I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6846 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for the participation 
of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2020 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ (for herself, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. MENG, Mr. 
ESPAILLAT, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. NORTON, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. 
MOORE, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture 
A BILL 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide 
for the participation of the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands in the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program, and for other purposes. 
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 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION AND TRANSITION OF PUERTO 
RICO, AMERICAN SAMOA, AND THE NORTH-
ERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN SUPPLEMENTAL 
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (r), by inserting ‘‘the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ 
after ‘‘Guam,’’; and 
(2) in subsection (u)(3), by inserting ‘‘the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ 
after ‘‘Guam,’’. 
(b) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.—Section 5 of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by 
inserting ‘‘the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Amer-
ican Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘and 
Guam,’’ and inserting ‘‘Guam, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e)— 
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(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands,’’ after ‘‘Hawaii,’’ each place it 
appears; and 
(B) in paragraph (6)(B), in the matter 
preceding clause (i), by inserting ‘‘the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 
subsections (a) and (b) shall be effective with re-
spect to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Amer-
ican Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, as applicable, on the date described 
in paragraph (2) if the Secretary of Agriculture sub-
mits to Congress a certification under subsection 
(f)(2)(B) of section 19 of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028). 
(2) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date referred to in 
paragraph (1) is, with respect to the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the date es-
tablished by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
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American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, respectively, in the appli-
cable plan of operation submitted to the Secretary of 
Agriculture under subsection (f)(1)(A) of section 19 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2028). 
(d) 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— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands.’’; and 
(2) 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) REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATION.—A govern-
mental entity may submit to the Secretary a request 
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to participate in the supplemental nutrition assist-
ance program, which shall include a plan of oper-
ation described in section 11(d), which shall include 
the date on which the governmental entity intends to 
begin participation in the program. 
‘‘(2) CERTIFICATION BY SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
certify a governmental entity that submits a re-
quest under paragraph (1) as qualified to par-
ticipate in the supplemental nutrition assistance 
program if the Secretary— 
‘‘(i) approves the plan of operation 
submitted with the request, in accordance 
with this subsection; and 
‘‘(ii) approves the applications de-
scribed in paragraph (4) in accordance 
with that paragraph. 
‘‘(B) SUBMISSION OF CERTIFICATION TO 
CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall submit each 
certification under subparagraph (A) to Con-
gress. 
‘‘(3) DETERMINATION
OF
PLAN
OF
OPER-
ATION.— 
‘‘(A) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall ap-
prove a plan of operation submitted with a re-
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quest under paragraph (1) if the plan satisfies 
the requirements under this Act. 
‘‘(B) DISAPPROVAL.—If the Secretary does 
not approve a plan of operation submitted with 
a request under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall provide to the governmental entity a state-
ment that describes each requirement under 
this Act that is not satisfied by the plan. 
‘‘(4) RETAIL FOOD STORES.—If the Secretary 
approves a plan of operation under paragraph (3)(A) 
for a governmental entity, the Secretary shall accept 
applications from retail food stores located in that 
governmental entity to be authorized under section 
9 to participate in the supplemental nutrition assist-
ance program. 
‘‘(5) PUERTO RICO.—In the case of a request 
under paragraph (1) by the Commonwealth of Puer-
to Rico, notwithstanding subsection (g), the Sec-
retary shall allow the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
to continue to carry out under the supplemental nu-
trition assistance program the Family Market Pro-
gram established pursuant to this section. 
‘‘(6) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
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