JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Angela Walton Mosley, D-Florissant, is proud to announce the Missouri Senate gave initial approval to her Senate Bill 798 on Monday, April 25. This legislation requires the Missouri Department of Social Services to establish a “Restaurant Meals Program” as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This program would allow households with elderly, disabled or homeless individuals to use their SNAP benefits to purchase hot and ready-to-eat meals from private establishments that contract with the department. If passed and signed into law, the Missouri Department of Social Service’s Family Support Division estimates that approximately 182,681 households would be eligible to participate in the new program.

“This legislation aims to provide more realistic meal options for those participating in Missouri’s SNAP program,” Sen. Mosley said. “For those caring for their elderly parents, it can be stressful and tiring to buy ingredients and prepare meals from scratch every day. Expanding SNAP benefits to include the purchase of these items will alleviate part of the stress of deciding what to have for dinner for these individuals.”

The legislation still needs to receive one more round of approval before it can be sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for their consideration.

For more information on Sen. Walton Mosley’s legislative actions, visit her official Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Mosley.