CHOW Act Launches 1-Year Pilot: Food Coupons for Junior Enlisted Members at Two Military Commissaries

The Commissary Healthy Options and servicemember Welfare Act, or the CHOW Act, sets up a one-year pilot program designed to help junior enlisted service members buy food. Essentially, the Secretary of Defense now has the authority to issue monthly food coupons—vouchers only good for groceries—to these service members for use at military commissaries. The goal is straightforward: address food insecurity and make sure those living in base housing, especially those without easy access to dining facilities, can get healthy, affordable meals. This is strictly a test run, limited to just two military installations, and it must wrap up within one year.

The Fine Print on Who Gets Help

This isn't a free-for-all; the pilot is highly targeted. When picking the two test bases, the Secretary of Defense has to look for places with a high concentration of junior enlisted members living in unaccompanied housing that actually has working kitchens. They also need to check if the base dining halls are seeing low attendance or have poor customer satisfaction ratings, including those filed through the DoD’s ICE complaint system. The idea is to test this program where the need is greatest and where existing meal options might be falling short. For the service members themselves, the coupons are explicitly defined as supplemental help—they don't replace the Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) or any other existing meal programs they might qualify for.

What the Coupons Can and Can't Buy

For those junior enlisted members participating, the coupons are strictly for food intended for home consumption, including ready-made meal items. But here’s the kicker that makes sense for a government program: you absolutely cannot use these vouchers for alcohol or tobacco. You also can’t use them to cover bottle or can return deposits if the amount exceeds the state minimum refund. While the Secretary gets to decide the exact monthly value of the coupon, which could lead to some variation in assistance depending on where you are, the intent is clearly to boost grocery budgets for those who need it most.

The Real-World Test and the Report Card

Because this is a pilot program, the data collection is mandatory and robust. Ninety days after the one-year test ends, the Department of Defense has to send a detailed report to Congress. This report isn't just about counting how many coupons were used; it needs to assess how satisfied members were, how the coupons affected whether people ate at the commissary versus the dining facility, and most importantly, whether the program was effective in reducing food insecurity and increasing access to nutritious food. Think of it as a one-year experiment to see if a targeted grocery voucher is a smarter, more efficient way to feed service members who might be struggling. If the data looks good, Congress will have the evidence it needs to potentially expand the program nationwide.