Title: Puerto Rico Flexibility in Food Assistance Act of 2018
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Puerto Rico Flexibility in Food Assistance Act of 2018
This bill modifies the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrition Assistance Program to: (1) authorize additional funds during FY2020 and FY2021 for the block grant for Puerto Rico, and (2) allow participants in Puerto Rico to receive benefits in cash after USDA determines that access to benefits is limited or unavailable as a result of a natural disaster.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6208 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6208

  To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to authorize additional 
funds to expand the nutritional assistance program in the Commonwealth 
 of Puerto Rico; and to require the Secretary of Agriculture to permit 
 such assistance to be provided by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 
the form of cash during periods for which the Secretary determines that 
 access to such assistance is limited or unavailable as a result of a 
                           natural disaster.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2018

Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to authorize additional 
funds to expand the nutritional assistance program in the Commonwealth 
 of Puerto Rico; and to require the Secretary of Agriculture to permit 
 such assistance to be provided by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 
the form of cash during periods for which the Secretary determines that 
 access to such assistance is limited or unavailable as a result of a 
                           natural disaster.

    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 ``Puerto Rico Flexibility in Food 
Assistance Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR BLOCK GRANT FOR THE 
              COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO.

    Section 19(a)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2028(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as 
        subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively, and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
                    ``(C) Authorization and advance availability of 
                appropriations.--
                            ``(i) Authorization of appropriations.--In 
                        addition to funds made available under 
                        subparagraph (B), there is authorized to be 
                        appropriated $635,000,000 for each of the 
                        fiscal years 2020 and 2021 for payment to the 
                        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for the provision 
                        of the assistance described in subparagraph 
                        (B).
                            ``(ii) Appropriation in advance.--Except as 
                        provided in clause (iii), only funds 
                        appropriated under clause (i) in advance 
                        specifically for the provision of the 
                        assistance described in subparagraph (B) shall 
                        be available for payment to the Commonwealth of 
                        Puerto Rico for the provision of the assistance 
                        described in subparagraph (B).
                            ``(iii) Other funds.--Funds appropriated 
                        under clause (i) shall be in addition to funds 
                        made available under subparagraph (B).''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE CASH BENEFITS DURING NATURAL DISASTERS.

    Section 19(e)(3)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2028(e)(3)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Secretary, informed'' and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``Secretary--
                            ``(i) informed'',
            (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
        and'', and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) shall approve the modification of 
                        such plan by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to 
                        allow participants, or categories of 
                        participants, to receive benefits in the form 
                        of cash immediately after a determination by 
                        the Secretary that access to such benefits is 
                        limited or unavailable as a result of a natural 
                        disaster, and during specific periods for which 
                        the Secretary has made such a determination.''.
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