Right now, seniors and adults with disabilities on SNAP (food stamps) often have to recertify every 24 months, navigate confusing medical-expense paperwork, and can end up with a minimum benefit of just a few dollars a month. This bill would extend the recertification period to 36 months, create a flat $155 standard medical expense deduction (rising with medical inflation), and raise the minimum SNAP benefit floor from 8% to one-third of the maximum allotment. It would also set up a streamlined elderly application program, a joint application with Social Security for SSI/SSDI recipients, a $500 million-a-year SNAP grocery delivery reimbursement program (capped at $10 per delivery), and expanded farmers' market nutrition benefits for seniors with a $35 minimum and $80 maximum benefit. Funding totals roughly $725 million per year plus pilot grants for outreach to older adults, kinship families, and adults with disabilities.
Average Household Impact
- SNAP certification period — Extended from 24 to 36 months for elderly and disabled households
- Standard medical expense deduction — New $155 deduction created, indexed to medical CPI
- SNAP minimum benefit floor — Raised from 8% to one-third of the maximum allotment
- SNAP application process — Streamlined elderly and combined-with-SSA application programs created
- SNAP food delivery — $500 million per year authorized to reimburse retailers up to $10 per delivery
- Commodity Supplemental Food Program — Extended through 2031 and opened to low-income adults with disabilities under 60
- Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program — Funding raised to $60M–$100M per year and benefit set at $35–$80 per person
- Farmers' market infrastructure funding — $50 million per year for new and improved markets serving seniors and disabled adults
Transparency & Accountability
- Reporting requirements — Annual report to Congress required on SNAP food delivery usage and reimbursements
- State plan disclosure — States' food delivery plans and federal determinations must be posted publicly within 10 days
Congressional Summary
Senior Hunger Prevention Act of 2026This bill expands and modifies nutrition programs for older adults and adults with disabilities, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).Under the bill, a household's eligibility for SNAP benefits may be certified for 36 months if all adult household members are elderly or disabled, an increase from 24 months. The bill also expands the SNAP medical expense deduction and increases the minimum allotment for households with one and two persons.The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish an elderly simplified application program that allows a state to implement a streamlined SNAP application and certification process for households where all adult household members are elderly or disabled and have no earned income.The bill also directs USDA to authorize public-private partnerships between USDA, retail food stores participating in SNAP, and community-based organizations to provide free or low-cost food delivery under SNAP, including through the use of private funds.Further, the bill reauthorizes CSFP, provides additional funding for the program, and expands eligibility to include low-income adults with disabilities. CSFP benefits may also be certified for 36 months. Currently, benefits may be certified for not less than one year, but not more than three years.The bill also expands eligibility for the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program to include adults with disabilities, provide a 36-month certification period, and include minimum and maximum benefit amounts.Under the bill, USDA must also establish various related grant programs.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-04-14
- Date Added
- 2026-04-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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