On June 10, the Senate approved, 66-27, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 (S. 954), commonly known as the Farm Bill, as amended. The bill was passed after two weeks of deliberation on the Senate floor (see The Source, 6/7/13).
The bill would reauthorize $955 billion through FY2018 for agricultural programs, as well as programs designed to provide food assistance to low-income families. The current extension of the Farm Bill (P.L. 110-234) expires on September 30.
This legislation would reauthorize the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, which facilitates food distribution in schools in developing countries and helps feed over five million children per year, as well as the Food for Peace program (P.L. 480), which donates food overseas to promote food security.
The bill also would reauthorize domestic food assistance programs while seeking to reduce “fraud and abuse.” Roughly $4 billion would be cut from the federal food stamp program over the next decade by revising eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). For example, the bill would revise the rules for automatic eligibility for SNAP based upon receipt of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits. In addition, SNAP recipients would become ineligible to receive benefits if they receive substantial lottery winnings. The bill also would limit SNAP eligibility for college students based on the Perkins Student Loan program criteria.
The bill also would establish programs to ensure that SNAP recipients have access to healthy foods. The bill would authorize the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to administer loans and grants to improve access to healthy foods in “food deserts.” The bill also would maintain current funding levels for the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program, which provides free fresh fruit and vegetables to elementary school children in low-income areas.
