Hot Chicken Rotisserie Act Would Allow SNAP Recipients to Use Benefits on Prepared Foods

A group of U.S. senators is hoping to offer hot rotisserie chicken to Americans in need. Here is a look at the aptly named Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act.

Details of the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act

A bipartisan group of senators introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act last Tuesday in an effort to further help Americans who lean on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The proposed legislation would amend the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act to allow the definition of food to include "hot rotisserie chicken."

The amendment would not increase funding or SNAP eligibility. Instead, it would just allow SNAP recipients to use their existing benefits to purchase all hot foods.  The amendment would also not allow purchases from restaurants or other retailers outside of the predetermined options already in place.

The current legislation does not allow SNAP recipients to use the benefits for hot prepared foods. However, rotisserie chicken that has been cooled is allowed to be purchased using SNAP benefits.

The bill was first introduced by Republican Sen. Jim Justice from West Virginia. Other senators to join in on backing the amendment include Republican Shelley Moore Capito, also from West Virginia. On the Democratic side, Sen. Michael Bennet from Colorado and Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania are part of the congressional team effort to pass the amendment.

A joint statement about the proposed legislation from Sen. Fetterman's office detailed the reasons behind the idea of allowing hot food as part of the benefits. Fetterman said that “America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken. It’s one of my family’s favorites, and I’m proud to join this bill with Senator Justice for all to try. SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it.”

Capito released a similar statement, noting that “Allowing SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken is a simple, practical step to make the program work better for the people it serves.” Capito said that seniors and working families would greatly benefit from the availability of prepared foods.  Justice wrote on X that the bill amendment is "plain common sense," explaining that a hot rotisserie chicken is healthy and easy.

The new proposition is a companion to a farm bill recently sponsored by Rep. Rick Crawford. The GOP representative from Arkansas proposed a bill that has received widespread bipartisan support. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently submitted a waiver for her state to extend the SNAP program to include hot chicken.

As Crawford detailed, hot rotisserie chicken should be included for SNAP recipients because it is "healthy, widely available, popular in grocery stores, and aligns with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans promoting nutrient-dense protein."

Stricter SNAP Benefits Under the Trump Administration

SNAP is a federal resource program implemented to help low-income families afford nutritious food. The program delivers monthly benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The EBT functions like a debit card, allowing recipients to purchase groceries at authorized retailers, such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP was used by an average of 41.7 million people per month in 2024. This translates to roughly 12.3% of the American population.

SNAP has been a frequent target of the Trump administration during the president's second term. For instance, the program was put on pause during the historic government shutdown in the fall of 2025. Millions of beneficiaries went weeks without having their benefits to purchase groceries.

SNAP recipients in five states recently filed a lawsuit against the USDA about the new restrictions on the program. The lawsuit accuses the USDA of breaking the law by allowing individual states to ban the purchase of sugary foods and drinks using the benefits.

The USDA has approved "food restriction" waivers across nearly two dozen states. This is the first time that the federal agency has approved these waivers after six decades of denying these requests.

According to the USDA, it does not have the authority to waive the definition of "food" eligible for SNAP benefits. This is because Congress set the restrictions into law, stating that recipients could use the benefits to purchase anything except alcohol, tobacco, personal care products, and hot and prepared foods.

Despite no formal changes to the law, President Trump and his team began granting waivers in 2025. The USDA defended the Trump administration, saying that the waivers are permitted under a pilot program designed to test the effects of excluding some foods.

In addition to the new restrictions, Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" also resulted in more eligibility rules for SNAP beneficiaries, such as tighter work requirements. Lastly, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is estimating that $300 billion in funding for SNAP will be cut through 2034.

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