,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fgbb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #e1 #bjbj,mr4   
,neguse introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,agriculture1 and in addition to the    
,committee on ,education and ,labor1 for
 a period to be subsequently determined 
by the ,speaker1 in each case for       
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
strengthen ,federal nutrition assistance
 programs as automatic stabilizers1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,food for
 ,families in ,crisis ,act of #bjbj4    
#b4 ,strengthening ,federal nutrition   
assistance programs as automatic        
stabilizers  7a7 ,definitions ,in this  
section3 7#a7 ,elevated unemployment    
period ,the term elevated unemployment  
period means1 as determined by the      
,commissioner of the ,bureau of ,labor  
,statistics in accordance with          

subsection 7b71 a period-- 7,a7         
beginning on the first day of the last  
month during the most recent #c-month   
period for which data for all ,states   
are published before the close of a     
given week1 the average rate of total   
unemployment for all ,states 7seasonally
 adjusted1 as applicable7 is not less   
than #j4e percentage points higher than 
the lowest average rate of total        
unemployment for all ,states 7as        
seasonally adjusted7 for any #c-month   
period during the preceding #ab months2 
and  7,b7 ending on the date on which   
the average rate of total unemployment  
for all ,states 7seasonally adjusted1 as
 applicable7 for the most recent        
#c-month period for which data for all  
,states are published before the close  
of a given week-- 7i7 has decreased for 
not less than #b consecutive months2    
7ii7 is less than #e4e percent2 and     
7iii7 is less than #a4e percentage      
points above the #c-month average rate  
of total unemployment for all ,states   

7as seasonally adjusted7 reported for   
the #c-month period ending on the last  
day of the month immediately preceding  
the month during which the applicable   
beginning date described in subparagraph
 7,a7 occurs4  7#b7 ,eligible individual
 or household ,the term eligible        
individual or household means an        
individual or household that is eligible
 to receive ,federal nutrition          
assistance4  7#c7 ,federal nutrition    
assistance ,the term ,federal nutrition 
assistance means nutrition assistance   
provided under-- 7,a7 the supplemental  
nutrition assistance program under the  
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et seq472  7,b7 a       
consolidated block grant for the        
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico or       
,american ,samoa under section #ai7;a7  
of that ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbh7;a772  
or  7,c7 a block grant for the          
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands or any other territory of the  
,united ,states provided by the         

,secretary pursuant to section #fja7;c7 
of ,public ,law #if-eig 7#dh ,u4,s4,c4  
#adfi;d7c774  7#d7 ,secretary ,the term 
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,agriculture4  7#e7 ,state2 ,state      
agency2 thrifty food plan ,the terms    
,state1 ,state agency1 and thrifty food 
plan have the meanings given those terms
 in section #c of the ,food and         
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjab74  7b7 ,inclusion of determination
 in monthly employment situation reports
 ,notwithstanding any other provision of
 law1 the ,commissioner of the ,bureau  
of ,labor ,statistics shall include in  
each monthly employment situation report
 published by the ,commissioner a       
specific determination of whether an    
elevated unemployment period is in      
existence in the ,united ,states4  7c7  
,waiver of work requirements            
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law 7including regulations71 during an  
elevated unemployment period1 for       
purposes of the distribution of1 receipt

 of1 or eligibility for ,federal        
nutrition assistance-- 7#a7 no work     
requirement under section #f7o7 of the  
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjae7o77 shall apply to any  
eligible individual or household2 and   
7#b7 no other1 similar work requirement 
with respect to any eligible individual 
or household shall be established or    
applied by-- 7,a7 the ,secretary2  7,b7 
any ,state1 as a condition of receipt   
from the ,secretary of assistance under 
the supplemental nutrition assistance   
program2 or  7,c7 the ,commonwealth of  
,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 or the 
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands1 as a condition of receipt from
 the ,secretary of a ,federal nutrition 
assistance block grant4  7d7 ,preclusion
 of certain rules ,no funds 7including  
fees7 made available under this or any  
other ,act for any fiscal year may be   
used to finalize1 implement1 administer1
 enforce1 carry out1 or otherwise give  
effect to-- 7#a7 the proposed rule      

entitled ,revision of ,categorical      
,eligibility in the ,supplemental       
,nutrition ,assistance ,program 7,,snap7
 7#hd ,fed4 ,reg4 #ceegj 7,july #bd1    
#bjai772  7#b7 the proposed rule        
entitled ,supplemental ,nutrition       
,assistance ,program3 ,standardization  
of ,state ,heating and ,cooling         
,standard ,utility ,allowances 7#hd     
,fed4 ,reg4 #ebhji 7,october #c1        
#bjai772 or  7#c7 the final rule        
entitled ,supplemental ,nutrition       
,assistance ,program3 ,requirements for 
,able-,bodied ,adults ,without          
,dependents 7#hd ,fed4 ,reg4 #ffghb     
7,december #e1 #bjai774  7e7 ,increase  
in ,federal nutrition assistance        
payments  7#a7 ,increases  7,a7 ,in     
general ,notwithstanding any other      
provision of law1 subject to paragraph  
7#b71 effective beginning on the first  
day of the first month beginning after  
the date of publication of a monthly    
employment situation report in which an 
elevated unemployment period is         

determined to exist in accordance with  
subsection 7b7-- 7i7 the value of the   
benefits determined under section #h7;a7
 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of    
#bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjag7;a77 and the  
consolidated block grants for the       
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico and      
,american ,samoa determined under       
section #ai7;a7 of that ,act 7#g        
,u4,s4,c4 #bjbh7;a77 shall be calculated
 using #aae percent of the value of the 
thrifty food plan in the month          
immediately preceding the month during  
which the beginning date of that        
elevated unemployment period occurs2    
7ii7 the value of the block grant       
referred to in subsection 7a77#c77;,c7  
shall be calculated using #aae percent  
of the value of that block grant for the
 preceding fiscal year2 and  7iii7 the  
minimum value of the benefits determined
 under section #h7;a7 of the ,food and  
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjag7;a77 for a household of not more  
than #b members shall be #cj 7adjusted  

for inflation74  7,b7 ,,fdpir increase  
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 subject to subsection 7h71 of the  
funds made available under paragraph    
7#c71 the ,secretary shall use          
#g1jjj1jjj 7adjusted for inflation7 for 
facility improvements and equipment     
upgrades associated with the food       
distribution program on ,indian         
reservations under section #d7;b7 of the
 ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g 
,u4,s4,c4 #bjac7;b774  7#b7 ,limitations
  7,a7 ,in general ,the calculations    
under clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 of paragraph 
7#a77;,a7 shall apply only if the value 
of the benefit or block grant described 
in the clause1 as applicable1 would be  
greater under that calculation than in  
the absence of this subsection4  7,b7   
,effective period of certain increase   
,an increase under paragraph            
7#a77;,a77iii7 shall remain in effect   
until the date on which an amount equal 
to #h percent of the value of the       
thrifty food plan for a household       

containing #a member1 rounded to the    
nearest whole dollar increment1 is equal
 to not less than #cj 7adjusted for     
inflation74  7#c7 ,funding  7,a7 ,in    
general ,on the first day of the first  
month beginning after the date of       
publication of a monthly employment     
situation report in which an elevated   
unemployment period is determined to    
exist in accordance with subsection 7b71
 out of any funds in the ,treasury not  
otherwise appropriated1 the ,secretary  
of the ,treasury shall transfer to the  
,secretary such amounts as are necessary
 to carry out paragraph 7#a74  7,b7     
,receipt and acceptance ,the ,secretary 
shall be entitled to receive1 shall     
accept1 and shall use to carry out      
paragraph 7#a7 the funds transferred    
under subparagraph 7,a71 without further
 appropriation4  7f7 ,categorical       
eligibility under ,,snap ,section #e7;a7
 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of    
#bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjad7;a77 is       
amended by inserting after the third    

sentence the following3 ,each ,state    
agency shall administer the ,state      
option of categorical eligibility for   
the supplemental nutrition assistance   
program as described in clause 7ii7 or  
7iii7 of section #bgc4b7;j77#b7 of title
 #g1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as 
in effect on the date of enactment of   
the ,food for ,families in ,crisis ,act 
of #bjbj744  7g7 ,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 shall1   
during an elevated unemployment period1 
make available #aej1jjj1jjj 7adjusted   
for inflation71 in accordance with      
paragraph 7#b74  7#b7 ,allocation ,the  
funds made available under paragraph    
7#a7 shall be provided in the form of   
grants to ,state agencies as follows3   

7,a7 ,seventy-five percent of the       
amounts made available shall be         
allocated to each ,state agency based on
 the proportion of households in the    
applicable ,state that participate in   
the supplemental nutrition assistance   
program1 as-- 7i7 reported to the       
,secretary for the most recent #ab-month
 period for which data are available2   
and  7ii7 if applicable1 adjusted by the
 ,secretary1 as of the date of enactment
 of this ,act1 for participation in a   
disaster program 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 shall be allocated to each    
,state agency based on the increase in  
the number of households in the         
applicable ,state that participate in   
the supplemental nutrition assistance   
program1 as-- 7i7 reported to the       
,secretary for the most recent #ab-month
 period for which data are available2   
and  7ii7 if applicable1 adjusted by the

 ,secretary1 as of the date of enactment
 of this ,act1 for participation in a   
disaster program under section #e7;h7 of
 the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjad7;h774  7h7 ,,fdpir  
waiver ,any activity carried out using  
funds provided by the ,coronavirus ,aid1
 ,relief1 and ,economic ,security ,act  
7,public ,law #aaf-acf2 #acd ,stat4     
#bha7 for the food distribution program 
on ,indian reservations under section   
#d7;b7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act 
of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjac7;b77 shall 
not be subject to the non-,federal share
 requirement described in paragraph     
7#d77;,a7 of that section4  7i7         
,requirements for ,secretary ,in        
carrying out this section1 the          
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 consider the    
benefit increases under subsection      
7e77#a7 to be a mass change2  7#b7      
require a simple process by which       
,states1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto   
,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 and the        
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 

,islands shall notify eligible          
individuals and households of the       
increase in benefits under that         
subsection2  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 an eligible individual or 
household receives as a result of this  
section in determining the amount of    
overissuances under section #ac of the  
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjbb72 and  7#e7 establish   
the tolerance level for excluding small 
errors for purposes of section #af7;c7  
of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of     
#bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbe7;c77 at #ej4