First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 25-0716.01 Shelby Ross x4510
SENATE BILL 25-169
Senate Committees House Committees
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A RESTAURANT MEALS101
PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN RECIPIENTS OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL102
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM .103
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
No later than January 1, 2026, the bill requires the department of
human services to submit an application to the United States department
of agriculture food and nutrition service to implement a restaurant meals
program that allows eligible supplemental nutrition assistance program
recipients to purchase hot or prepared foods at participating restaurants.
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
April 21, 2025
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 17, 2025
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Jodeh and Pelton R., Cutter, Exum, Kipp, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Wallace,
Weissman, Winter F.
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Zokaie,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 26-2-310 as2
follows:3
26-2-310. Restaurant meals program - federal approval -4
eligible SNAP recipients - report - rules - definitions. (1) A
S USED IN5
THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :6
(a) "O
FFICE" MEANS THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC SECURITY IN THE7
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES .8
(b) "P
ROGRAM" MEANS THE RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM9
IMPLEMENTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION .10
(c) "SNAP"
MEANS THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE11
PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS PART 3.12
(d) "SNAP
RECIPIENT" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL IN A HOUSEHOLD13
WHO IS RECEIVING BENEFITS FROM SNAP.14
(e) "USDA"
MEANS THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF15
AGRICULTURE FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE .16
(2) (a) N
O LATER THAN JANUARY 1, 2026, THE STATE DEPARTMENT17
SHALL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE USDA TO IMPLEMENT A18
RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS SNAP RECIPIENTS TO19
PURCHASE HOT OR PREPARED FOODS AT PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS .20
(b) A
SNAP RECIPIENT IS ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE21
PROGRAM IF THE SNAP RECIPIENT MEETS THE USDA'S ELIGIBILITY22
CRITERIA FOR THE PROGRAM.23
(c) S
UBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS ,
AFTER RECEIVING24
APPROVAL FROM THE USDA TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM , THE OFFICE25
SHALL DEVELOP AND PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN26
169-2- FOR THE PROGRAM AND THE USDA'S ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SNAP1
RECIPIENTS.2
(3) (a) A
FTER DEVELOPING AND PUBLISHING THE IMPLEMENTATION3
PLAN PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2)(c) OF THIS SECTION, AND SUBJECT TO
4
AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS , THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT5
RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM .6
A
T A MINIMUM, THE RULES MUST:7
(I) A
DDRESS HOW THE STATE DEPARTMENT WILL VERIFY A SNAP8
RECIPIENT'S ELIGIBILITY PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION;9
AND10
(II) E
STABLISH THE STATE-LEVEL APPLICATION PROCESS AND11
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTAURANTS , INCLUDING, AT A12
MINIMUM, THAT PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS :13
(A) A
RE LICENSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND14
ENVIRONMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 25-4-1603; AND15
(B) A
RE AUTHORIZED BY THE FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES16
AGENCY OF THE USDA TO ACCEPT SNAP BENEFITS.17
(b) T
HE RULES ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3)(a) OF THIS18
SECTION MAY ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS TO :19
(I) U
TILIZE PRACTICES OF PROCURING LOCALLY PRODUCED FOODS20
FOR HOT OR PREPARED MEALS;21
(II) S
ERVE FOODS THAT REPRESENT DIVERSE CULTURAL22
TRADITIONS;23
(III) S
ERVE GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE REGIONS OF THE STATE ;24
AND25
(IV) O
FFER THE OPTION FOR A PATRON TO CHOOSE HOW MUCH TO26
PAY FOR THEIR MEAL IN UNDERINVESTED COMMUNITIES .27
169
-3- (4) IN ADDITION TO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE1
USDA,
SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS ,
THE OFFICE MAY2
PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO RESTAURANTS APPLYING TO3
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS TO PARTICIPATING4
RESTAURANTS. THE STATE DEPARTMENT MAY CONTRACT WITH A5
THIRD-PARTY VENDOR TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OUTREACH AND6
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION (4).7
(5) I
N ITS
ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE8
MADE PURSUANT TO SECTION 2-7-203, THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL9
PROVIDE AN UPDATE CONCERNING THE PROGRESS TOWARD IMPLEMENTING10
THE RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM . AT A MINIMUM, THE UPDATE MUST11
INCLUDE THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF ALL APPROVED PARTICIPATING12
RESTAURANTS AND THE NUMBER OF SNAP RECIPIENTS ELIGIBLE TO13
PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, BY COUNTY.14
SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,15
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate16
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for17
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state18
institutions.19
169
-4-