federal-senate-agriculture-committee-includes-puerto-rico's-transition-to-snap-in-its-“farm-bill”Federal Senate Agriculture Committee includes Puerto Rico's transition to SNAP in its “Farm Bill”

New York – Michigan Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow included a provision in The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024 to include a transition from the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) to the Food Assistance Program. Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) in Puerto Rico as part of the proposals for the new “Farm Bill”.

Stabenow, chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, reported the provision Wednesday as part of the release of a section-by-section summary of the bill.

Specifically, Section 4118 of the summary is the one that mentions the inclusion of Puerto Rico to SNAP, a process that would take no less than 10 years.

“Authorizes Puerto Rico to move from its nutritional assistance program to that of SNAP in a period of no less than 10 years and adds Puerto Rico to the definition of a state agency under SNAP after the transition period,” reads part of the text. In addition, the legislative piece “provides these financing amounts for the costs related to the transition in Puerto Rico from the nutritional assistance program to SNAP,” the document states.

In a press release yesterday on the Senate committee’s website, it is indicated that the package has more than 100 bipartisan pieces of legislation, and puts the Farm Bill on track to be approved by the end of the year.

“This is a serious proposal that reflects bipartisan priorities to keep farmers growing, families fed, and rural communities strong. The foundation of any Farm Bill is based on keeping together the broad and bipartisan coalition of farmers, rural communities, nutrition and hunger activists, researchers, conservationists and the climate community,” said the legislator.

The senator asked Republicans to take negotiations seriously to finalize the Farm Bill discussion.

“Farmers, families and rural communities cannot wait any longer for Farm Bill 2024,” he added.

According to the congresswoman, at a general level, the bill she presented addresses the issue of foreign ownership of land; is based on commitment to rural communities; makes significant investments in the farm safety net to provide certainty to all farmers and ensures SNAP reflects the realities of Americans, among other measures.

Democrats and Republicans have been discussing legislation since last year that would be included as part of the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, an omnibus package that is approved every five years and covers agriculture and food issues.

Last November, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, extended the validity of the Farm Bill until September of this year in view of the stagnation in the discussion for its reauthorization.

Prior to the senator’s announcement, Governor Pedro Pierluisi, who traveled to Washington this week to press for a Senate hearing on status project 3231, had announced that the island was closer to achieving inclusion.

“Puerto Rico is closer to achieving inclusion in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP. The president of the Agriculture Committee of the Federal Senate,
@SenStabenow, announced that provisions that include Puerto Rico were integrated into its Rural Prosperity and Food Security Law project,” Pierluisi indicated from his social networks.

In passing, he highlighted the multisectoral efforts to advance this discussion in Congress.

“I appreciate the support and multisectoral management that has been part of our efforts to communicate to Congress the urgency of this transition to provide social justice to the most vulnerable populations on the Island,” he said.

Other non-partisan sectors such as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) echoed the news.

The policy analyst for Puerto Rico of that organization, Javier Balmaceda, classified the inclusion in the senatorial legislation as “great.”

“BIG: The Farm Bill structure recently released by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow would transition #PuertoRico from the #NAP Nutrition Assistance Program to the #SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in a period of no less than 10 years,” Balmaceda shared on Twitter.

The limitations of SNAP in Puerto Rico

Currently, Puerto Rico benefits from a block grant under PAN that involves fewer funds compared to states and even other territories such as Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Under the current model, in cases of emergencies such as hurricanes, PR does not have the flexibility to adjust or increase funding.

It is a requirement that Congress legislate to grant any additional amount.

The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) also does not apply to Puerto Rico. This alternative provides food assistance to members of households affected by natural disasters.

The Senate provision to include PR in SNAP is in line with a study conducted in 2022 by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). If the transition is approved, the report states that it would increase food assistance to Puerto Rico from $2.9 billion annually to $4.5 billion annually.

The document also indicates the minimum period of 10 years for the change.

Last February 28 in a hearing before the aforementioned committee, USDA Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack said that the authorities on the island still have a lot of work to do in the face of a potential transition.

“Well, we are working very, very closely with Puerto Rico. The challenge is that they have to ensure that they have the administrative foundations to administer the program so that when people apply, they receive benefits quickly; when they no longer qualify or essentially transition out of the program… there is still much work that needs to be done to establish the technology and personnel for this effort. So we have been working very closely with the governor, I traveled to Puerto Rico, we spoke with him specifically,” the official said.

The secretary’s expressions were not taken positively by the Pierluisi Administration, to the point that representatives of the Department of the Family sent a letter to Vilsack in which they listed the steps they have already taken, such as a pilot program in the municipality of Carolina that incorporates SNAP work requirements.

The biggest challenge to Puerto Rico’s inclusion in the SNAP program lies in the House of Representatives, where Republicans like Pennsylvania’s Glenn “GT” Thompson remain reluctant to include the provision. The draft legislation promoted by Thompson does not include tools for the transition to SNAP in the territory.

Keep reading:

SNAP in Puerto Rico: USDA explains what a transition to the food stamp program on the island would entail

Puerto Rico: LatinoJustice PRLDEF and CBPP favor Biden’s call for parity in Medicaid, SNAP and SSI

PRCC insists on transition to SNAP in Puerto Rico with guarantee of funds for local farmers

By Scribe