Feeding Rural Families in Hawaii

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.

1. This bill changes the food assistance program to include both urban and rural areas of Hawaii. 2. It updates the thrifty food plan to better reflect the needs of families in Hawaii. 3. The bill ensures that food assistance is available in all parts of the state.