The "Securing Strictly Needy Americans’ Pivotal (SNAP) Benefits Act of 2025" aims to prevent SNAP benefit misuse by limiting out-of-state EBT use and restricting store owners from redeeming their own SNAP benefits at their stores.
David Rouzer
Representative
NC-7
The "Securing Strictly Needy Americans’ Pivotal (SNAP) Benefits Act of 2025" aims to prevent SNAP benefit misuse by suspending accounts used exclusively out-of-state for over 60 days until residency is proven. It also restricts SNAP recipients who own retail food stores or wholesale food concerns from redeeming benefits at their own establishments, excluding publicly held corporations and government-owned entities. This act is set to take effect one year after enactment.
SNAP Benefits Act of 2025: New Rules for Out-of-State Use and Store Owners
The Securing Strictly Needy Americans’ Pivotal (SNAP) Benefits Act of 2025 makes a couple of big changes to how SNAP benefits (food stamps) work. It aims to tighten up rules around using benefits outside your home state and at stores owned by SNAP recipients.
Road Trip Restrictions
This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The biggest change? If your EBT card is used only outside your home state for more than 60 days straight, your benefits get suspended. (SEC. 2) Think of it like this: if you're a truck driver based in Ohio but your routes keep you in California for a couple of months, and you only use your EBT card in California, Ohio might put a hold on your benefits. To get them back, you'll need to prove you still live in Ohio, or the state will have to investigate to confirm your residency. This could be a real hassle for people with jobs that require extended travel, or for those who have to temporarily relocate for family emergencies or other legitimate reasons.
The Corner Store Conundrum
The second major change affects SNAP recipients who own grocery stores or wholesale food businesses. (SEC. 3) If you, or anyone in your household, owns a store that's authorized to accept SNAP, you can't use your benefits there. The idea is to prevent fraud, but it could also make things tricky for small, family-owned businesses. For example, if a family owns a small bodega and also relies on SNAP to make ends meet, they won't be able to use their benefits at their own store. This rule doesn't apply to big, publicly-traded companies or government-owned stores – just smaller, privately-owned businesses.
Timing and Takeaways
These changes won't kick in right away. The Act goes into effect one year after it's enacted. (SEC. 4) That gives states and SNAP recipients some time to adjust. While the goal is to cut down on fraud and make sure benefits go to those who truly need them, there are some real-world implications to consider. The out-of-state rule could create hurdles for people with legitimate reasons for being away from home, and the store owner restriction could impact small businesses already operating on tight margins. It is important to remember that this bill is not law yet. The bill is designed to reduce fraud, but the 60-day out-of-state limit could be circumvented by frequent short trips.