Ensuring Emergency Food Security Act

To prevent the changing of regulations governing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to provide for expanded food security, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Emergency Food Security Act 2. Immediate suspension of implementing rule changes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program No Federal funds (including fees) made available for any fiscal year may be used to finalize, implement, administer, enforce, carry out, or otherwise give effect to any proposed rule that would decrease program benefits or impact program eligibility of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 3. Temporary increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (a) Maximum benefit increase (1) In general Beginning the first month that begins not less than 10 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the value of benefits determined under section 8(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and consolidated block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa determined under section 19(a) of such Act shall be calculated using 113.6 percent of the June 2019 value of the thrifty food plan as specified under section 3(o) of such Act. (2) Termination (A) The authority provided by this subsection shall terminate after September 30, 2020. (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Agriculture may not reduce the value of the maximum allotments, minimum allotments or consolidated block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa below the level in effect for fiscal year 2020 as a result of paragraph (1). (b) Requirements for the Secretary In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall— (1) consider the benefit increases described in subsection (a) to be a mass change (2) require a simple process for States to notify households of the increase in benefits; (3) consider section 16(c)(3)(A) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2025(c)(3)(A) (4) disregard the additional amount of benefits that a household receives as a result of this section in determining the amount of over issuances under section 13 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2022 (5) set the tolerance level for excluding small errors for the purposes of section 16(c) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2025(c) (c) Administrative expenses (1) In general For the costs of State administrative expenses associated with carrying out this section and administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 (2) Timing for fiscal year 2020 Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make available to States amounts for fiscal year 2020 under paragraph (1). (3) Allocation of funds Except as provided for management and oversight, funds described in paragraph (1) shall be made available as grants to State agencies for each fiscal year as follows: (A) Seventy-five percent of the amounts available for each fiscal year shall be allocated to States based on the share of each State of households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as reported to the Department of Agriculture for the most recent 12-month period for which data are available, adjusted by the Secretary (as of the date of enactment) for participation in disaster programs under section 5(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014(h) (B) Twenty-five percent of the amounts available for each fiscal year shall be allocated to States based on the increase in the number of households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as reported to the Department of Agriculture over the most recent 12-month period for which data are available, adjusted by the Secretary (as of the date of enactment) for participation in disaster programs under section 5(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014(h) (d) Funding There are appropriated to the Secretary out of funds of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section. 4. Providing for the treatment of jobless workers (a) Treatment of jobless workers (1) Remainder of fiscal year 2020 through fiscal year 2022 Beginning with the first month that begins not less than 10 days after the date of enactment of this Act and for each subsequent month through September 30, 2022, eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits shall not be limited under section 6(o)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. (2) Fiscal year 2023 and thereafter Beginning on October 1, 2022, for the purposes of section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2015(o) 5. Expansion of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (a) Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations For the costs relating to facility improvements and equipment upgrades associated with the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, as established under section 4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2013(b) Provided

Summary: Ensuring Emergency Food Security Act This bill expands benefits and eligibility under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) which is administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Specifically, the bill prohibits any federal funding (including fees) from being used to decrease program benefits or impact program eligibility under SNAP; temporarily increases the value of SNAP benefits through FY2020; prohibits USDA from reducing the value of the maximum allotments, minimum allotments or consolidated block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa below the level in effect for FY2020 as a result of such increase; temporarily suspends work requirements through FY2022 under SNAP, allowing participants who would have lost eligibility due to such requirements to continue to receive SNAP benefits; directs state agencies, beginning on October 1, 2022, to disregard any period during which an individual received SNAP benefits prior to FY2022, for purposes of referring such individual to an employment and training program; and expands the food distribution program on Indian reservations for costs relating to facility improvements and equipment upgrades.