H.R. 793 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Agriculture, Jan 28, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRemoves shelter expense limits for SNAP benefits
Right now, SNAP (the food assistance program) limits how much you can deduct for housing costs when figuring out your benefits. This bill would remove that cap. That means households could count all their rent, mortgage, utilities, and other housing expenses when calculating how much food assistance they qualify for, as long as those costs go over half their income.
How it affects you
People receiving SNAP benefits could potentially qualify for more food assistance if their housing costs are high relative to their income. This would directly affect lower-income households that spend a large portion of their money on rent, mortgage, or utilities.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 28, 2025)
SNAP Benefits Fairness Act of 2025
This bill repeals the shelter deduction cap for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit, thereby allowing a household to deduct all allowable housing expenses (e.g., rent or mortgage, electricity, and water costs) that exceed 50% of a household's income after other deductions when calculating net income to determine SNAP benefits.
Under current law, the shelter deduction is capped (unless at least one household member is an elderly or disabled individual), and the cap is adjusted annually for inflation. In FY2025, the shelter deduction is capped at $712 for households in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 793
A BILL
SNAP Benefits Fairness Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10) · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 28, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.”