Sponsors (13)
The bill expands SNAP access for many half‑time students and boosts household benefits, improving food support for students and families while creating modest federal costs and some administrative/legal complexity for students and states.
Low-income students enrolled at least half-time become eligible for SNAP and households that include those students may receive larger SNAP benefits because the students count as household members.
Students in work‑training programs and higher education face fewer administrative barriers to receiving nutrition support because the bill removes a previous exclusion and simplifies access.
Some students and state agencies may face confusion or lose eligibility for other student‑specific programs as rules are reconciled and cross‑statute renumbering/changes are implemented.
Expanding SNAP eligibility to more students is likely to modestly increase federal SNAP spending, which would be funded by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Includes bona fide half‑time students in the SNAP household definition and removes the separate student ineligibility rule, with statutory cross‑reference updates.
Introduced July 29, 2025 by Kirsten Gillibrand · Last progress July 29, 2025
Changes SNAP rules so that students enrolled at least half time count as bona fide household members for purposes of eligibility, and removes the separate student ineligibility provision that previously limited many students from receiving SNAP. The change updates related statutory cross-references and takes effect January 2, 2026. The result is broader SNAP access for many college and other half-time students, a straightforward shift in how households with students are counted for benefits, and several technical updates to related workforce and assistance statutes to reflect the redesignation.