Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025
Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What the bill does:** This bill would change the rules for food assistance (SNAP benefits) to help workers and their families during strikes. Currently, if someone goes on strike, their household often loses SNAP eligibility or can't receive increased benefits even though their income drops. This bill would allow striking workers' households to keep or gain SNAP benefits based on their reduced income during a labor dispute. It also protects SNAP eligibility for government employees who are fired for striking. **Who it affects:** The bill targets striking workers and their families who rely on food assistance.
This includes both private sector workers involved in labor disputes and government employees who lose their jobs due to strike activity. The bill aims to prevent these households from losing nutritional support when they lose income due to strike-related actions. **Current status:** The bill (S. 1156) was introduced by Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate. It remains in early stages of the legislative process.
CRS Official Summary
Food Secure Strikers Act of 2025 This bill allows certain striking workers and their households to maintain their eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).Specifically, the bill provides that a household that would otherwise be eligible to participate in SNAP is eligible for benefits if any member of the household is on strike because of a labor dispute. Current law generally prohibits a household from participating in SNAP if any member of the household is on strike unless the household was eligible for SNAP immediately prior to the strike. Also, under current law, households are not eligible for an increased SNAP allotment as a result of the decreased income of a striking member of the household. The bill expands SNAP eligibility for households with striking workers by repealing both of these restrictions.The bill also allows a government employee who is dismissed for striking and their household to maintain SNAP program eligibility. Specifically, current law prohibits certain individuals who voluntarily and without good cause quit a job from participating in SNAP. Further, a federal, state, or local government employee who participates in a strike against the government that results in their dismissal is considered to have voluntarily quit without good cause. The bill eliminates the provision that considers the dismissed government employee to have voluntarily quit without good cause, thereby allowing the employee and their household to maintain SNAP program eligibility if they are otherwise eligible for the program.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.