Members of Congress from both parties want to let people on the federal food stamp program buy hot rotisserie chickens with their benefits.
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) and 17 other members of the House of Representatives on April 22 introduced legislation that would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and make clear that benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, could be used to buy hot rotisserie chicken.
Four senators filed a similar measure in the Senate.
Food stamps cannot be used to buy everything in a grocery store. Hot, prepared foods are prohibited under the program. Food stamps can be used for cooked rotisserie chicken, but only if it has been allowed to cool.
Lawmakers said allowing families to buy hot chicken, which is typically sold for $5 to $10 at stores such as Costco and Giant, is a way to help families struggling with affordability.
“It is just plain common sense to allow SNAP participants to purchase a rotisserie chicken with their benefits,” Crawford said in a statement. “Hot rotisserie chicken is healthy, widely available, popular in grocery stores, and aligned with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) added: “Congress should be making it easier, not harder, for families to put food on the table. This bill fixes an unnecessary barrier and helps Colorado families get a quick, nutritious meal when they need it.”
About 42 million Americans receive SNAP. The program is aimed at helping poorer families pay for groceries.
The legislation would not increase funding or cover any other hot foods, senators said. It would also not apply to hot chicken at restaurants.
The legislation drew support from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, one of more than a dozen governors who asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for, and received, authorization to restrict food stamps in their states beyond the restrictions in federal law.
“Arkansas took items like candy and soft drinks off SNAP,” Sanders wrote in a post on X. “Now let’s put healthy, affordable options like hot rotisserie chicken on.”
The National Chicken Council also offered support for the effort.
“Right now, a SNAP family can buy a cold rotisserie chicken—but the moment it’s hot, it’s off limits,” Harrison Kircher, president of the council, said in a statement. “There is no nutritional difference. There is no logical difference. There is only an outdated technicality that forces grocery stores to heat chickens and cool them back down just to comply, wasting energy, degrading quality, and adding cost.”