March 4, 2026
To: Senator Jill Carter, Chair and the Members of the Families, Seniors and Health Committee
From: Christine Woody, Food Security Policy Manager, Empower Missouri
Re: Support for SB 875
Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri is the oldest anti-poverty advocacy organization in the state. As part of our work, we organize a statewide coalition on food security. This coalition is made up of individuals and organizations who are working every day to ensure every Missourian has affordable access to healthy and nutritious food.
I am here today to speak in support of Senate Bill 875.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called The Food Stamp Program, provides assistance in purchasing food to over 620, 000 Missourians every month. The rules of SNAP states that benefits can only be used to purchase food that is cold, needs to be prepared and then consumed at home. Individuals on SNAP are prohibited from purchasing hot foods at grocery stores or at restaurants with their benefits, including the hot rotisserie chickens sold at grocery stores.
For most, these restrictions work just fine, but for SNAP recipients who are elderly, disabled, or experiencing homelessness not being able to purchase food that is already prepared poses a real challenge. For some participants, these challenges include:
- physical barriers to preparing food for themselves
- struggling to use cooking facilities or sharp utensils safely
- lack of access to cooking facilities
- lack of access to safe and effective food storage
SB 875 would establish a Restaurant Meals Program ( RMP) within the SNAP Program. This program is a state option within the Federal SNAP Program. If passed, SB 875 would allow, on a very limited basis, individuals or households containing elderly or persons with disabilities the option, in accordance with existing federal law, to redeem their SNAP benefits at private establishments that contract with the Department to offer very specific menu items at concession prices intended for immediate consumption.
According to the Department of Social Services, as of October 31, 2025, there were 38,443 homeless households and 155,398 elderly/disabled households receiving SNAP benefits that could utilize the Restaurant Meals Program,
Because of the regulations established within the Restaurant Meal Program for both SNAP users and potential restaurants this would not be a widespread change or increase the participation requirements of the program. The RMP rules state that SNAP recipients would not be able to go into just any restaurant and purchase any menu item with their SNAP benefits, instead the rules of the RMP require restaurants to apply and be accepted into the program, to provide only certain approved menu items for purchase with SNAP and at an approved cost to the SNAP recipient.
This program would not increase the cost of the program, would not increase participation in the program, but would truly help those individuals who qualify for participation in the Restaurant Meals Program to access already prepared meals which they desperately need. For these reasons, we ask you to please pass SB 875 out of your committee.
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