By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Guam’s elderly, disabled and homeless who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would gain access to restaurant meals under a bill proposing to expand the federally funded and locally administered program.
In enacted into law, Bill 78-38, titled “Meals for At-risk Households Act of 2025,” would roll out on Jan. 1, 2026.
Introduced by Sen. Shelly V. Calvo, the bill takes a cue from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Restaurant Meals Program, which provides states and territories the option to allow certain SNAP clients, who might not be able to prepare meals for themselves or who do not have permanent housing for storing and preparing food, to be able to buy prepared meals at restaurants with their SNAP benefits.
Currently, Guam’s SNAP, which is administered by the Department of Public Health and Social Services, can be used to purchase food items such as bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, seeds and plants that can be grown as foods.
“The Restaurant Meals Program will allow us to tackle food insecurity while strengthening local markets,” said Calvo, a freshman senator who heads the committee on senior citizens and disability services.
“By connecting those in need with community dining options, the Restaurant Meals Program not only provides hot, nutritious meals but also supports local businesses and creates opportunities for economic growth,” she added.
Approximately one in five SNAP households in Guam have elderly, disabled, or homeless individuals who may find it difficult to prepare meals for themselves, or, in the case of the unhoused, do not have a place to store and cook food.
Expanding SNAP by implementing the RMP bridges this gap by allowing eligible individuals to use food assistance benefits at participating restaurants, ensuring access to hot, nutritious meals when cooking isn’t an option.
Moreover, the expansion would allow more businesses to accept electronic benefits transfer payments, which in fiscal year 2023 totaled $179 million and was distributed to approximately 250 retailers.
The DPHSS will be responsible for selecting restaurants deemed qualified and approved by the USDA to provide the service.
Subscribe to
our digital
monthly edition
Comments