H.R. 8256 — Senior Hunger Prevention Act of 2026

This section revises the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which provides food assistance benefits to low-income households—as follows: (1) extends the certification period to 36 months (from 24 months); (2) replaces the excess medical expense deduction with a medical expense deduction allowing either a standard amount of $155 for FY2027 (adjusted annually thereafter by changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Medical Care) or actual allowable costs incurred by elderly or disabled household members (exclusive of special diets), with state agencies permitted to set a higher standard deduction if cost-neutral; and (3) in the proviso for the value of the allotment, changes 8 percent to 1/3.

This section amends the definition of elderly and disabled individuals under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to explicitly include those receiving Medicaid home- and community-based services under specified waivers (42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(14)(D)(i)(III)); establishes an Elderly Simplified Application Program (ESAP), which states may elect to use for households consisting solely of elderly or disabled adults with no earned income, providing a 36-month certification period, data matching and limited self-declaration for verification (with fraud protections), no recertification interview unless requested by the household (which may be virtual), and implementation guidance within 180 days of enactment; and establishes a Combined Application Program (CAP), which states may elect to use for households consisting solely of adults who are applicants for or recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), offering at minimum a standard model of joint SSA-state applications with standardized benefit levels (at least two: for low and high shelter expenses, comparable to regular SNAP benefits, with referral to standard SNAP if significantly lower) or standardized shelter expenses, reduced in-person interviews, and outreach to nonparticipating SSI recipients, with program establishment within 180 days of enactment.

This section establishes an Enrollment and Outreach Pilot Program for Older Adults, Kinship Families, and Adults with Disabilities under which the Secretary of Agriculture must, not later than 180 days after enactment, award grants to eligible entities (i.e., state/local agencies, Indian tribes, nonprofits, community-based organizations, and educational providers) to raise awareness of and assist with enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among those groups. (As background, SNAP provides food purchase benefits to low-income households, including older adults generally aged 60 and older, kinship families raising children, and adults with disabilities as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act.) In awarding grants, the Secretary must prioritize entities with relevant service experience or funding ties (e.g., under the Older Americans Act or disability/nutrition programs) and projects serving high-risk communities (e.g., food-insecure, rural, indigenous, communities of color, LGBTQ+, limited English proficiency, veterans, or subsidized housing residents) or incorporating nutrition education. Grant recipients must use funds for activities including (1) application assistance such as prescreening, form completion, document gathering, deduction counseling, and translation; (2) tailored information dissemination via workshops, hotlines, websites, social media, or materials; (3) transportation to SNAP offices; or (4) developing scalable enrollment models. Grants are $50,000 to $250,000 per fiscal year for up to five years; the Secretary must evaluate the program after two years; and $12.25 million is appropriated (available until expended), with up to $250,000 for the evaluation and no more than 3% of the remainder for administrative costs.

This section establishes a food delivery program under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (i.e., provides monthly benefits to low-income households to purchase eligible food items). In carrying out the program, the Secretary of Agriculture must (1) notify participating retail food stores of delivery options such as swiping EBT cards upon home delivery or preparing food for pickup; (2) authorize public-private partnerships with SNAP retailers and community organizations to provide free or low-cost delivery using private funds; (3) reimburse "covered retail food stores" (i.e., SNAP retailers, nonprofit meal delivery services, or providers unable to cover delivery costs) for free grocery delivery to SNAP participants who are older adults or adults with disabilities unable to shop or lacking safe transportation, subject to requirements including employee delivery with CDC-based health/safety training, minimum wage payment, small business size standards, and no participant charges/minimum purchases/surge pricing; and (4) require states to submit plans (approved or denied by the Secretary within 10 days and posted publicly) for delivery processes and reimbursement administration. Reimbursements cover delivery fees up to $10 per delivery (adjustable for inflation), point-of-sale devices, and related technical assistance if the majority of delivered items are SNAP-eligible (de minimis nonfood items allowed); authorizes $500 million for FY2027 and each year thereafter, available until expended.

This section extends funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)—which provides monthly USDA food packages to low-income elderly individuals—through 2031 (from 2023) and appropriates $10 million for each of FY2027 through 2031 in addition to other available funds. The section further revises CSFP eligibility to include low-income adults with disabilities (as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act), sets income eligibility at less than 185% of the federal poverty line for both elderly individuals and adults with disabilities, establishes a 36-month certification period, and makes conforming changes. (As background, CSFP serves approximately 840,000 low-income elderly participants annually across 47 states, the District of Columbia, and tribal nations.)

This section amends the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), which provides low-income seniors with coupons redeemable for eligible foods (e.g., fresh produce) at farmers' markets and roadside stands, as follows: (1) authorizes appropriations of at least $60 million for FY2027, $70 million for FY2028, and $100 million annually for FY2029 through FY2031 to carry out and expand the program; (2) expands eligibility to include adults with disabilities (as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act); (3) establishes a minimum individual benefit of $35 and maximum of $80; (4) sets the participant certification period at 36 months; and (5) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a modernization grant program, awarding grants of up to $350,000 (with no more than $25,000 for supplies) to state agencies, Tribal organizations, and territories within 180 days of enactment to transition to electronic benefit technology and related operations, with $15 million authorized annually for FY2027 and thereafter. This section further revises income eligibility regulations to cover households at or below 200% of the poverty income guidelines.

This section establishes two programs in new section 4403 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, using Commodity Credit Corporation funds. Subsection (b) establishes an infrastructure funding program to provide loans, loan guarantees, and grants to eligible entities (e.g., agricultural cooperatives, local or Tribal governments, nonprofits) demonstrating financial need for establishing new farmers' markets, improving or rehabilitating existing farmers' markets (including payment technologies), and expanding community supported agriculture to serve older adults and adults with disabilities; requires recipient markets to be accessible via public transportation, paratransit, or Older Americans Act services and to reserve at least 50% of floor area for locally produced products; imposes a 20% non-Federal cost share for grants (which may include transportation costs, volunteers, or in-kind staffing); and provides $50 million annually for FY2027 through FY2031. Subsection (c) establishes a local procurement pilot program to award grants to eligible entities (e.g., providers coordinating enrollment and distribution under the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, such as area agencies on aging or federally subsidized housing for older adults and adults with disabilities) to contract with agricultural producers for growing produce via traditional or controlled environment methods, with priority for projects benefiting underserved communities in areas of concentrated poverty and limited fresh food access, an evaluation two years after establishment, $350,000 annually for FY2027 through FY2031 (with no more than 5% for administrative costs), and additional funding for the evaluation.