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New SNAP bill puts restaurant meals program in spotlight

A new House bill would eliminate the ability of certain SNAP recipients to use their benefits to purchase prepared meals at restaurants, putting a relatively small but increasingly important restaurant program in the spotlight.

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September 15, 2026 by Valerie Gritton

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When Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced the Ending Restaurant Purchases with SNAP Act of 2026 on Sept. 3. H.R. 10268, it could have seemed puzzling.

Texas is not an active participant of SNAP's Restaurant Meals Program, a state option that allows certain SNAP recipients to use their benefits at participating restaurants.

The program currently operates in nine states, although Illinois' participation is limited to Cook and Franklin counties, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those states are Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia.

For restaurants, the program represents a specialized way to serve a customer base that otherwise cannot use SNAP benefits to purchase prepared food. Under the RMP, eligible SNAP households must have members who are at least 60 years old, have a qualifying disability, are experiencing homelessness or are spouses of eligible SNAP participants. Restaurants must be located in the participating state, receive state approval and then obtain authorization to accept SNAP benefits.

While the Restaurant Meals Program represents only a fraction of overall SNAP spending, participating restaurants in those nine states received $302 million in SNAP benefits in 2023, according to the March 2026 study, SNAP's Restaurant Meals Program: Understanding drivers and constraints on state adoption and implementation, published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.

The study ascertains that the RMP, introduced in 1977, "offers an important opportunity, yet an underutilized strategy, to improve food access and food security for some of the most vulnerable individuals." However, the study recognizes adoption has been low. "The factors driving or hindering RMP adoption and effective implementation are poorly understood, leaving a critical gap in policy and practice."

And now, the proposed elimination of the Restaurant Meals Program comes as states and SNAP recipients are already navigating broader changes to the federal food-assistance program.

Roughly 5 million Americans have lost access to SNAP since the Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill became law, including more than 1.5 million children, ABC News reported, citing data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://abcnews.com/US/millions-dropped-fromsnapfood-assistance-funding-faces-september-uncertainty/story?id=136386092

The changes come as states prepare to shoulder a larger share of SNAP costs. Beginning Oct. 1, states will be responsible for 75% of the administrative costs of running the SNAP program, according to ABC News. States also are expected to begin paying a portion of SNAP benefit costs in the coming years based on their payment error rates.

A limited SNAP exception

SNAP benefits are generally designed for people to purchase food for preparation at home. But the RMP creates an exception for people who face barriers to preparing and storing meals. That distinction is particularly significant for people experiencing homelessness, older adults and people with disabilities who may not have access to a kitchen, refrigeration or other facilities and equipment needed to prepare food.

Gina Plata-Nino, director of SNAP policy and advocacy at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), said in a phone call that the program's value goes beyond simply allowing someone to purchase a hot meal.

For someone without a place to cook or store food, access to a restaurant can provide a practical way to use SNAP benefits while also providing what Plata-Nino described as a measure of dignity and choice.

SNAP has strict rules surrounding what can and cannot be purchased at grocery stores. For example: hot food items are restricted under the program, which is why the RMP is such a valuable resource for those who rely on it.

Why access matters

One reason the RMP matters is that traditional SNAP benefits generally cannot be used to purchase food that is hot at the point of sale. That means items such as hot rotisserie chicken, pizza or other prepared hot meals from a grocery store are typically off limits.

"If SNAP didn't bar hot foods [from grocers], folks wouldn't have to go to a restaurant," Plata-Nino said.

The RMP provides an exception, allowing eligible SNAP recipients to purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants. For someone without a place to cook or store food, that can provide a practical way to use SNAP benefits while also offering what Plata-Nino described as a measure of dignity and choice.

That access can become particularly important in communities with few other food options.

One administrator interviewed anonymously for the study said officials had identified 20 priority communities, including rural areas and towns facing food insecurity.

"We are really looking to address communities that … have the population that needs the services," the administrator said.

"For those communities where it is available, it makes a difference because there are many places where grocery stores have closed," Plata-Nino said. "And so for folks, being able to have the hot meal makes a difference between having food or not."

Restaurants, meanwhile, can have their own reasons for participating that extend beyond generating additional sales.

One restaurant owner interviewed anonymously for the study, said the RMP complemented an existing effort to provide meals to people who could not afford them.

"We chose to do the Restaurant Meals Program because it kind of tied in with the Pay It Forward program that we were already trying to do," the restaurant owner told researchers. "We were already trying to make it so that people that can't afford a meal … are able to."

"Restaurants want to feed people and serve their communities," Plata-Nino said, arguing that the RMP has created an opportunity for them to participate in that mission while reaching customers who need greater food-access flexibility.

Alcohol and nonfood items remain prohibited under the program.

Extended reach

The impact can extend beyond individual SNAP recipients and participating restaurants. Research cited in the study estimates that every $1 in SNAP benefits spent generates approximately $1.50 in local economic activity. That means the debate over the RMP encompasses not only food access but also the role restaurants can play in local communities and economies.

Gill's bill has been referred to the House Agriculture Committee and has not yet advanced to a House vote.

For participating restaurant operators — and the customers who rely on the program — the outcome could determine whether restaurants remain part of the nation's food-access safety net.