Title: Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act
This bill extends existing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) flexibilities for states during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. Under current law, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has temporarily waived certain requirements under SNAP due to COVID-19.
Specifically, the bill authorizes states to extend through June 30, 2021, SNAP certification periods and adjust periodic reporting and interview requirements for some or all participating households without USDA approval. Additionally, states may allow household reporting requirements to satisfy the recertification requirements for some or all participating households with recertification periods set to expire on or before December 31, 2021.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7794 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7794

     To extend existing supplemental nutrition assistance program 
         flexibilities for States during the COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2020

  Ms. Fudge (for herself, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Panetta, Mr. 
Lawson of Florida, Ms. Adams, and Ms. Schrier) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To extend existing supplemental nutrition assistance program 
         flexibilities for States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    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 ``Emergency SNAP Flexibilities 
Extension Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF EXISTING SNAP FLEXIBILITIES FOR COVID-19.

    (a) State Options.--
            (1) A State agency (as defined in section 3(s) of the Food 
        and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(s))) shall have the 
        option--
                    (A) to extend certification periods under section 
                3(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                2012(f)) for not more than 6 months and adjust periodic 
                report requirements under section 6(c)(1)(D)(i) of the 
                Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                2015(c)(1)(D)(i)) for some or all participating 
                households with certification periods set to expire or 
                periodic reports due on or before June 30, 2021, 
                consistent with the extensions and adjustments provided 
                in the Food and Nutrition Service's April 22, 2020, 
                blanket approval for extending certification and 
                adjusting periodic reports, unless otherwise provided 
                in this paragraph;
                    (B) to allow household reporting requirements under 
                section 273.12(a)(5)(iii) of title 7 of the Code of 
                Federal Regulations to satisfy the recertification 
                requirements under section 273.14 of title 7 of the 
                Code of Federal Regulations for some or all 
                participating households with recertification periods 
                set to expire on or before December 31, 2021; and
                    (C) to adjust the interview requirements under 
                sections 273.2 and 273.14(b) of title 7 of the Code of 
                Federal Regulations for some or all household 
                applications or recertifications through June 30, 2021, 
                consistent with the adjustments provided in the Food 
                and Nutrition Service's March 26, 2020, blanket 
                approval for adjusting interview requirements, unless 
                otherwise provided in this paragraph.
            (2) Not later than 5 days after exercising an option under 
        paragraph (1), a State agency shall notify the Secretary of 
        Agriculture in writing of the option exercised, the categories 
        of households affected by the option, and the duration of such 
        option.
    (b) Adjustment.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall allow a State 
agency to suspend the requirements under sections 275.11(b)(1) and (2), 
275.12, and 275.13 of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations from 
June 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, consistent with the waivers 
provided in the Food and Nutrition Service's April 30, 2020, blanket 
approval for waiver of quality control reviews, unless otherwise 
provided in this subsection.
    (c) Report.--Section 2302 of the Families First Coronavirus 
Response Act (Public Law 116-127; 7 U.S.C. 2011 note) is amended by 
striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than June 30, 2022, the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall submit, to the Committee on Agriculture of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate, a report containing the following information:
            ``(1) A description of any information or data supporting 
        State agency requests under this section and any additional 
        measures that State agencies requested that were not approved 
        by the Secretary of Agriculture.
            ``(2) An evaluation of the use of all waivers, adjustments, 
        and other flexibilities in the operation of the supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program (as defined in section 3 of the 
        Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)), in effect 
        under this Act, the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
        2011 et seq.), or any other Act, to respond to the COVID-19 
        public health emergency.
            ``(3) A recommendation of any additional waivers or 
        flexibilities needed in the operation of the supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program to respond to public health 
        emergencies with pandemic potential.''.
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