Nourishing Our Golden Years Act

Bill: 115-s-2085
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2017-11-07
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Food assistance and relief

Social security and elderly assistance
Latest action: action_date: 2017-11-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-11-07
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Nourishing Our Golden Years Act </b></p> <p>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.</p> <p>(The CSFP provides supplemental food to low-income elderly persons who are at least 60 years of age. Certification periods currently vary by state.) </p> <p>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. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2085 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Nourishing Our Golden Years Act . 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. .