,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cacb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #f1  
#bjbe ,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself and ,mr4 
,merkley7 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 exempt discounting food from
 the equal treatment requirement during 
a government shutdown1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4  ,short title  ,this ,act
 may be cited as the ,emergency ,relief 
for ,hungry ,families ,act of #bjbe4    
#b4  ,exemption from equal treatment    
requirement  ,section #i7;j7 of the     
,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g  
,u4,s4,c4 #bjah7;j77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following3  7#f7  
,exemption from equal treatment         
requirement  7,a7  ,definition of       
covered period  ,in this paragraph1 the 
term covered period means a period      
during which--  7i7 interim continuing  

appropriations or full-year             
appropriations for a fiscal year for the
 ,department of ,agriculture have       
lapsed2 and  7ii7 participants of the   
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program are not receiving--  7,i7 any   
benefits2 or  7,,ii7 the full amount of 
benefits4  7,b7  ,waiver                
,notwithstanding paragraph 7#b71 during 
a covered period1 an authorized retail  
food store may1 without seeking a       
waiver1 offer an incentive1 which shall 
be effective for the entire duration of 
the covered period4  7,c7  ,effect  ,an 
incentive offered by an authorized      
retail food store under subparagraph    
7,b7 shall not be deemed a violation of 
the equal treatment requirement         
described in section #bgh4b7;b7 of title
 #g1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
a successor regulation74  4