H. R. 2419—179 
‘‘(B) DISCRETIONARY EXCLUSIONS.—The Secretary may 
exclude from financial resources under this subsection the 
value of any other retirement plans, contracts, or accounts 
(as determined by the Secretary).’’. 
(c) EXCLUSION
OF EDUCATION ACCOUNTS FROM ALLOWABLE 
FINANCIAL RESOURCES.—Section 5(g) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(g)) (as amended by subsection (b)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) EXCLUSION OF EDUCATION ACCOUNTS FROM ALLOWABLE 
FINANCIAL RESOURCES.— 
‘‘(A) MANDATORY
EXCLUSIONS.—The Secretary shall 
exclude from financial resources under this subsection the 
value of any funds in a qualified tuition program described 
in section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or 
in a Coverdell education savings account under section 
530 of that Code. 
‘‘(B) DISCRETIONARY EXCLUSIONS.—The Secretary may 
exclude from financial resources under this subsection the 
value of any other education programs, contracts, or 
accounts (as determined by the Secretary).’’. 
SEC. 4105. FACILITATING SIMPLIFIED REPORTING. 
Section 6(c)(1)(A) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2015(c)(1)(A)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘reporting by’’ and inserting ‘‘reporting’’; 
(2) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘for periods shorter than 
4 months by’’ before ‘‘migrant’’; 
(3) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘for periods shorter than 
4 months by’’ before ‘‘households’’; and 
(4) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘for periods shorter than 
1 year by’’ before ‘‘households’’. 
SEC. 4106. TRANSITIONAL BENEFITS OPTION. 
Section 11(s)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2020(s)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘benefits to a household’’; and inserting 
‘‘benefits— 
‘‘(A) to a household’’; 
(2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) at the option of the State, to a household with 
children that ceases to receive cash assistance under a 
State-funded public assistance program.’’. 
SEC. 4107. INCREASING THE MINIMUM BENEFIT. 
Section 8(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2017(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘$10 per month’’ and inserting 
‘‘8 percent of the cost of the thrifty food plan for a household 
containing 1 member, as determined by the Secretary under section 
3, rounded to the nearest whole dollar increment’’. 
SEC. 4108. EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING, AND JOB RETENTION. 
Section 6(d)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015(d)(4)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii); and 
(B) by inserting after clause (vi) the following:
H. R. 2419—180 
‘‘(vii) Programs intended to ensure job retention 
by providing job retention services, if the job retention 
services are provided for a period of not more than 
90 days after an individual who received employment 
and training services under this paragraph gains 
employment.’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (F), by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iii) Any individual voluntarily electing to partici-
pate in a program under this paragraph shall not 
be subject to the limitations described in clauses (i) 
and (ii).’’. 
PART III—PROGRAM OPERATIONS 
SEC. 4111. NUTRITION EDUCATION. 
(a) AUTHORITY
TO PROVIDE NUTRITION EDUCATION.—Section 
4(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(a)) 
is amended in the first sentence by inserting ‘‘and, through an 
approved State plan, nutrition education’’ after ‘‘an allotment’’. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) is amended by striking subsection 
(f) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(f) NUTRITION EDUCATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—State agencies may implement a nutri-
tion education program for individuals eligible for program 
benefits that promotes healthy food choices consistent with 
the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans published 
under section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and 
Related Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341). 
‘‘(2) DELIVERY OF NUTRITION EDUCATION.—State agencies 
may deliver nutrition education directly to eligible persons or 
through agreements with the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, including through the expanded food and nutrition 
education program under section 3(d) of the Act of May 8, 
1914 (7 U.S.C. 343(d)), and other State and community health 
and nutrition providers and organizations. 
‘‘(3) NUTRITION EDUCATION STATE PLANS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State agency that elects to provide 
nutrition education under this subsection shall submit a 
nutrition education State plan to the Secretary for 
approval. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—The plan shall— 
‘‘(i) identify the uses of the funding for local 
projects; and 
‘‘(ii) conform to standards established by the Sec-
retary through regulations or guidance. 
‘‘(C) REIMBURSEMENT.—State costs for providing nutri-
tion education under this subsection shall be reimbursed 
pursuant to section 16(a). 
‘‘(4) NOTIFICATION.—To the maximum extent practicable, 
State agencies shall notify applicants, participants, and eligible 
program participants of the availability of nutrition education 
under this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 4112. TECHNICAL CLARIFICATION REGARDING ELIGIBILITY. 
Section 6(k) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2015(k)) is amended—
H. R. 2419—181 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subpara-
graphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting appropriately; 
(2) by striking ‘‘No member’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No member’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) define the terms ‘fleeing’ and ‘actively seeking’ 
for purposes of this subsection; and 
‘‘(B) ensure that State agencies use consistent proce-
dures established by the Secretary that disqualify individ-
uals whom law enforcement authorities are actively seeking 
for the purpose of holding criminal proceedings against 
the individual.’’. 
SEC. 4113. CLARIFICATION OF SPLIT ISSUANCE. 
Section 7(h) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2016(h)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any procedure established under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(i) not reduce the allotment of any household for 
any period; and 
‘‘(ii) ensure that no household experiences an 
interval between issuances of more than 40 days. 
‘‘(B) MULTIPLE ISSUANCES.—The procedure may include 
issuing benefits to a household in more than 1 issuance 
during a month only when a benefit correction is nec-
essary.’’. 
SEC. 4114. ACCRUAL OF BENEFITS. 
Section 7(i) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2016(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) RECOVERING ELECTRONIC BENEFITS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State agency shall establish a 
procedure for recovering electronic benefits from the 
account of a household due to inactivity. 
‘‘(B) BENEFIT
STORAGE.—A State agency may store 
recovered electronic benefits off-line in accordance with 
subparagraph (D), if the household has not accessed the 
account after 6 months. 
‘‘(C) BENEFIT
EXPUNGING.—A State agency shall 
expunge benefits that have not been accessed by a house-
hold after a period of 12 months. 
‘‘(D) NOTICE.—A State agency shall— 
‘‘(i) send notice to a household the benefits of which 
are stored under subparagraph (B); and 
‘‘(ii) not later than 48 hours after request by the 
household, make the stored benefits available to the 
household.’’. 
SEC. 4115. ISSUANCE AND USE OF PROGRAM BENEFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016) is amended— 
(1) by striking the section designation and heading and 
all that follows through ‘‘subsection (j)) shall be’’ and inserting 
the following:
H. R. 2419—182 
‘‘SEC. 7. ISSUANCE AND USE OF PROGRAM BENEFITS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection (i), EBT 
cards shall be’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(b) Coupons’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) USE.—Benefits’’; and 
(B) by striking the second proviso; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(c) Coupons’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) DESIGN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—EBT cards’’; 
(B) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘and define their 
denomination’’; and 
(C) by striking the second sentence and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITION.—The name of any public official shall 
not appear on any EBT card.’’; 
(4) by striking subsection (d); 
(5) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘coupons’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘benefits’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘coupon issuers’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘benefit issuers’’; 
(6) in subsection (f)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘coupons’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘benefits’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘coupon issuer’’ and inserting ‘‘benefit 
issuers’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘including any losses’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘section 11(e)(20),’’; and 
(D) by striking ‘‘and allotments’’; 
(7) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(g) ALTERNATIVE BENEFIT DELIVERY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary determines, in consulta-
tion with the Inspector General of the Department of Agri-
culture, that it would improve the integrity of the supplemental 
nutrition assistance program, the Secretary shall require a 
State agency to issue or deliver benefits using alternative 
methods. 
‘‘(2) NO IMPOSITION OF COSTS.—The cost of documents or 
systems that may be required by this subsection may not be 
imposed upon a retail food store participating in the supple-
mental nutrition assistance program. 
‘‘(3) DEVALUATION AND TERMINATION OF ISSUANCE OF PAPER 
COUPONS.— 
‘‘(A) COUPON ISSUANCE.—Effective on the date of enact-
ment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 
no State shall issue any coupon, stamp, certificate, or 
authorization card to a household that receives supple-
mental nutrition assistance under this Act. 
‘‘(B) EBT CARDS.—Effective beginning on the date that 
is 1 year after the date of enactment of the Food, Conserva-
tion, and Energy Act of 2008, only an EBT card issued 
under subsection (i) shall be eligible for exchange at any 
retail food store.
H. R. 2419—183 
‘‘(C) 
DE-OBLIGATION
OF
COUPONS.—Coupons 
not 
redeemed during the 1-year period beginning on the date 
of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 
of 2008 shall— 
‘‘(i) no longer be an obligation of the Federal 
Government; and 
‘‘(ii) not be redeemable.’’; 
(8) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ‘‘coupons’’ and inserting 
‘‘benefits’’; 
(9) in subsection (i), by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) INTERCHANGE FEES.—No interchange fees shall apply 
to electronic benefit transfer transactions under this sub-
section.’’; 
(10) in subsection (j)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)(A)(ii), by striking ‘‘printing, ship-
ping, and redeeming coupons’’ and inserting ‘‘issuing and 
redeeming benefits’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘coupon’’ and inserting 
‘‘benefit’’; 
(11) in subsection (k)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘coupons in the form of’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘program benefits in the form 
of’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘a coupon issued in the form of’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘program benefits in the 
form of’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(i)(11)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)(11)(A)’’; and 
(12) by redesignating subsections (e) through (k) as sub-
sections (d) through (j), respectively. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2012) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘coupons’’ and 
inserting ‘‘benefits’’; 
(B) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) BENEFIT.—The term ‘benefit’ means the value of supple-
mental nutrition assistance provided to a household by means of— 
‘‘(1) an electronic benefit transfer under section 7(i); or 
‘‘(2) other means of providing assistance, as determined 
by the Secretary.’’; 
(C) in subsection (c), in the first sentence, by striking 
‘‘authorization cards’’ and inserting ‘‘benefits’’; 
(D) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘or access device’’ 
and all that follows through the end of the subsection 
and inserting a period; 
(E) in subsection (e)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘(e) ‘Coupon issuer’ means’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(e) BENEFIT ISSUER.—The term ‘benefit issuer’ means’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘coupons’’ and inserting ‘‘benefits’’; 
(F) in subsection (g)(7), by striking ‘‘subsection (r)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (j)’’; 
(G) in subsection (i)(5)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(r)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (j)’’; and