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Senate panel reviews bill to enroll Vermont in federal Restaurant Meals Program
Summary
Senate Health & Welfare heard from sponsor Senator Hardy and legislative counsel on S.42, which would let certain SNAP recipients use benefits at participating restaurants, create a coordinator position at AHS and include startup and appropriation language; committee discussion did not record a final vote in the transcript.
Senator Hardy presented S.42 to the Senate Health & Welfare Committee, saying the bill would require Vermont to participate in the federal Restaurant Meals Program, an option under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that allows eligible SNAP recipients to use benefits to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants.
The bill targets SNAP beneficiaries who are 60 and older, people with disabilities and people who are experiencing homelessness —groups Senator Hardy said “often have a hard time preparing meals for themselves” and could benefit from being able to use SNAP at restaurants. She said participation by restaurants would be voluntary and that the bill’s eligibility criteria would prioritize geographically distributed restaurants, those that purchase food from local farms and restaurants that offer culturally relevant menus.
Katie, Office of Legislative Counsel, walked the committee through the draft language. She said the bill adds a new section to the SNAP chapter directing the Agency of Human Services (AHS), in consultation with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), to administer the program; the agencies must publish eligibility criteria and provide technical assistance. The draft also requires AHS to submit an implementation plan and template memoranda of understanding to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and would authorize a new permanent classified position — a restaurant meals program coordinator — with a $100,000 general-fund appropriation in fiscal 2026 plus a one-time $75,000 appropriation for equipment and startup costs. The bill’s effective date in the draft is July 1, 2025.
Committee members asked about the proposed coordinator’s term and whether existing agricultural or SNAP administrative resources could be used. Senator Hardy said the coordinator is intended to help launch the program and that the draft is ‘‘Vermontized’’ to prioritize local sourcing and geographic access. Katie clarified that while the appropriation in the draft is shown for one year, the position is established as permanent in the statutory language so the appropriation would add to base funding if carried forward.
No formal committee vote on S.42 is recorded in the provided transcript. Committee discussion referenced prior committee action last year and indicated the bill had been “passed out” previously and discussed in budget language, but the transcript does not record a motion or roll-call vote during this session.
The bill references federal SNAP authorities and USDA Food and Nutrition Service implementation documents and requires participating restaurants to be licensed under Title 18 (food service establishment licensing). The committee discussed coordinating with agencies that previously helped bring SNAP into farm stands and whether those administrative supports could be repurposed for the restaurant program.
If enacted as drafted, S.42 would direct AHS to adopt the Restaurant Meals Program with USDA, support participating restaurants with technical assistance and terminals/readers as needed, and provide funding for a coordinator and startup costs. The transcript does not record final committee action or a vote on S.42 during this meeting.
