Pandemic EBT Act of 2020

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide certain food assistance for eligible children during periods when their schools are closed due to a public health emergency; and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pandemic EBT Act of 2020 2. Department of Agriculture assistance during public health emergency (a) Pandemic emergency During fiscal year 2020, in any case in which a school is closed for at least 5 consecutive days during a public health emergency designation during which the school would otherwise be in session, each household containing at least 1 member who is an eligible child attending the school shall be eligible to receive assistance pursuant to a State agency plan approved under subsection (b) (b) Assistance To carry out this section, the Secretary of Agriculture may approve State agency plans for temporary emergency standards of eligibility and levels of benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 (c) Minimum closure requirement The Secretary of Agriculture shall not provide assistance under this section in the case of a school that is closed for less than 5 consecutive days. (d) Use of ebt system A State agency may provide assistance under this section through the EBT card system established under section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2016 (e) Release of information Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture may authorize State educational agencies and school food authorities administering a school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1751 (f) Waivers To facilitate implementation of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture may approve waivers of the limits on certification periods otherwise applicable under section 3(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2012(f) 7 U.S.C. 2015(c) (g) Funding The Secretary of Agriculture shall use funds made available under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 (h) Availability of commodities During fiscal year 2020, the Secretary of Agriculture may utilize funds appropriated under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 ( 7 U.S.C. 612c (i) Definitions In this section: (1) The term eligible child 42 U.S.C. 1760(d) 42 U.S.C. 175l (2) The term public health emergency designation (A) of a public health emergency, based on an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 247d (B) of a domestic emergency, based on an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), by the Secretary of Homeland Security. (3) The term school 42 U.S.C. 1760(d)

Summary: Pandemic EBT Act of 2020 This bill expands authority in FY2020 for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) during a public health emergency based on COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill authorizes USDA to approve state agency plans to provide SNAP benefits to households that include at least one eligible child and may or may not be participating in SNAP. An eligible child is a child who would be receiving free or reduced-price school meals if the child's school had not been closed for at least five consecutive days due to the public health emergency based on COVID-19. SNAP benefits provided must be no less than the value of school meals at the federal free rate over the course of five school days for each eligible child in the household. A state agency may provide SNAP benefits in accordance with the bill through the electronic benefits transfer card system.