Feeding Rural Families Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6368
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-01-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-16T08:07:47Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Feeding Rural Families Act of 2025 aims to update the rules for the "thrifty food plan" under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. The thrifty food plan is a standard used by the federal government to calculate benefit amounts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), which helps low-income individuals buy food. This bill specifically modifies how the plan applies in Hawaii to better address differences between urban (city-like) and rural (countryside) areas.
Key Provisions
- Short Title: The bill is named the "Feeding Rural Families Act of 2025."
- Amendment to Existing Law: It changes Section 3(u)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (codified at 7 U.S.C. 2012(u)(2)) by adding language to explicitly include both urban and rural parts of Hawaii in the thrifty food plan calculations.
- First insertion: Adds "urban and rural parts of" before the first mention of "Hawaii."
- Second insertion: Adds "urban and rural" before the second mention of "Hawaii."
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Previously, the thrifty food plan for Hawaii did not explicitly distinguish between urban and rural areas, potentially leading to uniform calculations that overlooked higher food costs or access issues in rural regions.
- This amendment ensures the plan recognizes and applies separately to urban and rural Hawaii, allowing for more tailored adjustments to SNAP benefit levels based on local conditions like transportation and availability of affordable food.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens: SNAP participants in Hawaii, especially in rural areas, may see adjusted or increased benefits to better reflect local food costs, helping low-income families afford nutritious meals and reducing food insecurity.
- On Government Agencies: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP, would need to update its calculations and guidelines for Hawaii, potentially involving data collection on urban-rural cost differences. This could lead to modest administrative costs but improved program equity.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as this is a domestic food assistance measure focused on U.S. territories.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Hawaii Residents: Particularly low-income families in rural areas who rely on SNAP for food support.
- SNAP Participants Nationwide: Indirectly, as the change sets a precedent for location-specific adjustments in other states or territories.
- Federal and State Agencies: USDA for implementation; Hawaii state agencies for distributing benefits and providing input on local needs.
- Advocacy Groups: Organizations focused on hunger relief and rural development in Hawaii, such as those representing farmers or food banks.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: This is a narrow, technical amendment that strengthens the existing SNAP framework without creating new programs, ensuring compliance with federal nutrition laws. It may require USDA rulemaking to define "urban" and "rural" for implementation.
- Constitutional: No significant issues; it aligns with Congress's authority under the Spending Clause to regulate welfare programs and promote general welfare.
- Political: The bill, introduced by Representatives Tokuda and Case (both from Hawaii), highlights bipartisan interest in addressing state-specific challenges like Hawaii's geographic isolation and varying living costs. It could influence future SNAP reauthorizations by emphasizing regional equity, but it is unlikely to spark major controversy due to its targeted scope.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-01-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
- 2025-12-02: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2025-12-02: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-02: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Feeding Rural Families Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-02 — PDF (2 pages)