Title: Nourishing Our Golden Years Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Nourishing Our Golden Years Act
This bill amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to establish a minimum certification period of one year for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). During the certification period, a participant in the program may continue to receive benefits without a formal review of eligibility.
(The CSFP provides supplemental food to low-income elderly persons who are at least 60 years of age. Certification periods currently vary by state.)
Upon the request of a state, the Department of Agriculture must approve a state certification period of more than year, if, on an annual basis, the local agency administering the program: (1) verifies the address and continued interest of each participant in receiving benefits; and (2) has sufficient reason to determine that the participant still meets the income eligibility standards, which may include a determination that the participant has a fixed income.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2085 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2085

    To amend the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to 
 streamline application processes and reduce the administrative burden 
  for the commodity supplemental food program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 7, 2017

Mr. Casey (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to 
 streamline application processes and reduce the administrative burden 
  for the commodity supplemental food program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Nourishing Our Golden Years Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM CERTIFICATION.

    Section 5(g) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 
(7 U.S.C. 612c note) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Except'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Except''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Certification.--
                    ``(A) Definition of certification period.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `certification period' means the 
                period that a participant in the commodity supplemental 
                food program may continue to receive benefits under 
                that program without a formal review of the eligibility 
                of the participant.
                    ``(B) Minimum certification period.--Subject to 
                subparagraph (C), a State shall establish a 
                certification period of not less than 1 year.
                    ``(C) Extensions.--On the request of a State, the 
                Secretary shall approve a State certification period of 
                more than 1 year on the condition that, on an annual 
                basis, the local agency in the State administering the 
                commodity supplemental food program--
                            ``(i) verifies the address and continued 
                        interest of each participant in receiving 
                        program benefits; and
                            ``(ii) has sufficient reason to determine 
                        that the participant still meets the income 
                        eligibility standards, which may include a 
                        determination that the participant has a fixed 
                        income.''.
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