House bill would allow SNAP recipients to buy hot rotisserie chickens

Michigan Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation that would allow families to buy hot rotisserie chicken through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. 

McDonald Rivet and Arkansas Republican Congressman Rick Crawford introduced the SNAP Rotisserie Chicken Act. 

Currently, SNAP recipients are not permitted to purchase hot rotisserie chicken, which typically costs between $5 and $9 for a whole chicken. 

Meanwhile, if the same rotisserie chicken is chilled and sometimes broken down into smaller portions by a grocery store, it becomes SNAP eligible. 

"As a mom who put dinner on the table every night, I can't tell you how many times a hot rotisserie chicken has come to the rescue. It's ridiculous for the government to tell working parents they can't buy such a common staple for an affordable, quick, healthy meal," said McDonald Rivet in a statement. "Making hot rotisserie chicken eligible for SNAP is common sense — making life a little easier for families struggling to make ends meet without costing taxpayers a single dime."

McDonald Rivet says the bill would cut grocery costs and save families time.

Companion bipartisan legislation, called the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, was introduced in the Senate by Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and Republican West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice, among others. 

"We have to give people the option to put a healthy, protein-dense choice on the table that actually tastes good and doesn't take an hour and a half to cook," Justice said in a statement.