To name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center located in Northport, New York, as the Navy (SEAL) Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy VA Medical Center, and for other purposes.
In Committee
Introduced:Sep 30, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Ann Kuster
D - NH
Cosponsors
1
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill makes it easier for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It allows them to sign their SNAP application by gesturing on a video phone, instead of requiring a recorded verbal signature. It also lets state agencies document a telephonic signature in writing, rather than requiring an audio recording.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill makes it easier for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It allows them to sign their SNAP application by gesturing on a video phone, instead of requiring a recorded verbal signature. It also lets state agencies document a telephonic signature in writing, rather than requiring an audio recording.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Streamlining Nutrition Paperwork Act of 2023 or the SNP Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill allows state agencies to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications by video phone or a simplified telephonic system. </p><p>Specifically, a state agency may establish a system to allow applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing (referred to as hearing-impaired under the bill) to sign a submitted SNAP application by gesture over a video phone. (Currently, a state agency may allow for a telephonic signature through a recorded verbal assent.)</p><p>The bill also specifies that, for a video phone or telephonic signature, the current recording system requirement may be satisfied through an audio recording or in writing. (During 2020 and 2021, the Food and Nutrition Service provided waivers to certain state agencies which allowed the state agency to document in writing that an applicant verbally signed the application, instead of requiring an audio recording.)</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Allows state agencies to accept SNAP applications by video phone or simplified telephonic system from applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing
Permits a video phone or telephonic signature, which can be documented in writing instead of requiring an audio recording
Provides more accessible options for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to apply for SNAP benefits
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would make the SNAP application process more accessible and inclusive for the approximately 48 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing. By enabling video phone and simplified telephonic options, it reduces barriers that have historically made it difficult for this community to apply for critical food assistance.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Business records
Food assistance and relief
Government information and archives
Poverty and welfare assistance
Telephone and wireless communication
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5643, 119th Congress (2025). "To name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center located in Northport, New York, as the Navy (SEAL) Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy VA Medical Center, and for other purposes.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5643