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 Illi-
nois, 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 Cali-
fornia, and Mr. MORELLE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equitable Nutrition 
Assistance for the Territories Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF PUERTO RICO, AMERICAN 
SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA IS-
LANDS IN SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in subsection (r), by inserting ‘‘the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’; and 
(B) in subsection (u)(3), by inserting ‘‘the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’. 
(2) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.—Section 5 of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) is 
amended— 
(A) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, 
by inserting ‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’; 
(B) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘and 
Guam,’’ and inserting ‘‘Guam, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and 
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the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands,’’; and 
(C) in subsection (e)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting 
‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Amer-
ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Ha-
waii,’’ each place it appears; and 
(ii) in paragraph (6)(B), by inserting 
‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Amer-
ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern 
Mariana 
Islands,’’ 
after 
‘‘Guam,’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made 
by this subsection shall be effective with respect 
to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, as applicable, on the date de-
scribed in subparagraph (B) if the Secretary 
submits to Congress a certification under sub-
section (f)(3) of section 19 of the Food and Nu-
trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028). 
(B) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date referred 
to in subparagraph (A) is, with respect to the 
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Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, the date established by the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, respectively, in the applicable 
plan of operation submitted to the Secretary 
under subsection (f)(1)(A) of section 19 of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2028). 
(b) TRANSITION
OF
PUERTO
RICO, AMERICAN 
SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS TO SUP-
PLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.—Section 
19 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) TRANSITION
OF
PUERTO
RICO, AMERICAN 
SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS TO SUP-
PLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) SUBMISSION OF PLAN BY PUERTO RICO, 
AMERICAN SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA 
ISLANDS.— 
‘‘(A) SUBMISSION AND REVIEW OF PLAN 
OF
OPERATION.—If a State agency is des-
ignated by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
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Northern Mariana Islands (referred to in this 
subsection as a ‘governmental entity’) and sub-
mits to the Secretary a request to participate in 
the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
and a plan of operation under section 11 (in-
cluding a date on which the governmental entity 
will begin to participate in the supplemental nu-
trition assistance program), the Secretary shall 
determine whether that governmental entity 
and State agency satisfy the requirements that 
would apply under this Act for approval of that 
plan if the governmental entity were one of the 
several States. 
‘‘(B) DETERMINATION BY SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(i) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall 
approve a plan of operation under subpara-
graph (A) if the governmental entity and 
State agency satisfy the requirements de-
scribed in that subparagraph. 
‘‘(ii) DISAPPROVAL.—If the Secretary 
does not approve a plan of operation under 
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall pro-
vide to the governmental entity a state-
ment that describes each requirement that 
is not satisfied by the plan. 
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‘‘(2) APPROVAL OF RETAIL FOOD STORES.—If 
the Secretary approves a plan of operation under 
paragraph (1)(B)(i), the Secretary shall accept from 
retail food stores located in the applicable govern-
mental entity applications under section 9 for ap-
proval to participate in the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program. 
‘‘(3) SUBMISSION OF CERTIFICATION TO CON-
GRESS.—The Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
certification that a governmental entity qualifies to 
participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance 
program as if the governmental entity were a State 
if the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) approves the plan of operation under 
paragraph (1)(B)(i); and 
‘‘(B) approves the applications under para-
graph (2) of a number of retail food stores lo-
cated in the governmental entity requesting to 
participate in the supplemental nutrition assist-
ance program that would be sufficient to satisfy 
the requirements of this Act if the govern-
mental entity were one of the several States. 
‘‘(4) CASH
BENEFITS
PROVIDED
IN
PUERTO 
RICO.—As part of a plan of operation submitted 
under paragraph (1)(A), the Commonwealth of 
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Puerto Rico may submit to the Secretary a request 
to provide benefits under the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program in the form of cash. 
‘‘(5) FAMILY
MARKET
PROGRAM
IN
PUERTO 
RICO.—As part of a plan of operation submitted 
under paragraph (1)(A), notwithstanding subsection 
(g), the Secretary shall allow the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico to continue to carry out, under the sup-
plemental nutrition assistance program, the Family 
Market Program established under this section. 
‘‘(g) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsections (a) through (e) 
shall cease to be effective with respect to the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as 
applicable, on the date described in paragraph (2) if 
the Secretary submits to Congress a certification 
under subsection (f)(3). 
‘‘(2) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date referred to 
in paragraph (1) is, with respect to the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
the date established by the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, respectively, in the appli-
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cable plan of operation submitted to the Secretary 
under subsection (f)(1)(A).’’. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri-
culture to carry out this section and the amendments 
made by this section such sums as may be necessary for 
each fiscal year, to remain available until expended. 
Æ 
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