Date: 1983-11-15
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4252. The bill deals with a relatively small segment of the Federal nutrition assistance program carried out under the Food Stamp Act of 1977. But It Is a segment of great Importance to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its lowincome households. For some time. Puerto Rico participated in the food stamp program in much the same fashion as other Jurisdictions in the United States. This situation was changed by the 1981 Reconciliation Act. That legislation established a block grant food assistance program for the Commonwealth. While it significantly reduced funding for the program. it gave the Government of Puerto Rico added flexibility in program structure and administration. With the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture. the Commonwealth Initiated a nutrition assistance program that made benefits available to participants in cash. This practice causes some concern to the Congress. at least in part because of Its possible adverse impact on the nutritional status of recipients. As a result. the 1982 Reconciliation act amended the Food Stamp Act to require that Puerto Rico make nutrition program benefits available In noncash form. Thle effective date for this change has been postponed by lawv until January 1. 1984. A report by the Department of Agriculture. a hearing held In Puerto Rico by our Subcommittee on Domestic Marketing. Consumer Relations. and Nutrition. and other information have disclosed that the cash assistance programn has had some positive results. It has simplified program administration. reduced fraud and abuse. and generally pleased recipients. Importantly. there Is evidence. though admittedly Inconclusive. that program recipients have not reduced their food expenditures under the cash program. In these circumstances. the Committee on Agriculture concluded that the Commonwealth should not be required to abandon the cash benefits approach on January 1 of next year. Pending the development of more complete Information on the program. H.R. 4252 would permit the present program to continue on an interim basisuntil August 1. 1985. Meanwhile. the bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to study the impact of the cash program on the nutritional status and food expenditures of recipient households. The study would compare these factors with those existing when the program used stamps as the form of assistance. The Secretary will be required to report the findings of the study to the committees of jurisdiction by March 1. 1985. This will give Congress an opportunity to review the findings and take any action considered appropriate on the Puerto Rico program prior to the effective datc of the noncash mandate earlier enacted. We believe that this is a balanced and reasonable approach to this matter. It allows the Commonwealth to continue for a reasonable time what appears to be an effective program. And It will furnish to the Congress accurate and reliable Information to permit it to make an informed judgment on the Puerto Rico program before it undertakes a general review of the food stamp program In connection with Its reauthorization. Mr. Speaker. in addition to the provisions relating to Puerto Rico in H.R. 4252. the Agriculture Committee Is offering several amendments relating to minimum certification periods and monthly reporting/retrospective budgeting (MRRB) in the food stamp program. These amendments are noncontroversial. having been worked out with the minority here in the House. the majority and minority of thc Senate Committee on Agriculture. Nutrition. and Forestry. and the administration. These amendments are designed to addre.= several problems that have arisen under the Food Stamp Act amendments in the 1981 and 1982 reconciliation billsPublic Law 9735 and Public Law 97253. The Food Stamp Act currently requires a certification period of at least 6 months for those households required to submit monthly or periodic reports on changes In household circumstance. A number of States. including my State of Texas. feel that a shorter certification period would be more effective in this regard. These amendments would thus give the Secretary of Agriculture authority to allow States to certify households subject to either monthly or periodic reporting for a lesser number of months. Further. the amendments would provide additional authority to the Secretary to permit State agencies to use prospective accounting for certain households and to use other means of satisfying the periodic reporting requirements. The provision of the lawv pertaining to monthly reports would be modified to allow simpler and shorter report forms. provided that no requirement could be placed on participants to file written reports on any eligibility factor more than once in a month. Finally. broader authority Is provided to the States for utilization of Information for wage matching purposes upon approval of the use of such information by the Secretary. All of these amendments are designed t~o provide the State greater flexibility in implementing procedures that should improve accountability and reduce errors in the administration of the food stamp program. The chairman of the Subcommittee