119-s2792

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2792 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2792

 To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that 
supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits be calculated using 
 the value of the low-cost food plan, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 11, 2025

 Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Booker, and Mr. 
 Sanders) 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 require that 
supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits be calculated using 
 the value of the low-cost food plan, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. CALCULATION OF PROGRAM BENEFITS USING LOW-COST FOOD PLAN.

    (a) Definition of Low-Cost Food Plan.--

Section 3 of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended--

    (1) by striking subsection

    (u) ;

    (2) by redesignating subsections

    (n) through

    (t) as 
 subsections

    (o) through

    (u) , respectively; and

    (3) by inserting after subsection
            (m) the following:
 ``

    (n) Low-Cost Food Plan.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The term `low-cost food plan' means the 
 diet, determined in accordance with the calculations of the 
 Secretary, required to feed a 4-person family that consists 
 of--
 ``
        (A) a man and a woman who are each between 19 and 
 50 years of age;
 ``
        (B) a child who is between 6 and 8 years of age; 
 and
 ``
            (C) a child who is between 9 and 11 years of age.
 ``

    (2) Reevaluation.--By December 31, 2031, and at 5-year 
 intervals thereafter, the Secretary shall reevaluate and 
 publish the market baskets of the low-cost food plan, based on 
 current food prices, food composition data, consumption 
 patterns, and dietary guidance.
 ``

    (3) Cost.--For purposes of paragraph

    (1) , the cost of the 
 diet described in that paragraph shall be the basis for uniform 
 allotments for all households regardless of the actual 
 composition of the household, except that the Secretary shall--
 ``
        (A) make household-size adjustments (based on the 
 unrounded cost of that diet) taking into account 
 economies of scale;
 ``
        (B) make cost adjustments in the low-cost food 
 plan for the State of Hawaii and the urban and rural 
 parts of the State of Alaska to reflect the cost of 
 food in Hawaii and urban and rural Alaska, 
 respectively; and
 ``
            (C) on October 1, 2025, and each October 1 
 thereafter, adjust the cost of the diet to reflect the 
 cost of the diet in the immediately preceding June, and 
 round the result to the nearest lower-dollar increment 
 for each household size.''.

    (b) Value of Allotment.--

Section 8

    (a) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2017

    (a) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``thrifty food plan'' each place it appears 
 and inserting ``low-cost food plan''; and

    (2) in the proviso, by striking ``8 percent'' and inserting 
 ``10 percent''.
            (c) Quality Control System.--

Section 16
            (c) (1)
        (A)
            (ii) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025
            (c) (1)
        (A)
            (ii) ) is amended--

    (1) in subclause
            (II) --
        (A) by striking ``thrifty food plan is adjusted 
 under 

section 3

    (u)

    (4) '' and inserting ``low-cost food 
 plan is adjusted under 

section 3

    (n)

    (3)
            (D) ''; and
        (B) by striking ``2013'' and inserting ``2025'';

    (2) by redesignating subclause
            (II) as subclause
            (III) ; and

    (3) by striking subclause
            (I) and inserting the following:
 ``
            (I) for fiscal year 2025, at an 
 amount not greater than $50;
 ``
            (II) for fiscal year 2026, the 
 amount specified in subclause
            (I) adjusted by the difference between the 
 thrifty food plan (as defined in 
 

section 3 (as in effect on the day 
 before the date of enactment of the 
 Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025)) and 
 the low-cost food plan; and''.
            (d) Conforming Amendments.--

    (1) Section 10 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
 U.S.C. 2019) is amended, in the first sentence, by striking 
 ``3

    (o)

    (4) '' and inserting ``3

    (p)

    (4) ''.

    (2) Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
 U.S.C. 2020) is amended--
        (A) in subsection

    (a)

    (2) , by striking ``3

    (s)

    (1) '' 
 and inserting ``3

    (t)

    (1) '';
        (B) in subsection
            (d) --
            (i) by striking ``3

    (s)

    (1) '' each place it 
 appears and inserting ``3

    (t)

    (1) '';
            (ii) by striking ``3

    (s)

    (2) '' each place it 
 appears and inserting ``3

    (t)

    (2) ''; and
            (iii) by striking ``Act (25 U.S.C. 450)'' 
 and inserting ``and Education Assistance Act 
 (25 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)''; and
            (C) in subsection

    (e)

    (17) , by striking ``3

    (s)

    (1) '' 
 and inserting ``3

    (t)

    (1) ''.

    (3) Section 19

    (a)

    (2)
        (A)
            (ii) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
 of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028

    (a)

    (2)
        (A)
            (ii) ) is amended by striking 
 ``thrifty food plan has been adjusted under 

section 3

    (u)

    (4) '' 
 and inserting ``low-cost food plan has been adjusted under 
 

section 3

    (n)

    (3)
            (D) ''.

    (4) Section 27

    (a)

    (2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
 (7 U.S.C. 2036

    (a)

    (2) ) is amended--
        (A) in subparagraph
            (C) , by inserting ``(as in 
 effect on the day before the date of enactment of the 
 Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025)'' after ``

section 3

    (u)

    (4) '';
        (B) in subparagraph
            (D) 
            (ix) , by striking ``and'' at 
 the end;
            (C) by redesignating subparagraph
        (E) as 
 subparagraph
        (F) ;
            (D) by inserting after subparagraph
            (D) the 
 following:
 ``
        (E) for fiscal year 2025, the sum obtained by 
 adding--
 ``
            (i) the dollar amount of commodities 
 specified in subparagraph
        (B) adjusted by the 
 percentage by which the low-cost food plan has 
 been adjusted under 

section 3

    (u)

    (4) between 
 June 30, 2025, and June 30 of the immediately 
 preceding fiscal year; and
 ``
            (ii) $35,000,000; and''; and
        (E) in subparagraph
        (F) (as so redesignated), by 
 striking ``subparagraph
            (D) 
            (ix) adjusted by the 
 percentage by which the thrifty food plan has been 
 adjusted under 

section 3

    (u)

    (4) '' and inserting 
 ``subparagraph
        (F) adjusted by the percentage by which 
 the low-cost food plan has been adjusted under 

section 3

    (n)

    (3)
            (D) ''.

    (5) Section 408

    (a)

    (12)
        (B)
            (i) of the Social Security Act (42 
 U.S.C. 608

    (a)

    (12)
        (B)
            (i) ) is amended by striking ``

    (r) '' each 
 place it appears.

SEC. 3. DEDUCTIONS FROM INCOME.

    (a) Standard Medical Expense Deduction.--

Section 5

    (e)

    (5) of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014

    (e)

    (5) ) is amended--

    (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Excess 
 medical'' and inserting ``Medical'';

    (2) in subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``an excess medical'' 
 and all that follows through the period at the end and 
 inserting ``a standard medical deduction or a medical expense 
 deduction of actual costs for the allowable medical expenses 
 incurred by the elderly or disabled member, exclusive of 
 special diets.'';

    (3) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (i) , by striking ``excess''; and

    (4) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (D) Standard medical expense deduction amount.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
 clause
            (ii) , the standard medical expense 
 deduction shall be--
 ``
            (I) for fiscal year 2025, $140; 
 and
 ``
            (II) for each subsequent fiscal 
 year, equal to the applicable amount 
 for the immediately preceding fiscal 
 year as adjusted to reflect changes for 
 the 12-month period ending the 
 preceding June 30 in the Consumer Price 
 Index for All Urban Consumers: Medical 
 Care published by the Bureau of Labor 
 Statistics of the Department of Labor.
 ``
            (ii) Exception.--For any fiscal year, a 
 State agency may establish a greater standard 
 medical expense deduction than described in 
 clause
            (i) if the greater deduction satisfies 
 cost neutrality standards established by the 
 Secretary for that fiscal year.''.

    (b) Elimination of Cap of Excess Shelter Expenses.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 5

    (e)

    (6) of the Food and Nutrition 
 Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014

    (e)

    (6) ) is amended--
        (A) by striking subparagraph
        (B) ; and
        (B) by redesignating subparagraphs
            (C) and
            (D) as 
 subparagraphs
        (B) and
            (C) , respectively.

    (2) Conforming amendment.--

Section 2605

    (f)

    (2)
        (A) of the 
 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 
 8624

    (f)

    (2)
        (A) ) is amended by striking ``5

    (e)

    (6)
            (C) 
            (iv) 
            (I) of 
 that Act (7 U.S.C. 2014

    (e)

    (6)
            (C) 
            (iv) 
            (I) )'' and inserting 
 ``5

    (e)

    (6)
        (B)
            (iv) 
            (I) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 
 2014

    (e)

    (6)
        (B)
            (iv) 
            (I) )''.

SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF TIME LIMIT.

    (a) In General.--

Section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2015) is amended--

    (1) by striking subsection

    (o) ; and

    (2) by redesignating subsections

    (p) through

    (s) as 
 subsections

    (o) through

    (r) , respectively.

    (b) Conforming Amendments.--

    (1) Section 5

    (a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
 U.S.C. 2014

    (a) ) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking 
 ``

    (r) '' and inserting ``

    (q) ''.

    (2) Section 6
            (d) (4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
 (7 U.S.C. 2015
            (d) (4) ) is amended--
        (A) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (ii) 
            (I) (bb)
            (DD) , by striking 
 ``or subsection

    (o) ''; and
        (B) in subparagraph
        (N) , by striking ``or 
 subsection

    (o) '' each place it appears.

    (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) of this Act or''.

    (4) 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) , in the matter 
 preceding clause
            (i) , by striking ``that--'' 
 and all that follows through the period at the 
 end of clause
            (ii) and inserting ``that is 
 determined and adjusted by the Secretary.'';
            (ii) by striking subparagraph
        (E) ;
            (iii) by redesignating subparagraph
        (F) as 
 subparagraph
        (E) ; and
            (iv) in clause
            (ii) 
            (III) (ee) 

    (AA) of 
 subparagraph
        (E) (as so redesignated), by 
 striking ``, individuals subject to the 
 requirements under 

section 6

    (o) ,''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (5)
            (C) --
            (i) in clause
            (ii) , by adding ``and'' at 
 the end;
            (ii) in clause
            (iii) , by striking ``; and'' 
 and inserting a period; and
            (iii) by striking clause
            (iv) .

    (5) Section 51
            (d) (8)
        (A)
            (ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
 1986 is amended--
        (A) in subclause
            (I) , by striking ``, or'' at the 
 end and inserting a period;
        (B) in the matter preceding subclause
            (I) , by 
 striking ``family--'' and all that follows through 
 ``receiving'' in subclause
            (I) and inserting ``family 
 receiving''; and
            (C) by striking subclause
            (II) .

    (6) Section 103

    (a)

    (2) of the Workforce Innovation and 
 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3113) is amended--
        (A) by striking subparagraph
            (D) ; and
        (B) by redesignating subparagraphs
        (E) through
        (K) as subparagraphs
            (D) through
        (J) , respectively.

    (7) Section 121

    (b)

    (2)
        (B) of the Workforce Innovation and 
 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3151) is amended--
        (A) by striking clause
            (iv) ; and
        (B) by redesignating clauses
            (v) through
            (vii) as 
 clauses
            (iv) through
            (vi) , respectively.
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