Food costs in Hawaii are notoriously high, especially in rural areas where groceries can cost significantly more than on the mainland. The federal government calculates SNAP benefits (food stamps) based on the "thrifty food plan," which estimates the minimum cost of a nutritious diet — but the current formula doesn't fully account for price differences between urban and rural parts of Hawaii. This bill would fix that by requiring the thrifty food plan to factor in the cost of food in both urban and rural areas of Hawaii separately, which could mean higher SNAP benefits for families in Hawaii's more remote and expensive communities.
Congressional Summary
Feeding Rural Families Act of 2025This bill provides for separate food cost calculations for urban and rural parts of Hawaii for the purposes of determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) maximum monthly benefit allotments. Specifically, the bill requires separate food cost adjustments in the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) for urban and rural parts of Hawaii.SNAP maximum monthly benefit allotments are tied to the cost of purchasing a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet, as measured by the Department of Agriculture-created and -calculated TFP. Maximum allotments are set at the monthly cost of the TFP for a four-person family, adjusted for family size. Under current law, maximum allotments are higher (to reflect the cost of food) in Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as in urban and rural parts of Alaska.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-12-02
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09