SOAR Act Improvements Act

House Bill

H.R. 5181

119th Congress

SOAR Act Improvements Act

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.

Introduced:Sep 8, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Robin L. Kelly

Representative

Democratic

IL-2

Cosponsors

1

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Summary

This bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to calculate separate Thrifty Food Plan costs for urban and rural parts of Hawaii when setting maximum monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This would result in higher SNAP benefits for low-income rural Hawaiians to account for their higher food costs compared to their urban counterparts.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

SponsorRobin L. Kelly (D-IL)

Introduced9/8/2025

StatusOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

SOAR Act Improvements Act

This bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to calculate separate Thrifty Food Plan costs for urban and rural parts of Hawaii when setting maximum monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This would result in hi

Community Breakdown

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This bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to calculate separate Thrifty Food Plan costs for urban and rural parts of Hawaii when setting maximum monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This would result in higher SNAP benefits for low-income rural Hawaiians to account for their higher food costs compared to their urban counterparts.

Bill Number: 5181
Sponsor: Robin L. Kelly (D-IL)
Introduced: 9/8/2025
Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.
Policy Area: Agriculture and Food

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: SOAR Act Improvements Act
Bill Number: 5181
Sponsor: Robin L. Kelly (D-IL)
Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.
Introduced: 9/8/2025
Summary: This bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to calculate separate Thrifty Food Plan costs for urban and rural parts of Hawaii when setting maximum monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This would result in higher SNAP benefits for low-income rural

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to calculate separate Thrifty Food Plan costs for urban and rural parts of Hawaii when setting maximum monthly benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This would result in higher SNAP benefits for low-income rural Hawaiians to account for their higher food costs compared to their urban counterparts.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Feeding Rural Families Act of 2023This bill provides for separate food cost calculations for urban and rural parts of Hawaii for the purposes of determining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) maximum monthly benefit allotments. Specifically, the bill requires separate food cost adjustments in the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) for urban and rural parts of Hawaii.SNAP maximum monthly benefit allotments are tied to the cost of purchasing a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet, as measured by the Department of Agriculture-created and -calculated TFP. Maximum allotments are set at the monthly cost of the TFP for a four-person family, adjusted for family size. Under current law, maximum allotments are higher (to reflect the cost of food) in Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as in urban and rural parts of Alaska.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Requires separate food cost calculations for urban and rural Hawaii in the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines SNAP maximum monthly benefits
Currently, SNAP benefits are higher in Hawaii, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands to account for higher food costs, but not specifically for rural vs. urban differences within states
Aim is to provide more accurate SNAP benefits to address the unique food cost challenges faced by low-income rural Hawaiians

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If enacted, this bill would directly benefit low-income residents living in rural parts of Hawaii by providing them with higher SNAP benefits to account for their higher food costs compared to urban Hawaii. This could help improve food security and nutrition for thousands of rural Hawaiian families struggling to afford a healthy diet.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Related Subjects

Food assistance and relief

Food supply, safety, and labeling

Hawaii

Inflation and prices

Nutrition and diet

Poverty and welfare assistance

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

5181, 119th Congress (2025). "SOAR Act Improvements Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5181

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