Federal: HR10268

Bill Summary

H.R. 10268, the Ending Restaurant Purchases with SNAP Act of 2026, amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to eliminate the Restaurant Meals Program, a federal opt-in that currently allows certain SNAP recipients in nine states to use EBT benefits at participating fast food chains, including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway, and Taco Bell. Introduced by Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) on September 3, 2026, the bill was referred to the House Agriculture Committee. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment.

Why it matters to MAHA

SNAP is a nutrition program, but the Restaurant Meals Program has no nutrition standard. There is no requirement that the meals purchased with taxpayer dollars meet any dietary guideline. The result: over $524 million in SNAP benefits redeemed at fast food chains in just two years. Research consistently shows SNAP participants already have worse diet quality and cardio-metabolic outcomes than their peers. Funneling federal nutrition dollars into McDonald's and Burger King deepens that problem rather than addressing it. MAHA supports H.R. 10268 because federal food assistance should fund food that makes Americans healthier, not sicker!