What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2025 or the EATS Act of 2025 This bill expands eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain students. Specifically, the bill removes the restriction on SNAP eligibility for students to allow otherwise eligible students who are attending institutions of higher education (IHEs) at least half time to participate in SNAP. Under current law, students 18-49 years old are restricted from participating in SNAP, with exceptions (e.g., caring for a child under the age of 6 or employed for at least 20 hours a week). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 temporarily exempted some students from certain SNAP eligibility requirements; these temporary student exemptions expired after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023. Further, the bill provides that students enrolled at least half time in a recognized school, training program, or IHE constitute individual households (not residents of institutions ) and may be eligible for SNAP benefits. (Participation in SNAP is limited to households.)
Action Timeline
2025-07-29
Introduced in Senate
2025-07-29
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did S.2512 pass?
S.2512 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: pending.
What does S.2512 do?
Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2025 or the EATS Act of 2025 This bill expands eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain students. Specifically, the bill removes the restriction on SNAP eligibility for students to allow otherwise eligible students who are attending institutions of higher education (IHEs) at least half time to participate in SNAP. Under current law, students 18-49 years old are restricted from participating in SNAP, with exceptions (e.g., caring for a child under the age of 6 or employed for at least 20 hours a week). The Consolidated Approp…
Who sponsored S.2512?
S.2512 was sponsored by Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-New York).
Full Bill Text
119 S2512 IS: Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2025 U.S. Senate 2025-07-29 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2512 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 29, 2025 Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mr. Fetterman , Mr. Merkley , Mr. Blumenthal , Ms. Slotkin , Mr. Sanders , Mr. Welch , Mr. Padilla , Mr. Booker , Mr. Wyden , Mrs. Shaheen , and Ms. Baldwin ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to remove certain eligibility disqualifications that restrict otherwise eligible students from participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2025 or the EATS Act of 2025 . 2. Student eligibility under supplemental nutrition assistance program (a) Definition of household Section 3(m)(5) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2012(m)(5) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (F) Individuals who are bona fide students enrolled at least half time in any recognized school, training program, or institution of higher education. . (b) Conditions of participation Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (d)(2)(C), by striking (except that any such person enrolled in an institution of higher education shall be ineligible to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program unless he or she meets the requirements of subsection (e) of this section) ; (2) by striking subsection (e); and (3) by redesignating subsections (f) through (s) as subsections (e) through (r), respectively. (c) Conforming amendments (1) Section 5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014 ) is amended— (A) in subsection (a), in the second sentence, by striking (g), and (r) and inserting (f), and (q) ; and (B) in subsection (i)(1), in the first sentence, by striking section 6(f)(2)(B) of this Act and inserting section 6(e)(2)(B) . (2) Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015 ) is amended— (A) in subsection (d)(4)— (i) in subparagraph (B)(ii)(I)(bb)(DD), by striking subsection (o) and inserting subsection (n) ; and (ii) in subparagraph (N), by striking subsection (o) each place it appears and inserting subsection (n) ; and (B) in paragraph (1)(B) of subsection (q) (as so redesignated), by striking subsection (k) and inserting subsection (j) . (3) Section 7(i)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2016(i)(1) ) is amended by striking section 6(o)(2) and inserting section 6(n)(2) . (4) Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2020 ) is amended— (A) in subsection (e)— (i) in paragraph (2)(B)(v)(II), by striking section 6(f) and inserting section 6(e) ; and (ii) in paragraph (22), by striking section 6(i) and inserting section 6(h) ; and (B) in subsection (n), by striking section 6(g) and inserting section 6(f) . (5) Section 16(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2025(h) ) is amended— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking section 6(o) and inserting section 6(n) ; (ii) in subparagraph (E)— (I) by striking section 6(o)(3) each place it appears and inserting section 6(n)(3) ; (II) by striking section 6(o)(2) each place it appears and inserting section 6(n)(2) ; and (III) in clause (ii)— (aa) in subclause (III), by striking section 6(o)(4) and inserting section 6(n)(4) ; and (bb) in subclause (IV), by striking section 6(o)(6) and inserting section 6(n)(6) ; and (iii) in subparagraph (F)(ii)(III)(ee)(AA), by striking section 6(o) and inserting section 6(n) ; and (B) in paragraph (5)(C)(iv)(I), by striking section 6(o)(2) and inserting section 6(n)(2) . (6) Section 17(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2026(m) ) is amended— (A) by striking (l) through (n) each place it appears and inserting (k) through (m) ; and (B) in paragraph (2)(E), by striking section 6(l)(2) and inserting section 6(k)(2) . (7) Section 103(a)(2)(D) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3113(a)(2)(D) ) is amended by striking 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(o) ) and inserting 6(n) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(n) ) . (8) Section 121(b)(2)(B)(iv) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3151(b)(2)(B)(iv) ) is amended by striking 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(o) ) and inserting 6(n) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(n) ) . (9) Section 454 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 654 ) is amended— (A) in paragraph (4)(A)(i)(IV), by striking 6(l)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(l)(1) ) and inserting 6(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(k)(1) ) ; (B) in paragraph (6)(B)(i), by striking subsection (l) or (m) of section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and inserting subsection (k) or (l) of section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015 ) ; and (C) in paragraph (29)(A)— (i) by striking section 3(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2012(h) ) each place it appears and inserting section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2012 ) ; and (ii) in clause (ii), by striking section 6(l)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(l)(2) ) and inserting section 6(k)(2) of that Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(k)(2) ) . 3. Effective date This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on January 2, 2026.
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