agency must maintain the suspension until (1) the household affirmatively provides substantiating evidence that the participating household members still reside in the state from which they receive benefits, or (2) an investigation conclusively determines that the participating household members still reside in the state from which they receive benefits.
In addition, a SNAP household may not redeem SNAP benefits at a SNAP-approved retail food store or wholesale food concern that is owned by a household member. This does not apply to a retail food store or a wholesale food concern that is owned by a publicly owned corporation or a government.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1398 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1398
To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, to limit the
conditions applicable to the use of electronic benefit transfer (EBT)
cards to purchase food, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 18, 2025
Mr. Rouzer (for himself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, and
Mr. Alford) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, to limit the
conditions applicable to the use of electronic benefit transfer (EBT)
cards to purchase food, 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 ``Securing Strictly Needy Americans'
Pivotal (SNAP) Benefits Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023.
Section 501 of title IV of division HH of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(f) Exclusively Out-of-State Purchases.--The State agency shall
suspend the accounts of households for which EBT card transactions are
made exclusively out-of-State for a period longer than 60 days, until--
``(1) the household affirmatively provides substantiating
evidence that the members of the household who are program
participants still reside in the state from which they receive
benefits; or
``(2) an investigation is conducted and conclusively
determines that the members of the household who are program
participants still reside in the state from which they receive
benefits.''.
SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON REDEMPTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM BENEFITS BY OWNERS OF APPROVED RETAIL FOOD STORES
AND WHOLESALE FOOD CONCERNS.
Section 9 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(k) Limitation on Redemption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program Benefits by Households That Include Members Who Are Owners of
Approved Retail Food Stores or Wholesale Food Concerns.--
``(1) A household that includes a member who is an owner of
an approved retail food store or wholesale food concern may not
redeem supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits at
such store or such concern.
``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a
retail food store, or a wholesale food concern, that is owned
by a publicly owned corporation or by a government.''.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect 1
year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
<all>