Title: Foster and Homeless Youth Food Security Act of 2017
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Foster and Homeless Youth Food Security Act of 2017
This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) eligibility requirements for foster care and homeless youth who are enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education.
The bill applies to foster care individuals or homeless individuals who are over 17 and not over 26 years of age, and enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. The bill exempts the individuals from: (1) certain eligibility disqualification rules that apply to students enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education, and (2) SNAP work requirements.
If the individual is enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education that provides the individual with housing that lacks an individualized cooking facility, the bill also: (1) modifies the definition of "food" to permit SNAP benefits to be used for certain meals prepared and served by the institution, and (2) permits the individual to be treated as a separate household for the purpose of SNAP benefits.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2236 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2236

    To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide certain 
 alternative eligibility requirements applicable to foster care youth, 
     and homeless youth, who are enrolled at least half-time in an 
                    institution of higher education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2017

 Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois (for himself, Ms. Moore, Mr. Langevin, 
and Mr. Rush) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide certain 
 alternative eligibility requirements applicable to foster care youth, 
     and homeless youth, who are enrolled at least half-time in an 
                    institution of higher education.

    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 ``Foster and Homeless Youth Food 
Security Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Definition.--Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2017) is amended by inserting after subsection (j) the 
following:
    ``(j-1) `foster care individual'--
            ``(1) means an individual whose care and placement are the 
        responsibility of the State or Tribal agency that administers a 
        State or Tribal plan under part B or E of title IV of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.), without regard to 
        whether foster care maintenance payments are made under section 
        472 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 672) on behalf of such children and 
        youth; and
            ``(2) includes an individual who was age 13 or older when 
        the individual's care and placement were the responsibility of 
        a State or Tribal agency that administered a State or Tribal 
        plan under part B or E of title IV of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) and who is no longer under the care and 
        responsibility of such a State or tribal agency, without regard 
        to any such individual's subsequent adoption, guardianship 
        arrangement, or other form of permanency outcome.''.
    (b) Availability of Prepared Meals.--Section 3(k) of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(k)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and (9)'' the first place it appears and 
        inserting ``(9), and (10)'';
            (2) by striking ``and (9)'' the last place it appears and 
        inserting ``(9)''; and
            (3) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following:
``and, (10) meals prepared and served by an institution of higher 
education for consumption by a foster care individual, or a homeless 
individual, over 17 and not over 26 years of age enrolled at least 
half-time in such institution (as determined by such institution) that 
provides such individual with housing that lacks an individualized 
cooking facility''.
    (c) Treatment As Separate Household.--Section 3(m)(5) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(m)(5)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
            ``(F) Foster care individuals, or homeless individuals, 
        over 17 and not over 26 years of age enrolled at least half-
        time in an institution of higher education (as determined by 
        such institution) that provides such individuals with housing 
        that lacks individualized cooking facilities.''.
    (d) Limitation on Eligibility Exclusion.--Section 6(e) of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(e)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (7) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (9); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
            ``(8) is a foster care individual, or a homeless 
        individual, over 17 and not over 26 years of age who is so 
        enrolled as determined by such institution; or''.
    (e) Work Requirement.--Section 6(o)(3) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (E) by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) A foster care individual, or a homeless 
                individual, over 17 and not over 26 years of age if 
                enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher 
                education as determined by such institution.''.
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