To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 with respect to the issuance of quality control guidance issued by the Secretary of Agriculture.
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 with respect to the issuance of quality control guidance issued by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Plain Language Summary
# HR 734 Summary **What the bill does:** HR 734 would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give the public at least 60 days to review and comment before making significant changes to how it oversees the SNAP program (food stamps). Currently, the SNAP quality control system checks whether state agencies correctly determine who qualifies for benefits and how much they should receive. This bill would add a formal public input period before the USDA can issue new or updated instructions that would require states to change their systems, procedures, staff, or verification methods related to these quality control reviews. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects state SNAP agencies that conduct eligibility reviews, the USDA which oversees the program, and potentially SNAP recipients if procedural changes occur.
Public stakeholders—including advocacy groups, state officials, and businesses involved in SNAP administration—would also have the opportunity to weigh in during the comment period. **Current status:** The bill was introduced by Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't yet been voted on by the full House. No action has been taken to advance it further.
CRS Official Summary
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide a notice and comment period prior to making certain substantive changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) quality control system, with exceptions.As background, the SNAP quality control system measures how accurately SNAP state agencies determine a household’s eligibility and benefit amount and determines overpayments of benefits and underpayments. State agencies must conduct quality control reviews of their SNAP caseloads and report these findings to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.The bill requires USDA to provide a notice and public comment period of at least 60 days prior to finalizing any new or updated guidance that proposes substantive changes for conducting quality control reviews. This applies to any proposed guidance reasonably expected to require state agencies to make changes to systems, procedures, or staffing pertaining to quality control reviews or that impact verification requirements for SNAP recipients.In the case of an urgent and immediate need, USDA may issue interim final guidance simultaneously with the notice and comment requirements.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.