Hot Foods Act of 2025 in plain language
1: Short title
This section would state that the Act may be cited as the "Hot Foods Act of 2025".
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Hot Foods Act of 2025 .
2: Hot food under supplemental nutrition assistance program
This section would amend the definitions in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), which set the rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). First, it would change the general definition of "food" so that hot foods and hot food products ready for immediate consumption count as eligible food. Under current law that definition excludes hot foods ready for immediate consumption unless they are authorized under other specific provisions of the same subsection (clauses (3), (4), (5), (7), (8), and (9)); this section would remove that exclusion and the narrower exception tied to those clauses. The definition of "food" would continue to exclude alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Second, it would change the definition of "retail food store" so that a qualifying store's food offerings can be intended for home consumption or immediate consumption, rather than consumption generally. It would also restructure one of the ways a store can qualify under that definition: the store would still have to meet the existing sales-offering requirement (kept as a first condition), and it would also have to keep its sales of hot foods and hot food products ready for immediate consumption to no more than 50 percent of its total gross sales (added as a second condition); both conditions would have to be met together, and meeting them would remain one of several alternative ways a store can qualify as a retail food store. Third, it would add hot foods and hot food products ready for immediate consumption to a list in subsection (q)(2) that currently includes accessory items, so that list would cover both accessory items and hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption.
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2. Hot food under supplemental nutrition assistance program Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2012 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (k)(1), by striking consumption except alcoholic beverages, tobacco, hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption other than those authorized pursuant to clauses (3), (4), (5), (7), (8), and (9) of this subsection and inserting consumption, including hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption and excluding alcoholic beverages, tobacco ; (2) in subsection (o)(1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking and consumption and inserting or home or immediate consumption ; and (B) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking the subparagraph designation and all that follows through offers and inserting the following: (A) (i) offers ; (ii) in clause (i) (as so designated), by striking or at the end and inserting and ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: (ii) of which not more than 50 percent of the total gross sales are from hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption; or ; and (3) in subsection (q)(2)— (A) by striking include accessory and inserting the following: include— (A) accessory ; (B) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (B) hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption. .