Date: 1994-03-16
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I will be most happy to edify the gentleman from Kansas on the contents of the legislation. Mr. Speaker. this bill is basically the. contents of H.R. 3436 that passed earlier in the session in this House with some minor modifications bythe Senate. Mr. Speaker. S. 1926 amends the Food Stamp Act to .address two: important objectives. First. it incorporates the provisions of H.R. 3436. a bill passed by the House last November. to ensure that food stamp recipients continue to have adequate access to a variety of retail food stores to acquire nutritious foods. and to provide additional authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to enhance USDAs efforts at reducing fraud in the Food Stamp Program. Second. S. 1926 includes provisions added by the Senate to address monthly reporting and food stamp issuance concerns of food stamp recipients living on Indian reservations. With respect to the first objective. this legislation will correct an unintended situation which threatens to eliminate the authorization for thousands of small retail stores to accept food stamps for food purchases. In reauthorizing food stamp retailers. the Food and Nutrition Service has determined that a number of small retailer establishments no longer meet the technical definition of retail food store in the Food Stamp Act. even though many have participated in the program for years. USDA has informed the Committee on Agriculture that these stores will have their authorization to participate in the Food Stamp Program withdrawn. This action threatens to deny ready access by food stamp households to food stores. creating an acute problem in many rural areas and in inner cities where there are few supermarkets. The provisions of H.R. 3436. incorporated into S. 1926. will remedy this situation. Currently. the Food Stamp Act requires that an eligible retail food store have over 50 percent of ts food sales volume in staple foods. S. 1926 will make a retail food store eligible to participate in the Food Stamp Program if it meets one or the other of the following conditions: If the store has over 50 percent of its total sales volumenot simply its food sales volume--in staple foods. or. if the store offers. on. a continuous basis. a variety of food in each of four categories of staple foods. and sells perishable foods in at least two of these categories of staple foods. Either of these requirements will ensure that only those stores which sell a significant number of staple foods will be eligible to participate. The bill defines staple food categories as: (1) meat. poultry and fish. (2) bread or cereals. (3) vegetables or fruits. and (4) dairy products. The bill does not change the current prohibition on the participation of certain types of stores. such as those that sell only accessory foods. including spices. candy. soft drinks. tea. or coffee. ice cream vendors. and doughnut shops. S. 1926 requires that the Secretary of Agriculture prepare a report for the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture. Nutrition. and Forestry. within 18 months. on the impact on the Food Stamp Program of the change in the definition of retail food store. I The bill also amends the Food Stamp Act to strengthen the authority of the Secretary to maintain program integrity. It permits the use and disclosure of information provided by retail food stores and wholesale food concerns to law enforcement and Investigative agencies investigating abuses of the Food Stamp Act or other Federal or State laws. The bill imposes penalties on those who publish. divulge. or disclose any of the information obtained in such an investigation if not authorized by Federal law. S. 1926 requires that the Secretary use up to $4 million for specific kinds of demonstration projects. This funding is provided only to help State or local food stamp agencies test new ideas for working with State or local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute street food stamp trafficking. Trafficking in food stamps has always been prohibited by the Food Stamp Act. S. 1926 addresses two concerns of food stamp recipients living on Indian reservations. those involving monthly reporting and staggered issuance of benefits. First. the bill prohibits a State food stamp agency from requiring monthly reporting of households on Indian reservations unless the agency: Is requiring such monthly reports at the time of enactment of this legislation. grants a grace period of 1 month after the end of the month in which the monthly report is normally due during which time the State agency does not delay. reduce. suspend. or terminate benefits. reinstates benefits. without requiring a new application. to households that file a complete report during the month following the grace period. and certifies monthly reporting households for.2 years. unless there is an approved cause for a shorter period. Second. these provisions affecting households living on Indian reservations require that. if a tribal organization requests. a State agency must stagger the issuance of food stamp benefits over at least 15 days a month. Finally. S. 1926 requires the General Accounting Office to conduct a study on the feasibility and desirability of increasing the opportunity of Indian tribal organizations to administer the Food Stamp Program on Indian reservations by modifying or eliminating requirements that tribal organizations share in administrative costs. and permitting tribal organizations to establish different issuance. reporting. and certification requirements. Staff at the Congressional Budget Office has advised us that this bill has only insignificant costs and savings. and is therefore budget neutral. Last November. because of difficulty in finding a compromise on the issues affecting households on Indian reservations. legislation was enacted to suspend until March 15. 1994. the implementation of the several Food Stamp Act provisions affecting retail food stores and households living on Indian reservations. I urge the Secretary to take notice of the will of the Congress on these issues. the Senate having passed this bill on March 11. and the House passing it today. We are assured that the President will sign this important legislation. Therefore. I would not expect USDA to take action under current law during the time between March 15 and the day on which the President signs this bill. Further. neither the Department nor State agencies should be considered negligent for not taking such action. This legislation will make very necessary and needed changes in the Food Stamp Program. After reviewing the language and its added provisions for Indian reservations. the members of the Committee on Agriculture are agreeable to accepting S. 1926. I urge its adoption.