READING, Pa.- You can buy it cold, but not hot. That’s the current rule under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps millions of Americans pay for groceries.
Now, a new bill in Washington, D.C. could change that. The “Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act” would allow SNAP users to buy one thing that’s currently off limits: a hot, ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken.
“It’s typically not allowed to be used for meals that are prepared hot and served, so you couldn’t go to your local grocery store and get hot fried chicken,” said Jay Worrall, president of Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank.
This bill does not expand SNAP to restaurants. It does not cover all hot foods. Just one item: rotisserie chicken.
In a statement, Senator John Fetterman, who co-sponsored the bill, says the change is about making it easier for families to put food on the table.
At Helping Harvest, leaders say more flexibility helps.
“I know a lot of people, especially senior citizens, who rely on prepared foods bought at the grocery store and for a family or an individual household or a senior to be able to use their benefit in this way,” Worrall said.
But they say this comes at a complicated time.
“We are right on the horizon of a rather large reduction in SNAP benefits that will reduce the amount in Berks County by over 11 million dollars every month,” Worrall said.
Meaning even with more options, families may soon have less to spend.
“We expect that many more people in Berks and Schuylkill Counties will be coming to food pantries to meet their nutritional needs as SNAP benefits become fewer and harder to access,” he said.
For now, the bill is still moving through Congress.