I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6722 
To strengthen Federal nutrition assistance programs as automatic stabilizers, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 5, 2020 
Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Education 
and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To strengthen Federal nutrition assistance programs as 
automatic stabilizers, 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 ‘‘Food for Families in 
Crisis Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSIST-
ANCE 
PROGRAMS 
AS 
AUTOMATIC 
STABI-
LIZERS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) ELEVATED UNEMPLOYMENT PERIOD.—The 
term ‘‘elevated unemployment period’’ means, as de-
termined by the Commissioner of the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics in accordance with subsection (b), a 
period— 
(A) beginning on the first day of the last 
month during the most recent 3-month period 
for which data for all States are published be-
fore the close of a given week, the average rate 
of total unemployment for all States (seasonally 
adjusted, as applicable) is not less than 0.5 per-
centage points higher than the lowest average 
rate of total unemployment for all States (as 
seasonally adjusted) for any 3-month period 
during the preceding 12 months; and 
(B) ending on the date on which the aver-
age rate of total unemployment for all States 
(seasonally adjusted, as applicable) for the most 
recent 3-month period for which data for all 
States are published before the close of a given 
week— 
(i) has decreased for not less than 2 
consecutive months; 
(ii) is less than 5.5 percent; and 
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(iii) is less than 1.5 percentage points 
above the 3-month average rate of total 
unemployment for all States (as seasonally 
adjusted) reported for the 3-month period 
ending on the last day of the month imme-
diately preceding the month during which 
the applicable beginning date described in 
subparagraph (A) occurs. 
(2) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL OR HOUSEHOLD.— 
The term ‘‘eligible individual or household’’ means 
an individual or household that is eligible to receive 
Federal nutrition assistance. 
(3) FEDERAL
NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE.—The 
term ‘‘Federal nutrition assistance’’ means nutrition 
assistance provided under— 
(A) the supplemental nutrition assistance 
program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); 
(B) a consolidated block grant for the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or American 
Samoa under section 19(a) of that Act (7 
U.S.C. 2028(a)); or 
(C) a block grant for the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands or any other ter-
ritory of the United States provided by the Sec-
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retary pursuant to section 601(c) of Public Law 
96–597 (48 U.S.C. 1469d(c)). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(5) STATE; STATE
AGENCY; THRIFTY
FOOD 
PLAN.—The terms ‘‘State’’, ‘‘State agency’’, and 
‘‘thrifty food plan’’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012). 
(b) INCLUSION OF DETERMINATION IN MONTHLY 
EMPLOYMENT
SITUATION
REPORTS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Commissioner of the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics shall include in each monthly em-
ployment situation report published by the Commissioner 
a specific determination of whether an elevated unemploy-
ment period is in existence in the United States. 
(c) WAIVER OF WORK REQUIREMENTS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law (including regula-
tions), during an elevated unemployment period, for pur-
poses of the distribution of, receipt of, or eligibility for 
Federal nutrition assistance— 
(1) no work requirement under section 6(o) of 
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015(o)) shall apply to any eligible individual or 
household; and 
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(2) no other, similar work requirement with re-
spect to any eligible individual or household shall be 
established or applied by— 
(A) the Secretary; 
(B) any State, as a condition of receipt 
from the Secretary of assistance under the sup-
plemental nutrition assistance program; or 
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, as a condition of re-
ceipt from the Secretary of a Federal nutrition 
assistance block grant. 
(d) PRECLUSION OF CERTAIN RULES.—No funds 
(including fees) made available under this or any other 
Act for any fiscal year may be used to finalize, implement, 
administer, enforce, carry out, or otherwise give effect 
to— 
(1) the proposed rule entitled ‘‘Revision of Cat-
egorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP)’’ (84 Fed. Reg. 35570 
(July 24, 2019)); 
(2) the proposed rule entitled ‘‘Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program: Standardization of 
State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allow-
ances’’ (84 Fed. Reg. 52809 (October 3, 2019)); or 
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(3) the final rule entitled ‘‘Supplemental Nutri-
tion Assistance Program: Requirements for Able- 
Bodied Adults Without Dependents’’ (84 Fed. Reg. 
66782 (December 5, 2019)). 
(e) INCREASE IN FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 
PAYMENTS.— 
(1) INCREASES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, subject to paragraph (2), 
effective beginning on the first day of the first 
month beginning after the date of publication of 
a monthly employment situation report in which 
an elevated unemployment period is determined 
to exist in accordance with subsection (b)— 
(i) the value of the benefits deter-
mined under section 8(a) of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2017(a)) 
and the consolidated block grants for the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Amer-
ican Samoa determined under section 
19(a) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2028(a)) shall 
be calculated using 115 percent of the 
value of the thrifty food plan in the month 
immediately preceding the month during 
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which the beginning date of that elevated 
unemployment period occurs; 
(ii) the value of the block grant re-
ferred to in subsection (a)(3)(C) shall be 
calculated using 115 percent of the value 
of that block grant for the preceding fiscal 
year; and 
(iii) the minimum value of the bene-
fits determined under section 8(a) of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2017(a)) for a household of not more than 
2 members shall be $30 (adjusted for in-
flation). 
(B) FDPIR INCREASE.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, subject to subsection 
(h), of the funds made available under para-
graph (3), the Secretary shall use $7,000,000 
(adjusted for inflation) for facility improve-
ments and equipment upgrades associated with 
the food distribution program on Indian res-
ervations under section 4(b) of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)). 
(2) LIMITATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The calculations under 
clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) shall 
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