This week, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and the House Agriculture Committee approved separate versions of the legislation commonly known as the Farm Bill.
Senate
On May 14, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee approved, 15-5, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 (S. 954).
According to the committee summary, the measure would reauthorize through 2018 several programs, including those that provide food assistance to low-income families.
The legislation would reauthorize the Food for Peace (P.L. 480), as well as the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
Domestic food assistance programs also would be reauthorized. However, the bill includes provisions to reduce fraud and abuse within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Lottery winners would be barred from receiving food assistance if they do not meet the program’s financial requirements. Participating retailers would be required to stock more fruits and vegetables, while giving the Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to exclude liquor stores from the program.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) would be reauthorized by the legislation. However, the program would transition the small percentage of women and children currently enrolled in CFSP into the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the program then would focus on the needs of senior citizens.
House
On May 16, the House Agriculture Committee approved, 36-10, its version of the Farm Bill: H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act.
Like its Senate counterpart, the measure would reauthorize through 2018 several international and domestic food assistance programs. According to its committee summary, the Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole International Food programs would be reauthorized.
The House bill also would reform SNAP, providing for “more than $20 billion” in savings. Households would be required to meet the asset and income tests currently in law before receiving benefits; categorical eligibility for SNAP would extend only to those households receiving cash assistance from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or other state general assistance programs.
The measure would eliminate state performance bonuses and also would bar SNAP recipients with “substantial” lottery winnings from receiving SNAP benefits, among other provisions. USDA would be prohibited from advertising SNAP.
The House bill would make the same changes to CFSP as the Senate bill.
Additional information about key provisions important to women and their families will be available once the committees release their reports.
