LEXINGTON, Ky. — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation this week that would allow low-income Americans to use food assistance benefits to purchase rotisserie chicken from grocery stores, challenging a decades-old restriction on hot prepared foods.

The Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, sponsored by Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Republican Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia, would expand the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program to include the supermarket staple, which Fetterman described as "America's best affordability play" at major retailers like Costco.

The SNAP program currently prohibits the use of benefits for hot or prepared foods, a restriction dating back decades that was intended to encourage home cooking. The program provides a monthly stipend to nearly 42 million Americans, with an average household benefit of about $350 per month.

Supporters of the legislation argue the restriction is outdated and unfairly burdens families already struggling financially by excluding convenient and nutritious options. "We have to give people the option to put a healthy, protein-dense choice on the table that actually tastes good and doesn't take an hour and a half to cook," Justice said in a statement.

The bill comes as debate over SNAP-eligible foods intensifies across the country. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pressed states to exclude junk foods like soda and candy from SNAP purchases. Twenty-two states, mostly led by Republicans, have requested or been granted permission to ban certain foods from the program.

Besides Fetterman and Justice, the senators introducing the bill include Republican Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado. Republican Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas has introduced similar legislation in the House.