I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7794 

To extend existing supplemental nutrition assistance program flexibilities for 

States during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 27, 2020 

Ms. FUDGE (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. 

LAWSON of Florida, Ms. ADAMS, and Ms. SCHRIER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To extend existing supplemental nutrition assistance program 

flexibilities for States during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency SNAP 

5 Flexibilities Extension Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF EXISTING SNAP FLEXIBILITIES FOR 

7 COVID-19. 

8 (a) STATE OPTIONS.— 


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1 (1) A State agency (as defined in section 3(s) 

2 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

3 2012(s))) shall have the option— 

4 (A) to extend certification periods under 

5 section 3(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 

6 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(f)) for not more than 6 

7 months and adjust periodic report requirements 

8 under section 6(c)(1)(D)(i) of the Food and 

9 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

10 2015(c)(1)(D)(i)) for some or all participating 

11 households with certification periods set to ex12 pire or periodic reports due on or before June 

13 30, 2021, consistent with the extensions and 

14 adjustments provided in the Food and Nutrition 

15 Service’s April 22, 2020, blanket approval for 

16 extending certification and adjusting periodic 

17 reports, unless otherwise provided in this para18 graph; 

19 (B) to allow household reporting require20 ments under section 273.12(a)(5)(iii) of title 7 

21 of the Code of Federal Regulations to satisfy 

22 the recertification requirements under section 

23 273.14 of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regula24 tions for some or all participating households 


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1 with recertification periods set to expire on or 

2 before December 31, 2021; and 

3 (C) to adjust the interview requirements 

4 under sections 273.2 and 273.14(b) of title 7 of 

5 the Code of Federal Regulations for some or all 

6 household applications or recertifications 

7 through June 30, 2021, consistent with the ad8 justments provided in the Food and Nutrition 

9 Service’s March 26, 2020, blanket approval for 

10 adjusting interview requirements, unless other11 wise provided in this paragraph. 

12 (2) Not later than 5 days after exercising an 

13 option under paragraph (1), a State agency shall no14 tify the Secretary of Agriculture in writing of the 

15 option exercised, the categories of households af16 fected by the option, and the duration of such op17 tion. 

18 (b) ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

19 shall allow a State agency to suspend the requirements 

20 under sections 275.11(b)(1) and (2), 275.12, and 275.13 

21 of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations from June 

22 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, consistent with the waiv23 ers provided in the Food and Nutrition Service’s April 30, 

24 2020, blanket approval for waiver of quality control re25 views, unless otherwise provided in this subsection. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Section 2302 of the Families First 

2 Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116–127; 7 U.S.C. 

3 2011 note) is amended by striking subsection (c) and in4 serting the following: 

5 ‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than June 30, 2022, the 

6 Secretary of Agriculture shall submit, to the Committee 

7 on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 

8 Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 

9 Senate, a report containing the following information: 

10 ‘‘(1) A description of any information or data 

11 supporting State agency requests under this section 

12 and any additional measures that State agencies re13 quested that were not approved by the Secretary of 

14 Agriculture. 

15 ‘‘(2) An evaluation of the use of all waivers, ad16 justments, and other flexibilities in the operation of 

17 the supplemental nutrition assistance program (as 

18 defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act 

19 of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)), in effect under this Act, 

20 the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 

21 et seq.), or any other Act, to respond to the COVID22 19 public health emergency. 

23 ‘‘(3) A recommendation of any additional waiv24 ers or flexibilities needed in the operation of the supVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:40 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7794.IH H7794

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1 plemental nutrition assistance program to respond to 

2 public health emergencies with pandemic potential.’’. 

Æ 


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