I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6181 
To prevent the changing of regulations governing the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program, to provide for expanded food security, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2020 
Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. PINGREE, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. 
LEE of California, and Ms. FUDGE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To prevent the changing of regulations governing the Supple-
mental Nutrition Assistance Program, to provide for ex-
panded food security, 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 ‘‘Ensuring Emergency 
Food Security Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF IMPLEMENTING RULE 
CHANGES FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRI-
TION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
No Federal funds (including fees) made available for 
any fiscal year may be used to finalize, implement, admin-
ister, enforce, carry out, or otherwise give effect to any 
proposed rule that would decrease program benefits or im-
pact program eligibility of the Supplemental Nutrition As-
sistance Program. 
SEC. 3. TEMPORARY INCREASE IN BENEFITS UNDER THE 
SUPPLEMENTAL 
NUTRITION 
ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) MAXIMUM BENEFIT INCREASE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning the first month 
that begins not less than 10 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the value of benefits deter-
mined under section 8(a) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 and consolidated block grants for Puer-
to Rico and American Samoa determined under sec-
tion 19(a) of such Act shall be calculated using 
113.6 percent of the June 2019 value of the thrifty 
food plan as specified under section 3(o) of such 
Act. 
(2) TERMINATION.— 
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(A) The authority provided by this sub-
section shall terminate after September 30, 
2020. 
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), 
the Secretary of Agriculture may not reduce the 
value of the maximum allotments, minimum al-
lotments or consolidated block grants for Puer-
to Rico and American Samoa below the level in 
effect for fiscal year 2020 as a result of para-
graph (1). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SECRETARY.—In car-
rying out this section, the Secretary shall— 
(1) consider the benefit increases described in 
subsection (a) to be a ‘‘mass change’’; 
(2) require a simple process for States to notify 
households of the increase in benefits; 
(3) consider section 16(c)(3)(A) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(c)(3)(A)) 
to apply to any errors in the implementation of this 
section, without regard to the 120-day limit de-
scribed in that section; 
(4) disregard the additional amount of benefits 
that a household receives as a result of this section 
in determining the amount of over issuances under 
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section 13 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2022); and 
(5) set the tolerance level for excluding small 
errors for the purposes of section 16(c) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(c)) at 
$50 through September 30, 2020. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—For the costs of State ad-
ministrative expenses associated with carrying out 
this section and administering the Supplemental Nu-
trition Assistance Program established under the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
seq.), 
the 
Secretary 
shall 
make 
available 
$145,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $150,000,000 
in fiscal year 2021, of which $4,500,000 is for nec-
essary expenses of the Food and Nutrition Service 
for management and oversight of the program and 
for monitoring the integrity and evaluating the ef-
fects of the payments made under this section. 
(2) TIMING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.—Not later 
than 60 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall make available to States 
amounts for fiscal year 2020 under paragraph (1). 
(3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Except as pro-
vided for management and oversight, funds de-
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scribed in paragraph (1) shall be made available as 
grants to State agencies for each fiscal year as fol-
lows: 
(A) Seventy-five percent of the amounts 
available for each fiscal year shall be allocated 
to States based on the share of each State of 
households that participate in the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program as reported to 
the Department of Agriculture for the most re-
cent 12-month period for which data are avail-
able, adjusted by the Secretary (as of the date 
of enactment) for participation in disaster pro-
grams under section 5(h) of the Food and Nu-
trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(h)). 
(B) Twenty-five percent of the amounts 
available for each fiscal year shall be allocated 
to States based on the increase in the number 
of households that participate in the Supple-
mental Nutrition Assistance Program as re-
ported to the Department of Agriculture over 
the most recent 12-month period for which data 
are available, adjusted by the Secretary (as of 
the date of enactment) for participation in dis-
aster programs under section 5(h) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(h)). 
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(d) FUNDING.—There are appropriated to the Sec-
retary out of funds of the Treasury not otherwise appro-
priated such sums as are necessary to carry out this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 4. PROVIDING FOR THE TREATMENT OF JOBLESS 
WORKERS. 
(a) TREATMENT OF JOBLESS WORKERS.— 
(1) 
REMAINDER
OF
FISCAL
YEAR
2020 
THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2022.—Beginning with the 
first month that begins not less than 10 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act and for each sub-
sequent month through September 30, 2022, eligi-
bility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-
gram benefits shall not be limited under section 
6(o)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. 
(2) FISCAL YEAR 2023 AND THEREAFTER.—Be-
ginning on October 1, 2022, for the purposes of sec-
tion 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2015(o)), a State agency shall disregard any 
period during which an individual received benefits 
under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-
gram prior to October 1, 2021. 
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SEC. 5. EXPANSION OF THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM 
ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS. 
(a) FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RES-
ERVATIONS.—For the costs relating to facility improve-
ments and equipment upgrades associated with the Food 
Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, as estab-
lished under section 4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)), the Secretary shall make 
available $5,000,000: Provided, That administrative cost- 
sharing requirements are not applicable to funds provided 
in accordance with this provision. 
Æ 
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