Rep. Tokuda Reintroduces Bill to Provide Fair SNAP EBT Benefits for Hawaiʻi’s Rural Households

Rep. Tokuda Reintroduces Bill to Provide Fair SNAP EBT Benefits for Hawaiʻi’s Rural Households | U.S. House Representative Jill Tokuda Skip to content Close Home About Biography Our District Votes And Legislation Committees & Caucuses Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus Services Help With A Federal Agency Tours And Tickets Internships Flags Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Military Service Academy Nominations Funding Requests Grant Applications Events Know Your Rights Disaster Assistance Programs for Flooding Victims Community Resources and Flood Response Guidance Media Op-Eds Press Releases In The News Videos Contact Email Me Scheduling Request Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Website Problem Close SEARCH Congresswoman Jill Tokuda About Biography Our District Votes And Legislation Committees & Caucuses Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus Services Help With A Federal Agency Tours And Tickets Internships Flags Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Military Service Academy Nominations Funding Requests Grant Applications Events Know Your Rights Disaster Assistance Programs for Flooding Victims Community Resources and Flood Response Guidance Media Op-Eds Press Releases In The News Videos Contact Email Me Scheduling Request Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Website Problem Modal Search Button Mobile Site Search Submit Search MENU Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo Home Media Press Releases December 03, 2025 Rep. Tokuda Reintroduces Bill to Provide Fair SNAP EBT Benefits for Hawaiʻi’s Rural Households Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) reintroduced a bill that would adjust inequities in how federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT is calculated for Hawaiʻi’s urban and rural areas. The Feeding Rural Families Act would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct separate Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) calculations for urban and rural areas of Hawaiʻi when determining SNAP maximum monthly benefit allotments. Although federal law provides for higher benefit levels in Hawaiʻi, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and in urban and rural parts of Alaska, Hawaiʻi’s current adjustments rely only on Honolulu-area food prices. “It is unreasonable and inaccurate to penalize Hawaiʻi’s neighbor island communities with a broken formula that values convenience over reality. Using a one-size fits-all calculation with no regard for the geography and food scarcity that exists throughout our island state makes absolutely no sense to our families already struggling with sky-high grocery prices,” said Rep. Tokuda. “The Feeding Rural Families Act ensures that SNAP benefits reflect the true cost of living in remote communities, strengthening the purchasing power of our families and helping them put food on the table.” Rep. Ed Case (HI-01) is cosponsoring the bill. Full text of the bill can be found here . ### Print Email Share Tweet Previous Article Next Article About Services Media Contact Privacy Policy Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo