I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1576 

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for the participation 

of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands 

in the supplemental nutrition assistance program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2019 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ (for herself, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. MOORE, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of 

Puerto Rico, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SOTO, 

Mr. SIRES, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. NORTON, Ms. LEE of California, and Mr. MORELLE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide 

for the participation of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 

and the Northern Mariana Islands in the supplemental 

nutrition assistance program. 

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 ‘‘Equitable Nutrition 

5 Assistance for the Territories Act of 2019’’. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1576 IH

1 SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF PUERTO RICO, AMERICAN 

2 SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA IS3 LANDS IN SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION AS4 SISTANCE PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

6 (1) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Food and 

7 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amend8 ed— 

9 (A) in subsection (r), by inserting ‘‘the 

10 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 

11 Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 

12 Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’; and 

13 (B) in subsection (u)(3), by inserting ‘‘the 

14 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 

15 Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 

16 Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’. 

17 (2) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.—Section 5 of the 

18 Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) is 

19 amended— 

20 (A) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, 

21 by inserting ‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto 

22 Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 

23 the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’; 

24 (B) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘and 

25 Guam,’’ and inserting ‘‘Guam, the Common26 wealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1576 IH

1 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is2 lands,’’; and 

3 (C) in subsection (e)— 

4 (i) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting 

5 ‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Amer6 ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 

7 Northern Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Ha8 waii,’’ each place it appears; and 

9 (ii) in paragraph (6)(B), by inserting 

10 ‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Amer11 ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 

12 Northern Mariana Islands,’’ after 

13 ‘‘Guam,’’. 

14 (3) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made 

16 by this subsection shall be effective with respect 

17 to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 

18 Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 

19 Mariana Islands, as applicable, on the date de20 scribed in subparagraph (B) if the Secretary 

21 submits to Congress a certification under sub22 section (f)(3) of section 19 of the Food and Nu23 trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028). 

24 (B) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date referred 

25 to in subparagraph (A) is, with respect to the 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1576 IH

1 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 

2 Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 

3 Mariana Islands, the date established by the 

4 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 

5 Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 

6 Mariana Islands, respectively, in the applicable 

7 plan of operation submitted to the Secretary 

8 under subsection (f)(1)(A) of section 19 of the 

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

10 2028). 

11 (b) TRANSITION OF PUERTO RICO, AMERICAN

12 SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS TO SUP13 PLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—Section 

14 19 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028) 

15 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(f) TRANSITION OF PUERTO RICO, AMERICAN

17 SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS TO SUP18 PLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 

19 ‘‘(1) SUBMISSION OF PLAN BY PUERTO RICO, 

20 AMERICAN SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA

21 ISLANDS.— 

22 ‘‘(A) SUBMISSION AND REVIEW OF PLAN

23 OF OPERATION.—If a State agency is des24 ignated by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 

25 American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1576 IH

1 Northern Mariana Islands (referred to in this 

2 subsection as a ‘governmental entity’) and sub3 mits to the Secretary a request to participate in 

4 the supplemental nutrition assistance program 

5 and a plan of operation under section 11 (in6 cluding a date on which the governmental entity 

7 will begin to participate in the supplemental nu8 trition assistance program), the Secretary shall 

9 determine whether that governmental entity 

10 and State agency satisfy the requirements that 

11 would apply under this Act for approval of that 

12 plan if the governmental entity were one of the 

13 several States. 

14 ‘‘(B) DETERMINATION BY SECRETARY.— 

15 ‘‘(i) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall 

16 approve a plan of operation under subpara17 graph (A) if the governmental entity and 

18 State agency satisfy the requirements de19 scribed in that subparagraph. 

20 ‘‘(ii) DISAPPROVAL.—If the Secretary 

21 does not approve a plan of operation under 

22 subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall pro23 vide to the governmental entity a state24 ment that describes each requirement that 

25 is not satisfied by the plan. 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 1576 IH

1 ‘‘(2) APPROVAL OF RETAIL FOOD STORES.—If 

2 the Secretary approves a plan of operation under 

3 paragraph (1)(B)(i), the Secretary shall accept from 

4 retail food stores located in the applicable govern5 mental entity applications under section 9 for ap6 proval to participate in the supplemental nutrition 

7 assistance program. 

8 ‘‘(3) SUBMISSION OF CERTIFICATION TO CON9 GRESS.—The Secretary shall submit to Congress a 

10 certification that a governmental entity qualifies to 

11 participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance 

12 program as if the governmental entity were a State 

13 if the Secretary— 

14 ‘‘(A) approves the plan of operation under 

15 paragraph (1)(B)(i); and 

16 ‘‘(B) approves the applications under para17 graph (2) of a number of retail food stores lo18 cated in the governmental entity requesting to 

19 participate in the supplemental nutrition assist20 ance program that would be sufficient to satisfy 

21 the requirements of this Act if the govern22 mental entity were one of the several States. 

23 ‘‘(4) CASH BENEFITS PROVIDED IN PUERTO

24 RICO.—As part of a plan of operation submitted 

25 under paragraph (1)(A), the Commonwealth of 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 1576 IH

1 Puerto Rico may submit to the Secretary a request 

2 to provide benefits under the supplemental nutrition 

3 assistance program in the form of cash. 

4 ‘‘(5) FAMILY MARKET PROGRAM IN PUERTO

5 RICO.—As part of a plan of operation submitted 

6 under paragraph (1)(A), notwithstanding subsection 

7 (g), the Secretary shall allow the Commonwealth of 

8 Puerto Rico to continue to carry out, under the sup9 plemental nutrition assistance program, the Family 

10 Market Program established under this section. 

11 ‘‘(g) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsections (a) through (e) 

13 shall cease to be effective with respect to the Com14 monwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the 

15 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as 

16 applicable, on the date described in paragraph (2) if 

17 the Secretary submits to Congress a certification 

18 under subsection (f)(3). 

19 ‘‘(2) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date referred to 

20 in paragraph (1) is, with respect to the Common21 wealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the 

22 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

23 the date established by the Commonwealth of Puerto 

24 Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 

25 Northern Mariana Islands, respectively, in the appliVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:46 Mar 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1576.IH H1576

pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 1576 IH

1 cable plan of operation submitted to the Secretary 

2 under subsection (f)(1)(A).’’. 

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

4 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri5 culture to carry out this section and the amendments 

6 made by this section such sums as may be necessary for 

7 each fiscal year, to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS