AN ACT CONCERNING FOOD DESERTS AND THE SNAP PROGRAM.

SB 1475 requires Connecticut to develop a plan by October 2025 to join the federal Restaurant Meals Program, allowing eligible SNAP users (seniors, disabled individuals, homeless people, and their spouses) to purchase healthy meals at participating restaurants statewide. It also defines "food desert" using USDA data and mandates annual reports from the Attorney General by October 1, 2025, on price discrimination investigations against grocery stores in food deserts, including federal investigations and recommendations for consumer protection legislation. The bill directly affects SNAP recipients in underserved areas and grocery stores in designated food deserts, with key mechanisms including the state’s application to the USDA for the restaurant program and mandatory legislative reporting on pricing practices.