For years, a SNAP family could walk into a grocery store, pick up a cold rotisserie chicken from the refrigerated case, and pay with their benefits card. But if that same chicken was sitting warm in the hot deli case just a few feet away — they couldn’t touch it.
That rule just changed.
On April 30, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 384–35 to pass an amendment allowing SNAP recipients to buy hot rotisserie chicken at grocery stores. It was one of the most lopsided bipartisan votes in the entire 2026 Farm Bill debate.
The amendment is formally called the Healthy Obtainable Tasty (H.O.T.) Rotisserie Chicken Act, introduced by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI). A Senate version was introduced just days earlier on April 21, 2026, led by Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) and co-sponsored by Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).
So why was hot chicken ever banned in the first place?
Under existing federal SNAP law, benefits are limited to foods meant for home preparation. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has long ruled that any food “hot at the point of sale” is ineligible. A 2020 USDA memorandum locked in that rule — meaning temperature, not nutrition, decided what poor families could buy. (Food & Wine)
Supporters called the old rule absurd.
Sen. Fetterman put it plainly: “America’s best affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken. It’s one of my family’s favorites.” (Fox Baltimore)
Rep. Crawford pointed out that rotisserie chickens typically cost between $4.99 and $7.00 — making them one of the most affordable protein sources available to low-income families. The chicken also aligns with the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (NTD)
Here is exactly what the new rule does — and does not — allow:
- ✅ SNAP can now be used for hot rotisserie chicken at SNAP-authorized grocery stores
- ❌ It does not apply to restaurants
- ❌ It does not cover other hot prepared foods like soups or sandwiches
- ❌ It does not add new SNAP funding — this is a zero-cost eligibility change
- ✅ Cold rotisserie chicken was already eligible and remains eligible
But not everyone cheered.
Only 35 members voted no — including Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee. Her reason was pointed.
“Yesterday’s amendment narrowly expands SNAP-eligible foods to include rotisserie chicken and effectively bans all other hot foods,” Craig said in a formal statement. “I voted against it to send a message that the amendment does not go far enough.” (Craig.house.gov)
Craig argues the bill was pushed by big grocers and the chicken industry — not hunger advocates. She and more than 100 bipartisan co-sponsors are backing a separate bill called the Hot Foods Act, which would allow SNAP to cover all hot prepared meals, including soups and sandwiches. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), a champion of that bill, said: “Access to a hot meal should be available to everyone, regardless of whether they have a Costco membership or enjoy chicken.”
The National Chicken Council celebrated the House vote, calling the change “commonsense, no-cost, and long overdue.” (Justice.senate.gov)
The fight, however, is not over.
The Senate Farm Bill is targeted for markup in late May or early June 2026. (Farm Policy News) Craig and her allies are pushing hard to swap the narrow chicken-only rule for the broader Hot Foods Act before anything becomes law.
For now, 42 million Americans on SNAP wait to see what the Senate decides — and whether a warm meal will finally come within reach.
Sources: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. House of Representatives, Sen. Fetterman’s office, Farm Policy News Illinois, National Chicken Council, ABC News
