Feeding Rural Families Act of 2025
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This bill would require separate SNAP benefit calculations for urban and rural Hawaii to account for differing food costs.
What it does
This bill would require the Department of Agriculture to establish separate food cost calculations for urban and rural areas of Hawaii when determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. By creating distinct adjustments within the Thrifty Food Plan for these regions, the bill proposes to set maximum monthly benefit allotments that reflect the specific cost of food in rural versus urban Hawaiian communities. Currently, such geographic distinctions for benefit levels are utilized in Alaska but not in Hawaii.
Who is affected
This bill primarily affects residents of Hawaii who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), specifically those living in rural areas where food costs may differ from urban centers. The Department of Agriculture is also affected, as the bill requires the agency to calculate separate Thrifty Food Plan adjustments for urban and rural parts of the state to determine maximum monthly benefit allotments.
Key provisions
- Separate food cost calculations for Hawaii. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish separate food cost calculations for urban and rural areas within Hawaii when determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
- Thrifty Food Plan adjustments. The legislation mandates specific adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) for urban and rural Hawaii to reflect localized costs of a nutritionally adequate diet. These adjustments serve as the basis for setting maximum monthly SNAP benefit allotments for households in those areas.
Fiscal impact
Not applicable: No CBO cost estimate available
Effective dates
Not applicable: Official Summary does not address effective dates
Relationship to existing law
The bill modifies the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by requiring separate food cost adjustments within the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) for urban and rural areas of Hawaii. This aligns Hawaii's benefit calculation structure with current law governing Alaska, which already utilizes distinct urban and rural adjustments to determine maximum monthly allotments.
Stated purpose
The bill aims to adjust Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Hawaii by requiring separate food cost calculations for urban and rural areas. This change ensures that maximum monthly benefit allotments reflect the specific costs of a nutritionally adequate diet in different geographic regions of the state.