Title: Equitable Nutrition Assistance for the Territories Act of 2019
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Equitable Nutrition Assistance for the Territories Act of 2019
This bill allows Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) after submitting a plan of operation that is approved by the Department of Agriculture. (Under current law, the three territories receive block grants instead of participating in SNAP.)

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 677 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 677

    To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for the 
 participation of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
 the Northern Mariana Islands in the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2019

Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Gillibrand, 
    Ms. Warren, Ms. Harris, Mr. Markey, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
Menendez, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; which was read 
  twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                                Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide for the 
 participation of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
 the Northern Mariana Islands in the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                    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 ``Equitable Nutrition Assistance for 
the Territories Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF PUERTO RICO, AMERICAN SAMOA, AND THE NORTHERN 
              MARIANA ISLANDS IN SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Definitions.--Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
        of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (r), by inserting ``the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the 
                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,'' after 
                ``Guam,''; and
                    (B) in subsection (u)(3), by inserting ``the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the 
                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,'' after 
                ``Guam,''.
            (2) Eligible households.--Section 5 of the Food and 
        Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by 
                inserting ``the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American 
                Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                Islands,'' after ``Guam,'';
                    (B) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``and Guam,'' 
                and inserting ``Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
                American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
                Mariana Islands,''; and
                    (C) in subsection (e)--
                            (i) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``the 
                        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 
                        the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                        Islands,'' after ``Hawaii,'' each place it 
                        appears; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (6)(B), in the matter 
                        preceding clause (i), by inserting ``the 
                        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, 
                        the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                        Islands,'' after ``Guam,''.
            (3) Effective date.--
                    (A) In general.--The amendments made by this 
                subsection shall be effective with respect to the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the 
                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as 
                applicable, on the date described in subparagraph (B) 
                if the Secretary of Agriculture submits to Congress a 
                certification under subsection (f)(3) of section 19 of 
                the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028) (as 
                added by subsection (b)).
                    (B) Date described.--The date referred to in 
                subparagraph (A) is, with respect to the Commonwealth 
                of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of 
                the Northern Mariana Islands, the date established by 
                the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the 
                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
                respectively, in the applicable plan of operation 
                submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture under 
                subsection (f)(1)(A) of section 19 of the Food and 
                Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028) (as added by 
                subsection (b)).
    (b) Transition of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern 
Mariana Islands to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.--Section 
19 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Transition of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern 
Mariana Islands to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.--
            ``(1) Submission of plan by puerto rico, american samoa, 
        and the northern mariana islands.--
                    ``(A) Submission and review of plan of operation.--
                If a State agency is designated by the Commonwealth of 
                Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
                Northern Mariana Islands (referred to in this 
                subsection as a `governmental entity') and submits to 
                the Secretary a request to participate in the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program and a plan of 
                operation under section 11 (including a date on which 
                the governmental entity will begin to participate in 
                the supplemental nutrition assistance program), the 
                Secretary shall determine whether that governmental 
                entity and State agency satisfy the requirements that 
                would apply under this Act for approval of that plan if 
                the governmental entity were one of the several States.
                    ``(B) Determination by secretary.--
                            ``(i) Approval.--The Secretary shall 
                        approve a plan of operation under subparagraph 
                        (A) if the governmental entity and State agency 
                        satisfy the requirements described in that 
                        subparagraph.
                            ``(ii) Disapproval.--If the Secretary does 
                        not approve a plan of operation under 
                        subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall provide 
                        to the governmental entity a statement that 
                        describes each requirement that is not 
                        satisfied by the plan.
            ``(2) Approval of retail food stores.--If the Secretary 
        approves a plan of operation under paragraph (1)(B)(i), the 
        Secretary shall accept from retail food stores located in the 
        applicable governmental entity applications under section 9 for 
        approval to participate in the supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program.
            ``(3) Submission of certification to congress.--The 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress a certification that a 
        governmental entity qualifies to participate in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program as if the 
        governmental entity were a State if the Secretary--
                    ``(A) approves the plan of operation under 
                paragraph (1)(B)(i); and
                    ``(B) approves the applications under paragraph (2) 
                of a number of retail food stores located in the 
                governmental entity requesting to participate in the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program that would be 
                sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Act if 
                the governmental entity were one of the several States.
            ``(4) Cash benefits provided in puerto rico.--As part of a 
        plan of operation submitted under paragraph (1)(A), the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico may submit to the Secretary a 
        request to provide benefits under the supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program in the form of cash.
            ``(5) Family market program in puerto rico.--As part of a 
        plan of operation submitted under paragraph (1)(A), 
        notwithstanding subsection (g), the Secretary shall allow the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to continue to carry out, under the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program, the Family Market 
        Program established under this section.
    ``(g) Termination of Effectiveness.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subsections (a) through (e) shall cease 
        to be effective with respect to the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, as applicable, on the date described in 
        paragraph (2) if the Secretary submits to Congress a 
        certification under subsection (f)(3).
            ``(2) Date described.--The date referred to in paragraph 
        (1) is, with respect to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
        American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, the date established by the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, respectively, in the applicable plan of 
        operation submitted to the Secretary under subsection 
        (f)(1)(A).''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out this section 
and the amendments made by this section such sums as are necessary for 
each fiscal year, to remain available until expended.
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