Expanding Access to Emergency Meals Act

Bill: 117-hr-1194
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cárdenas, Tony [D-CA-29]
Introduced: 2021-02-22
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance

Food assistance and relief

Poverty and welfare assistance
Latest action: action_date: 2021-02-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-02-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Expanding Access to Emergency Meals Act</b></p> <p>This bill makes an exception to the prohibition on duplication of assistance during a major disaster or emergency for any person who is or may be entitled to receive nutrition assistance through a program administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Thus, individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other USDA nutrition programs may also participate in feeding programs funded using Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) public assistance funds.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1194 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 22, 2021 Mr. Cárdenas (for himself and Mr. Carbajal ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure food assistance during a major disaster or emergency declared under such Act.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanding Access to Emergency Meals Act . 2. Exception to duplication of Benefits Section 312(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5155(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (5) Exception to prohibition on duplication of assistance During the period of a major disaster or emergency declared under this Act, this section shall not prohibit the provision of Federal assistance under this Act to any person who is or may be entitled to receive nutrition assistance through a program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, and receipt of such assistance shall not be considered duplicative assistance, except that a person receiving benefits (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2012 )) under only section 5(h)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014(h)(1) ) may not simultaneously receive food for distribution to households authorized under section 413 of this Act or be certified to receive benefits under section 5(a) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2014(a) ). .