,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cicd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #aj1     
#bjbj,mr4 ,sanders 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,booker1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,harris1    
,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1    
,mr4 ,menendez1 ,ms4 ,warren1 and ,ms4  
,klobuchar7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to amend the ,food and ,nutrition ,act 
of #bjjh to provide for the             
participation of the ,commonwealth of   
,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 and the
 ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana
 ,islands in the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,equitable          
,nutrition ,assistance for the          
,territories ,act of #bjbj4  #b4        
,participation and transition of ,puerto
 ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 and the       
,northern ,mariana ,islands in          

supplemental nutrition assistance       
program  7a7 ,definitions ,section #c of
 the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjab7 is amended-- 7#a7  
in subsection 7r71 by inserting the     
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1         
,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of  
the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 after  
,guam12 and  7#b7 in subsection 7u77#c71
 by inserting the ,commonwealth of      
,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 the    
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands1 after ,guam14  7b7 ,eligible  
households ,section #e of the ,food and 
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjad7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7b71 in the first sentence1 by inserting
 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1    
,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of  
the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 after  
,guam12  7#b7 in subsection 7c77#a71 by 
striking and ,guam1 and inserting ,guam1
 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1    
,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth 
of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands12 and

  7#c7 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 in      
paragraph 7#a77;,a71 by inserting the   
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1         
,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of  
the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 after  
,hawaii1 each place it appears2 and     
7,b7 in paragraph 7#f77;,b71 in the     
matter preceding clause 7i71 by         
inserting the ,commonwealth of ,puerto  
,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 the            
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands1 after ,guam14  7c7 ,effective 
date  7#a7 ,in general ,the amendments  
made by subsections 7a7 and 7b7 shall be
 effective with respect to the          
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1         
,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth 
of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 as  
applicable1 on the date described in    
paragraph 7#b7 if the ,secretary of     
,agriculture submits to ,congress a     
certification under subsection          
7f77#b77;,b7 of section #ai of the ,food
 and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g       
,u4,s4,c4 #bjbh74  7#b7 ,date described 

,the date referred to in paragraph 7#a7 
is1 with respect to the ,commonwealth of
 ,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 and   
the ,commonwealth of the ,northern      
,mariana ,islands1 the date established 
by the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1  
,american ,samoa1 or the ,commonwealth  
of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1     
respectively1 in the applicable plan of 
operation submitted to the ,secretary of
 ,agriculture under subsection          
7f77#a77;,a7 of section #ai of the ,food
 and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g       
,u4,s4,c4 #bjbh74  7d7 ,transition of   
,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 and the
 ,northern ,mariana ,islands to         
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program ,section #ai of the ,food and   
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjbh7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7a77#a7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by 
striking and at the end2  7,b7 in       
subparagraph 7,b71 by striking the      
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7,c7 by adding at the end the      

following3  7,c7 the ,commonwealth of   
the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4  2 and 
7#b7 by adding at the end the following3
  7f7 ,transition of ,puerto ,rico1     
,american ,samoa1 and the ,northern     
,mariana ,islands to supplemental       
nutrition assistance program  7#a7      
,request for participation ,a           
governmental entity may submit to the   
,secretary a request to participate in  
the supplemental nutrition assistance   
program1 which shall include a plan of  
operation described in section #aa7;d71 
which shall include the date on which   
the governmental entity intends to begin
 participation in the program4  7#b7    
,certification by ,secretary  7,a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary shall certify a 
governmental entity that submits a      
request under paragraph 7#a7 as         
qualified to participate in the         
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program if the ,secretary-- 7i7 approves
 the plan of operation submitted with   
the request1 in accordance with this    

subsection2 and  7ii7 approves the      
applications described in paragraph 7#d7
 in accordance with that paragraph4     
7,b7 ,submission of certification to    
,congress ,the ,secretary shall submit  
each certification under subparagraph   
7,a7 to ,congress4  7#c7 ,determination 
of plan of operation  7,a7 ,approval    
,the ,secretary shall approve a plan of 
operation submitted with a request under
 paragraph 7#a7 if the plan satisfies   
the requirements under this ,act4  7,b7 
,disapproval ,if the ,secretary does not
 approve a plan of operation submitted  
with a request under paragraph 7#a71 the
 ,secretary shall provide to the        
governmental entity a statement that    
describes each requirement under this   
,act that is not satisfied by the plan4 
7#d7 ,retail food stores ,if the        
,secretary approves a plan of operation 
under paragraph 7#c77;,a7 for a         
governmental entity1 the ,secretary     
shall accept applications from retail   
food stores located in that governmental

 entity to be authorized under section  
#i to participate in the supplemental   
nutrition assistance program4  7#e7     
,puerto ,rico ,in the case of a request 
under paragraph 7#a7 by the             
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1         
notwithstanding subsection 7g71 the     
,secretary shall allow the ,commonwealth
 of ,puerto ,rico to continue to carry  
out under the supplemental nutrition    
assistance program the ,family ,market  
,program established pursuant to this   
section4  7#f7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to the ,secretary such  
sums as are necessary to carry out this 
subsection for fiscal year #bjbj1 to    
remain available until expended4  7g7   
,technical infrastructure implementation
  7#a7 ,in general ,a governmental      
entity may request from the ,secretary a
 #a-time grant to pay for the cost of   
the technology infrastructure necessary 
to implement the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program1 including the cost  

of information technology1 information  
technology personnel1 and training      
relating to program implementation4     
7#b7 ,application ,a governmental entity
 making a request under paragraph 7#a7  
for a grant shall submit to the         
,secretary an application at such time1 
in such manner1 and containing such     
information as the ,secretary may       
require1 including-- 7,a7 a description 
of the costs to be paid for by the      
grant2 and  7,b7 a plan for implementing
 the technology infrastructure described
 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 within #a year 
of receiving the grant2 and  7ii7 that  
is reasonably cost efficient1 as        
determined by the ,secretary4  7#c7     
,determination  7,a7 ,time limit ,the   
,secretary shall approve or deny an     
application submitted under paragraph   
7#b7 not later than #ahj days after the 
date on which the application is        
submitted4  7,b7 ,denial ,if the        
,secretary denies an application        
submitted under paragraph 7#b71 the     

governmental entity may amend the plan  
described in subparagraph 7,b7 of that  
paragraph1 in coordination with the     
,secretary1 to resubmit to the          
,secretary for approval4  7#d7 ,funding 
7,a7 ,in general ,there is appropriated 
to the ,secretary1 out of funds in the  
,treasury not otherwise appropriated1   
#e1jjj1jjj to carry out this subsection1
 to remain available until #c years     
after the date of enactment of this     
subsection4  7,b7 ,reversion of funds   
,any funds appropriated to the          
,secretary under subparagraph 7,a7 that 
remain available by the date described  
in that subparagraph shall revert to the
 ,treasury4  7h7 ,termination of        
effectiveness  7#a7 ,in general         
,subsections 7a7 through 7e7 shall cease
 to be effective with respect to the    
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1         
,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth 
of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 as  
applicable1 on the date described in    
paragraph 7#b7 if the ,secretary submits

 to ,congress a certification under     
subsection 7f77#b77;,b7 for that        
governmental entity4  7#b7 ,date        
described ,the date referred to in      
paragraph 7#a7 is1 with respect to the  
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1         
,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth 
of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 the 
date established by the ,commonwealth of
 ,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 or the
 ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana
 ,islands1 respectively1 in the         
applicable plan of operation submitted  
to the ,secretary under subsection      
7f77#a77;,a74  4