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Hudson Valley Congressmen Josh Riley and Mike Lawler are championing a bipartisan bill called the "Increasing Nutrition Access for Seniors Act of 2025" in Congress. The legislation aims to simplify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for seniors and individuals with disabilities, reducing bureaucratic hurdles to make it easier for Upstate New Yorkers and families nationwide to access food assistance.
The bill proposes modernizing SNAP by extending certification periods and creating a standardized medical deduction. According to Riley's office, the goal is to cut through the red tape that currently complicates the process for seniors trying to obtain food assistance. "Folks who worked hard their whole lives shouldn’t have to haul around shoeboxes of receipts or fight through stacks of forms just to put food on the table," said Riley.
Congressman Lawler echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of making it simpler for older Americans and people with disabilities to get the support they have earned. He praised the bipartisan nature of the bill, emphasizing the collaborative effort to address this issue.
The bill builds on Riley's legislative efforts to combat hunger and support local farmers, including previous proposals to protect access to Social Security and eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors. As reported by Quiver CongressRadar, this initiative is part of a broader effort to ease access to essential services for vulnerable populations.