H.R. 5129: Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025

H.R. 5129 would make SNAP more generous by rebuilding the benefit formula around USDA's low-cost food plan instead of the cheaper thrifty plan.

That change matters because SNAP's maximum allotment starts with a model food budget for a four-person family, then scales from there. Under this bill, the baseline would rise, and USDA would still update it each year for inflation and reevaluate the market basket by December 31, 2029, and every five years after that.

The bill also changes what households can subtract from income before benefits are calculated. Seniors and disabled people could claim a standard $140 medical deduction or use their actual medical expenses, and households with high housing costs would no longer face a federal cap on shelter deductions.

Another major change is eligibility: the bill would eliminate the federal SNAP time limit that now applies to some adults without dependents. That means broader access for people who now lose benefits after a limited period unless they meet work-related rules.

The bill text also adds $35 million to one fiscal year 2023 commodity funding calculation and raises one program threshold from 8 percent to 10 percent. But for most people, the headline change is straightforward: bigger SNAP calculations, more deductions, and fewer cutoffs.