Restaurant Meals Program Reform Act of 2025

Bill Overview

• Bill: HR 6657 (Restaurant Meals Reform Act of 2025)
• Session: 119th Congress, 1st Session
• Sponsor: Representative Messmer
• Purpose: Amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to reform the restaurant meals component of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Primary Objective

• Reform how restaurant-based meals are authorized and redeemed under SNAP, with a focus on private retail food establishments that operate prepared-food sections, hot bars, or deli counters.
• Create clearer criteria for eligibility, expand the types of eligible meals, and improve program transparency and oversight.

Key Provisions and Changes

• Redefined Participant Eligibility (Paragraph 1)

  • Replaces the existing standard for determining whether a private establishment participates with a new test:
  • The establishment must be a retail food store that:
    • Operates a prepared food section, hot bar, or deli counter;
    • Is not primarily engaged in quick-service or fast-food items (as determined by the Secretary);
    • Meets all applicable state and local food safety and health standards for grocery stores or supermarkets.

• Definition of Eligible Meals (New Paragraph 3)

  • Benefits under this subsection can be redeemed only for meals from a prepared-food section, hot bar, or deli counter that:
  • Are intended for immediate consumption;
  • Include at least one fruit or vegetable and one protein (as defined by the Secretary).

• Authorization and System Coordination (New Paragraph 4)

  • Single Authorization: Retail food stores authorized under section 9 will not need a separate authorization to participate in this restaurant meals program.
  • EBT System Updates: The Secretary must ensure State agencies maintain or update EBT coding to restrict redemption under this subsection to eligible households.

• Spousal Exclusion (New Paragraph 5)

  • Spouses of individuals eligible for SNAP benefits are not eligible to participate in the restaurant meals program under this subsection.

• Reporting and Transparency (Amended Paragraph 6 / Redesignated Paragraph 4)

  • The bill requires a Senate-reported assessment that is made publicly available and includes:
  • Number and details of private establishments participating (name, location, and amount of benefits redeemed at each);
  • The number of individuals receiving benefits under this program;
  • The total costs of the program under this subsection;
  • An assessment of the program’s effectiveness.

Who Is Affected

• SNAP participants who would access restaurant meals benefits.
• Private retail food establishments (grocery stores with prepared-food operations, such as hot bars, deli counters, etc.) that participate in the restaurant meals program.
• State agencies administering SNAP benefits, particularly those responsible for EBT card coding and redemption controls.
• Households whose spouses would otherwise be eligible for SNAP and could be affected by the spousal exclusion.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

• Introduction and Referral:
  • Introduced in the House on December 11, 2025.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture; later to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture (as of action history).
• Reporting Requirements:
  • Requires Senate reporting on program effectiveness and publicly available data, including establishment-level details and redemption amounts.
• Implementation Timeline:
  • The bill text does not specify a precise effective date, but it outlines administrative updates (assessing eligibility, updating EBT systems, and publishing oversight reports) that would accompany enactment.

Notes

• The bill reinterprets eligibility thresholds for which private establishments can participate and tightens the nutritional requirements of eligible meals (must include fruit/vegetable and protein).
• It emphasizes immediate consumption meals and expands oversight via public reporting on participating establishments and costs.