Sponsors (13)
The bill expands SNAP access to bona fide half‑time students and simplifies program rules for states—improving access and administrative clarity—at the cost of higher federal spending, some risk of broader-than‑intended eligibility, and short‑term state implementation costs.
Low-income households and bona fide half‑time students: allowing bona fide half‑time students to qualify for SNAP increases access to food assistance for students and other low-income household members.
State SNAP agencies and applicants: removing student‑specific statutory complexity and clarifying child‑support cooperation aligns rules, reduces administrative confusion, and should speed eligibility determinations and simplify USDA/FNS rulemaking.
Taxpayers and the federal budget: expanding eligibility will increase SNAP participation and raise federal spending on the program.
Taxpayers and program targeting: removing student‑specific eligibility criteria could let some higher‑income students qualify under household rules, potentially broadening benefits beyond the intended low‑income population.
State governments: short‑term administrative costs and workload to update eligibility systems and procedures to reflect redesignated statutory references.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes bona fide half-time students eligible for SNAP and removes the prior student-disqualification rule, with related cross-reference renumbering.
Official title: Amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to remove certain eligibility disqualifications that restrict otherwise eligible students from participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 29, 2025 by Kirsten Gillibrand · Last progress July 29, 2025
Adds bona fide half-time college students to the SNAP household definition so enrolled half-time students become eligible for SNAP without needing to meet the previous student-specific exemption tests. The bill deletes the prior SNAP student-disqualification subsection, updates multiple cross-references and statutory subsection lettering across the Food and Nutrition Act and related laws to reflect that deletion, and sets the effective date as January 2, 2026. The change expands SNAP access to more students, requires regulatory and administrative updates by USDA and states to implement the new statutory text and renumbered cross-references, and may increase SNAP caseloads and program costs beginning in 2026.