Bill · S. 561· Senate(119-S-561)
Healthy SNAP Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/13/2025
- Last activity
- 2/13/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Mike Lee
- Cosponsors
- - 6 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Healthy SNAP Act of 2025," aims to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. It requires the Secretary to designate specific foods and food products that can be available under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Under this act, certain items like soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts would be excluded from the definition of food. The Secretary would be responsible for establishing these regulations and conducting scientific reviews of designated foods. Additionally, the bill allows for substitutions to accommodate different cultural eating patterns.
Yes· 3 of 5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+2
The bill aims to improve the nutritional quality of food available to program participants to promote better long-term health outcomes.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?+1
The bill allows state agencies to substitute foods for different cultural eating patterns with Secretary approval.
Is this likely to lift people out of poverty?+1
The bill attempts to address nutritional deficiencies among low-income populations through regulated food designations.
The opposite
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-2
The bill restricts the purchase of certain food items like soft drinks and sweets that are currently available under SNAP.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Nutritional Improvements: The Secretary is required to consider foods that contain nutrients lacking in the diets of people in the United States, which could help address nutritional deficiencies (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(i)).
-
Health Promotion: The bill directs the Secretary to include foods that promote the health of the population served by the program based on nutrition science and public health concerns (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(ii)).
-
Better Food Quality: The Secretary is instructed to ensure that the fat, sugar, and salt content of food and food products is appropriate to the maximum extent practicable (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
-
Cultural Inclusivity: State agencies may be able to substitute different foods to allow for different cultural eating patterns, provided the substitute is nutritionally equivalent (Section 2(b)(5)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Restrictions on Food Choices: The bill would exclude certain items from the definition of food under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, specifically soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, or cookies (Section 2(a)(1)).
-
Restrictions on Prepared Meals: Prepared meals would have to meet specific nutritional values developed by the Secretary (Section 2(b)(4)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increase States Rights+1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+1Good For Hispanic Americans+1Good For Low Income Households-2
- 1/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/30/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/3/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/18/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/13/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Katie BrittRepublican · Alabama
Kevin CramerRepublican · North Dakota
John CurtisRepublican · Utah
Jon HustedRepublican · Ohio
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming
Ashley MoodyRepublican · Florida