Food Stamp Program Improvements Act of 1994
PL 103-225 (S.1926), enacted 03/25/1994

108 STAT. 106 
PUBLIC LAW 103-225—MAR. 25, 1994 
Mar. 25, 1994 
[S. 1926] 
Food Stamp 
Program 
Improvements 
Act of 1994. 
Inter-
governmental 
relations. 
7 u s e 2011 note. 
Public Law 103-225 
103d Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to modify the requirements relating to 
monthly reporting and staggered issuance of coupons for households residing 
on Indian reservations, to ensure adequate access to retail food stores by food 
stamp households, and to maintain the integrity of the food stamp 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 "Food Stamp Program Improve-
ments Act of 1994". 
TITLE I—REPORTING AND STAGGERED 
ISSUANCE FOR HOUSEHOLDS ON RES-
ERVATIONS 
SEC. 
1
0
1
. 
BUDGETING 
AND 
MONTHLY 
REPORTING 
ON 
RESERVATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^Section 6(c)(1) of the Food Stamp Act of 
1977 (7 U.S.C. 2015(c)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by striking clause (ii); and 
(B) by redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as clauses 
(ii) and (iii), respectively; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 
"(C) A State agency may require periodic reporting on 
a monthly basis by households residing on a reservation only 
if— 
"(i) the State agency reinstates benefits, without 
requiring a new application, for any household residing 
on a reservation that submits a report not later than 1 
month after the end of the month in which benefits would 
otherwise be provided; 
"(ii) the State agency does not delay, reduce, suspend, 
or terminate the allotment of a household that submits 
a report not later than 1 month after the end of the 
month in which the report is due; 
"(iii) on the date of enactment of this subparagraph, 
the State agency requires households residing on a reserva-
tion to file periodic reports on a monthly basis; and 
"(iv) the certification period for households residing 
on a reservation that are required to file periodic reports 
PUBLIC LAW 103-225—MAR. 25, 1994 
108 STAT. 107 
on a monthly basis is 2 years, unless the State dem-
onstrates just cause to the Secretary for a shorter certifi-
cation period.", 
(b) CONFORMING 
AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) The second sentence of section 3(c) of such Act (7 
U.S.C. 2012(c)) is amended by striking "For" and inserting 
"Except as provided in section 6(c)(1)(C), for". 
(2) Section 5(f)(2)(C) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2014(f)(2)(C)) 
is amended by striking "clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv)" and 
inserting "clauses (i), (ii), and (iii)". 
SEC. 102. STAGGERED ISSUANCES ON RESERVATIONS. 
Section 7(h)(1) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
2016(h)(1)) is amended by striking the second sentence and inserting 
the following new sentence: "Upon the request of the tribal organiza-
tion that exercises governmental jurisdiction over the reservation, 
the State agency shall stagger the issuance of benefits for eligible 
households located on reservations for at least 15 days of a month.". 
SEC. 103. GAO STUDY AND REPORT ON ADMINISTRATION OF FOOD 
STAMP PROGRAM BY TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United States shedl 
conduct a study of the feasibihty and desirability of— 
(1) increasing the opportunity for a tribal organization 
of an Indian tribe to administer the food stamp program estab-
Hshed under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
seq.) in connection with members of the tribe by— 
(A) modifying the requirements established under sec-
tions 3(n)(2) and 11(d) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2012(n)(2) 
and 2020(d)); 
(B) modifjdng or eliminating the cost-sharing require-
ments established for the tribal organization under section 
16(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2025); and 
(C) taking such other actions as the Comptroller Gen-
eral considers appropriate; and 
(2) permitting the tribal organization to establish reason-
able and appropriate requirements with respect to issuance, 
reporting, and certification requirements under the food stamp 
program for members of the tribe. 
(b) REPORT,—^Not later than December 1, 1994, the Comptroller 
General shall report the results of the study required under sub-
section (a) to the Committee on Agriculture, and the Subcommittee 
on Native American Affairs of the Committee on Natural Resources, 
of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Committee on Indian Affairs, 
of the Senate, so that the results of the study may be considered 
by the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
Senate during the reauthorization of the food stamp program during 
1995. 
SEC. 104. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) Section 908 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 
Trade Act Amendments of 1991 (Public Law 102-237; 7 U.S.C. 
2015 note) is repealed. 
7 USC 2015 note, 
(b) Section 6(c)(4) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2016 note. 
2015(c)(4)) is amended by striking "Any' and inserting "Except 
as provided in paragraph (1)(C), any". 
108 STAT. 108 
PUBLIC LAW 103-225—MAR. 25, 1994 
TITLE II—ACCESS TO RETAIL FOOD 
STORES BY FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS 
SEC. 201. FOOD STAMP ACT DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2012) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (k)— 
(A) by striking "means (1) an establishment" and all 
that follows through "spices, (2) an establishment" and 
inserting the following: "mean s— 
"(1) an establishment or house-to-house trade route that 
sells food for home preparation and consumption and— 
"(A) offers for sale, on a continuous basis, a variety 
of foods in each of the 4 categories of staple foods specified 
in subsection (u)(l), including perishable foods in at least 
2 of the categories; or 
"(B) has over 50 percent of the total sales of the 
establishment or route in staple foods, 
as determined by visual inspection, sales records, purchase 
records, counting of stockkeeping units, or other inventory or 
accounting recordkeeping methods that are customary or 
reasonable in the retail food industry; 
"(2) an establishment"; 
(B) by striking "section, (3) a store" and inserting the 
following: "section; 
"(3) a store"; and 
(C) by striking "section, and (4) any private" and insert-
ing the following: section; and 
"(4) any private"; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
"(u)(l) Except as provided in paragraph (2), 'staple foods' means 
foods (as defined in subsection (g)) in the following categories: 
"(A) Meat, poultry, or fish. 
"(B) Bread or cereals. 
"(C) Vegetables or fruits. 
"(D) Dairy products. 
"(2) 'Staple foods' do not include accessory food items, such 
as coffee, tea, cocoa, carbonated and uncarbonated drinks, candy, 
condiments, and spices.". 
SEC. 202. PERIODIC NOTICE. 
Paragraph (2) of section 9(a) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 
(7 U.S.C. 2018(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 
Regulations. 
"(2) The Secretary shall issue regulations providing for— 
"(A) the periodic reauthorization of retail food stores and 
wholesale food concerns; and 
"(B) periodic notice to participating retail food stores and 
wholesale food concerns of the definitions of 'retail food store', 
'staple foods', 'eligible foods', and 'perishable foods'.". 
SEC. 203. USE AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY 
RETAIL FOOD STORES AND WHOLESALE FOOD CONCERNS. 
Section 9(c) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2018(c)) 
is amended— 
(1) in the second sentence, by inserting after "disclosed 
to and used by" the following: "Federal law enforcement and 
PUBLIC LAW 103-225—MAR. 25, 1994 
108 STAT. 109 
investigative agencies and law enforcement and investigative 
agencies of a State government for the purposes of administer-
ing or enforcing this Act or any other Federal or State law 
and the regfulations issued under this Act or such law, and"; 
(2) by inserting after the second sentence the following 
new sentence: "Any person who publishes, divulges, discloses, 
or makes known in any manner or to any extent not authorized 
by Federal law (including a regulation) any information 
obtained under this subsection shall be fined not more than 
$1,000 or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both."; and 
(3) in the last sentence, by striking Such purposes shall 
not exclude" and inserting the following: "The regulations shall 
estabUsh the criteria to be used by the Secretary to determine 
whether the information is needed. The regulations shall not 
prohibit". 
SEC. 204. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TESTING ACTIVITIES DIRECTED 
AT TRAFFICKING IN COUPONS. 
Section 17 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2026) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
"(1) The Secretary shall use up to $4,000,000 of the funds 
E
rovided in advance in appropriations Acts for projects authorized 
y this section to conduct demonstration projects in which State 
or local food stamp agencies test innovative ideas for working with 
State or local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute 
coupon trafficking.". 
SEC. 205. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY. 
7 USC 2012 note. 
An establishment or house-to-house trade route that is other-
wise authorized to accept and redeem coupons under the Food 
Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) on the day before 
the date of enactment of this Act shall be considered to meet 
the definition of "retail food store" in section 3(k) of such Act 
(7 U.S.C. 2012(k)) (as amended by section 201) until the earlier 
of— 
(1) the periodic reauthorization of the establishment or 
route; or 
(2) such time as the eligibility of the establishment or 
route for continued participation in the food stamp program 
is evaluated for any reason. 
SEC. 206. REPORT ON IMPACT ON RETAIL FOOD STORES. 
7 USC 2012 note. 
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall prepare and submit to the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
a report on the impact of the amendments made by sections 201 
and 202 on the involvement of retail food stores in the food stamp 
program established under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 
2011 et seq.), including a description of— 
(1) the numbers and types of stores that were newly author-
ized to participate in the food stamp program after implementa-
tion of the amendments; 
(2) the numbers and types of stores that were withdrawn 
from the food stamp program after implementation of the 
amendments; 
(3) the procedures used by the Secretary, and the adequacy 
of the procedures used, to determine the eligibihty of stores 
108 STAT. 110 
PUBLIC LAW 103-225—MAR. 25, 1994 
to participate in the food stamp program and to authorize 
and reauthorize the stores to participate in the food stamp 
program; 
(4) the adequacy of the guidance provided by the Secretary 
to retail food stores concerning— 
(A) the definitions of "retail food store", "staple foods", 
"eligible foods", and "perishable foods" for purposes of the 
foodf stamp program; and 
(B) eligibility criteria for stores to participate in the 
food stamp program; and 
(5) an assessment of whether the amendment to the defini-
tion of "retail food store" under section 3(k) of such Act (as 
amended by section 201(1)) has had an adverse effect on the 
integrity of the food stamp program. 
Approved March 25, 1994. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1926 (H.R. 3436): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 103-352 accompanying H.R. 3436 (Comm. on Agriculture). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 139 (1993): Nov. 10, H.R. 3436 considered and passed House. 
Vol. 140 (1994): Mar. 11, S. 1926 considered and passed Senate. 
Mar. 16, considered and psissed House.