DENVER (KDVR) Colorado could soon join a small list of states in the nation that allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to get a hot prepared meal using their benefits.

State lawmakers want Colorado SNAP beneficiaries to have access to food that is already made and does not need to be heated.

“This is a program that exists for individuals who are older or living with a disability or going through homelessness. It’s incredibly important that these individuals can still have access to hot, prepared food. That is currently something that SNAP benefits do not cover,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie.

Right now, SNAP benefits in Colorado only cover cold foods and ingredients. Zokaie is the House sponsor of a bipartisan bill looking to change that.

The SNAP Restaurant Meals Program is a federal plan operated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In order for people who use SNAP benefits to have access to the program, the state would need to opt in.

If the bill at the Capitol becomes law, Colorado would become the 10th state in the nation to take part in it, during a time when Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s Executive Director of Systems, Joël McClurg, said the need is great.

“Due to persistent inflation over the last couple of years, there has been persistent hunger. What we’ve seen since the pandemic is that participation in these programs that alleviate hunger has been ongoing. We’re seeing the lines at food banks and food pantries that are still pretty high,” McClurg explained.

Any restaurant can choose to participate, but with the average SNAP benefit being about $6 a day per person and ineligible to cover tips, in other states, mostly fast food and quick service restaurants like Burger King and Subway have signed up to be a part of it.

The bill not only has bipartisan sponsorship but also has bipartisan support, with only one state lawmaker voting against the bill in the Senate.

Zokaie says this “isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue” but something that everyone should get behind to help those in need.

Which states allow hot meals to be purchased with SNAP benefits?

As previously mentioned, currently only nine U.S. states participate in the Restaurant Meals Program.

States where SNAP benefits can purchase hot, prepared meals are Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia.

As explained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, the program also does not force participating restaurants to decide who is and isn’t eligible to purchase food from them with their benefits.

Instead, SNAP beneficiaries will receive special electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that are coded to be accepted at participating eateries. If a client is not eligible, their EBT card will simply be declined.