I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8495 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to transition the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 26, 2022 
Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N (for herself, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. SOTO, Ms. 
HOULAHAN, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to transition 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to 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 ‘‘Puerto Rico Nutrition 
Assistance Fairness Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE FOOD AND NUTRITION ACT 
OF 2008. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (r) by inserting ‘‘Puerto 
Rico,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’, and 
(2) in subsection (u)(2) by inserting ‘‘, Puerto 
Rico,’’ after ‘‘Hawaii’’. 
(b) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.—Section 5 of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b) by inserting ‘‘Puerto 
Rico,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’, 
(2) in subsection (c)(1) by striking ‘‘and 
Guam’’ and inserting ‘‘Guam, and Puerto Rico’’, 
and 
(3) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A) by inserting 
‘‘Puerto Rico,’’ after ‘‘Hawaii,’’ each place it 
appears, and 
(B) in paragraph (6)(B) by inserting 
‘‘Puerto Rico,’’ after ‘‘Guam,’’. 
SEC. 3. SUBMISSION OF PLAN OF OPERATION; TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE; DETERMINATION AND CERTIFI-
CATION BY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 
(a) SUBMISSION OF PLAN OF OPERATION.—On des-
ignating an agency of the kind described in section 3(s)(1) 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2012(s)(1)), the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall have 
60 days to submit to the Secretary of Agriculture (in this 
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Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) its plan of operation, 
including a plan to transition to the supplemental nutri-
tion assistance program under section 4(a) of such Act 
(7 U.S.C. 5(a)) as a request to participate in the supple-
mental nutrition assistance program under of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 
(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Within the 60-day pe-
riod specified in subsection (a) and upon request from the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Secretary shall provide 
appropriate training and technical assistance to enable the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to formulate a plan of oper-
ation described in subsection (a). 
(c) DETERMINATION BY THE SECRETARY OF AGRI-
CULTURE.—Not later than 180 days after receiving a plan 
of operation described in subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall approve if such plan satisfies the requirements for 
a supplemental nutrition assistance program State plan 
in accordance with subsections (d) and (e) of section 11 
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020). 
If the Secretary does not approve such plan, the Secretary 
shall provide, not later than 30 days after disapproval, a 
statement that specifies each of the requirements that 
were not satisfied by such plan. 
(d) CERTIFICATION BY THE SECRETARY OF AGRI-
CULTURE.—If the Secretary approves the plan submitted 
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