Sponsors (20)
The bill expands and tailors nutrition assistance for U.S. territories and high-cost areas—improving benefit adequacy, access, and local administration—but does so with meaningful increases in federal costs, transition risks, and some implementation and transparency trade-offs.
Low-income residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska (and other high-cost areas) would receive SNAP benefits that better reflect local food costs, increasing benefit adequacy for affected households.
Low-income residents of Puerto Rico would gain eligibility for federal SNAP once Puerto Rico's plan is approved, expanding access to established nutrition assistance.
State and territorial agencies (including Puerto Rico’s) get clearer statutory authority, training, technical assistance, and predictable approval timelines, which should improve local administration, reduce eligibility uncertainty, and strengthen capacity to operate the program.
Taxpayers and federal budgets will face higher costs because raising benefit levels in higher-cost jurisdictions, expanding SNAP to Puerto Rico, and fully funding American Samoa increase federal outlays and the bill leaves some funding open‑ended.
Residents of Puerto Rico could face delays or interruptions in receiving full SNAP benefits if Puerto Rico fails to meet plan requirements within the 180-day window or if the Secretary delays determinations during the multi-year transition.
Puerto Rico’s government will incur administrative workload and near-term costs to prepare a compliant plan quickly, straining local agencies during the required planning period.
Based on analysis of 14 sections of legislative text.
Creates a statutory path for Puerto Rico to join SNAP with a required 180-day transition plan, allows up to 5 years of block-grant continuation, and requires full federal funding for American Samoa’s nutrition program after the transition.
Official title: Amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to transition Puerto Rico to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 2, 2026 by Kirsten Gillibrand · Last progress March 2, 2026
Creates a statutory path for Puerto Rico to transition from its current nutrition block-grant program to participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill requires Puerto Rico to submit a SNAP transition plan within 180 days, lets USDA continue Puerto Rico’s existing block grant for up to five years while the transition proceeds, requires USDA oversight and reporting, and adds an explicit funding rule to fully cover American Samoa’s nutrition program costs after the transition period. The Act takes effect on enactment but its amendments become operative 10 years after enactment.