Lawmakers in Colorado are considering a bill that would let SNAP recipients use their benefits to purchase food at restaurants.
Why It Matters
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are paid to low- and no-income households across the U.S. that would otherwise struggle to afford groceries. The program reached some 584,500 people—10 percent of the state population—in Colorado in 2024.
What To Know
In most states, SNAP beneficiaries are able to purchase only cold foods for preparation at home, as well as snacks and drinks. But the proposal would require Colorado’s Department of Human Services to submit an application to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “to implement a restaurant meals program” that allows eligible SNAP beneficiaries “to purchase hot or prepared foods at participating restaurants.”
The bill has bipartisan support, with Democratic state Senator Iman Jodeh and state Representative Yara Zokaie joined by Republican state Senator Rod Peyton in sponsorship of the bill. Newsweek has contacted each via email outside regular working hours for comment.
If approved by lawmakers, the proposal would allow Colorado to request a waiver to join the USDA’s Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which allows “certain SNAP clients, who might not be able to prepare meals for themselves or who do not have permanent housing for storing and preparing food, to be able to buy prepared meals at restaurants with their SNAP benefits.” Restaurants would need to opt in to accept benefits as a form of payment…