,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #faha ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #aj1 #bjbj,ms4 ,de,lauro 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 and ,ms4 ,fudge7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture ,a ,,bill ,to prevent the changing of regulations governing the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program1 to provide for expanded food security1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,ensuring ,emergency ,food ,security ,act4 #b4 ,immediate suspension of implementing rule changes for the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program ,no ,federal funds 7including fees7 made available for any fiscal year may be used to finalize1 implement1 administer1 enforce1 carry out1 or otherwise give effect to any proposed rule that would decrease program benefits or impact program eligibility of the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program4 #c4 ,temporary increase in benefits under the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program 7a7 ,maximum benefit increase 7#a7 ,in general ,beginning the first month that begins not less than #aj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the value of benefits determined under section #h7;a7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh and consolidated block grants for ,puerto ,rico and ,american ,samoa determined under section #ai7;a7 of such ,act shall be calculated using #aac4f percent of the ,june #bjai value of the thrifty food plan as specified under section #c7o7 of such ,act4 7#b7 ,termination 7,a7 ,the authority provided by this subsection shall terminate after ,september #cj1 #bjbj4 7,b7 ,notwithstanding subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary of ,agriculture may not reduce the value of the maximum allotments1 minimum allotments or consolidated block grants for ,puerto ,rico and ,american ,samoa below the level in effect for fiscal year #bjbj as a result of paragraph 7#a74 7b7 ,requirements for the ,secretary ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 consider the benefit increases described in subsection 7a7 to be a mass change2 7#b7 require a simple process for ,states to notify households of the increase in benefits2 7#c7 consider section #af7;c77#c77;,a7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbe7;c77#c77;,a77 to apply to any errors in the implementation of this section1 without regard to the #abj-;day limit described in that section2 7#d7 disregard the additional amount of benefits that a household receives as a result of this section in determining the amount of over issuances under section #ac of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbb72 and 7#e7 set the tolerance level for excluding small errors for the purposes of section #af7;c7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbe7;c77 at #ej through ,september #cj1 #bjbj4 7c7 ,administrative expenses 7#a7 ,in general ,for the costs of ,state administrative expenses associated with carrying out this section and administering the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program established under the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et seq471 the ,secretary shall make available #ade1jjj1jjj in fiscal year #bjbj and #aej1jjj1jjj in fiscal year #bjba1 of which #d1ejj1jjj is for necessary expenses of the ,food and ,nutrition ,service for management and oversight of the program and for monitoring the integrity and evaluating the effects of the payments made under this section4 7#b7 ,timing for fiscal year #bjbj ,not later than #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall make available to ,states amounts for fiscal year #bjbj under paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,allocation of funds ,except as provided for management and oversight1 funds described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be made available as grants to ,state agencies for each fiscal year as follows3 7,a7 ,seventy-five percent of the amounts available for each fiscal year shall be allocated to ,states based on the share of each ,state of households that participate in the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program as reported to the ,department of ,agriculture for the most recent #ab-month period for which data are available1 adjusted by the ,secretary 7as of the date of enactment7 for participation in disaster programs under section #e7;h7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjad7;h774 7,b7 ,twenty-five percent of the amounts available for each fiscal year shall be allocated to ,states based on the increase in the number of households that participate in the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program as reported to the ,department of ,agriculture over the most recent #ab-month period for which data are available1 adjusted by the ,secretary 7as of the date of enactment7 for participation in disaster programs under section #e7;h7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjad7;h774 7d7 ,funding ,there are appropriated to the ,secretary out of funds of the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section4 #d4 ,providing for the treatment of jobless workers 7a7 ,treatment of jobless workers 7#a7 ,remainder of fiscal year #bjbj through fiscal year #bjbb ,beginning with the first month that begins not less than #aj days after the date of enactment of this ,act and for each subsequent month through ,september #cj1 #bjbb1 eligibility for ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program benefits shall not be limited under section #f7o77#b7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh4 7#b7 ,fiscal year #bjbc and thereafter ,beginning on ,october #a1 #bjbb1 for the purposes of section #f7o7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjae7o771 a ,state agency shall disregard any period during which an individual received benefits under the ,supplemental ,nutrition ,assistance ,program prior to ,october #a1 #bjba4 #e4 ,expansion of the ,food ,distribution ,program on ,indian ,reservations 7a7 ,food ,distribution ,program on ,indian ,reservations ,for the costs relating to facility improvements and equipment upgrades associated with the ,food ,distribution ,program on ,indian ,reservations1 as established under section #d7;b7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjac7;b771 the ,secretary shall make available #e1jjj1jjj3 ,provided1 ,that administrative cost-sharing requirements are not applicable to funds provided in accordance with this provision4