H.R. 5094House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 10:53 AM UTC

The SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2023 lets state agencies hire private contractors to help with SNAP certification and other program functions when they face spikes in applications or staffing shortages. The law sets safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest and ensures contractors don’t delay or deny benefits. It applies to state and local SNAP agencies and the people who apply for benefits.

Key Provisions

States may contract private firms to perform SNAP certification or other duties, provided contracts don’t incentivize delays or denials and contractors have no financial stake in approved retailers.
The authority can be used during pandemics, health emergencies, seasonal workforce changes, temporary staffing gaps, or natural disasters that cause application backlogs.
Contracts must follow standard state procurement rules, comply with federal personnel regulations, and must not replace existing merit‑based state employees.
States must notify the Secretary of Agriculture of their intent and provide data showing the need; the Secretary must publish the notice within 10 days.
The Secretary must submit an annual report to Congress describing how the authority was used and recommending any needed changes.
The contracting authority ends once the application backlog is cleared and does not affect existing collective‑bargaining agreements.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

September 26, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

August 1, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

August 1, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

September 26, 2023

Floor Debate

19 members

What members said about H.R. 5094 on the floor

+14

2 Republicans17 Democrats

Rep. Monica De La CruzR-TX-15 · Sep 12, 2023

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions, as follows: H.R. 16: Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Casten, Mr. Casar, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Caraveo, and Mr. Sablan. H.R.…

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions, as follows:

H.R. 16: Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Casten, Mr. Casar,

Mr. Sherman, Ms. Caraveo, and Mr. Sablan.

H.R. 33: Ms. Ross and Ms. Bonamici.

H.R. 34: Ms. Escobar, Mr. Tonko, and Mr. Nadler.

H.R. 56: Ms. Crockett.

H.R. 231: Mr. Cline.

H.R. 253: Ms. McCollum, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, and Mr.

Cleaver.

H.R. 303: Mr. Kilmer.

H.R. 459: Ms. Castor of Florida.

H.R. 549: Mr. Gallego, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Mrvan, Ms.

Escobar, Ms. Titus, Mr. Evans, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Espaillat,

Mrs. Lesko, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Ms. Adams, Ms. Balint, Mr.

Owens, and Mrs. Sykes.

H.R. 620: Mrs. Peltola.

H.R. 666: Mr. Bowman.

H.R. 679: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 681: Ms. Wild, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms.

Balint, Ms.Crockett, and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick.

H.R. 700: Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Latta, Mr. Kelly of

Mississippi, Mr. Kim of New Jersey, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, Mr.

Harder of California, and Mrs. Steel.

H.R. 722: Mr. Barr.

H.R. 770: Ms. Kuster.

H.R. 795: Mr. Crow.

H.R. 807: Mr. Miller of Ohio, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Bucshon,

and Mr. Soto.

H.R. 809: Mr. Posey and Mr. Huizenga.

H.R. 866: Mr. Vasquez.

H.R. 873: Mr. Nehls.

H.R. 906: Mr. Steube and Ms. Caraveo.

H.R. 972: Ms. Kelly of Illinois.

H.R. 1073: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 1088: Mr. Neguse.

H.R. 1118: Ms. Balint.

H.R. 1138: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 1139: Mr. Newhouse, Mr. DesJarlais, and Ms. Craig.

H.R. 1150: Ms. Jayapal and Mr. Moylan.

H.R. 1191: Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr.

Jackson of Illinois, and Ms. Crockett.

H.R. 1200: Ms. Van Duyne and Mr. McCormick.

H.R. 1235: Mr. Sherman.

H.R. 1250: Mr. Costa.

H.R. 1259: Mr. Lieu.

H.R. 1277: Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Green of Texas, Ms.

Porter, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Casten, Mrs.

Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. DesJarlais, Ms. Norton,

Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Craig, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mrs. Dingell,

Mr. Morelle, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Wasserman Schultz,

Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Barragan, and Mr. Huffman.

H.R. 1278: Mr. Moulton.

H.R. 1290: Mr. Feenstra.

H.R. 1295: Mr. Schiff.

H.R. 1318: Ms. Titus and Ms. Craig.

H.R. 1385: Ms. Pingree and Mr. LaHood.

H.R. 1432: Mr. Davis of Illinois.

H.R. 1437: Mr. Sessions.

H.R. 1447: Ms. Budzinski.

H.R. 1483: Mr. Raskin.

H.R. 1488: Mr. Tonko and Mr. Horsford.

H.R. 1503: Mr. Tonko.

H.R. 1517: Ms. Kuster.

H.R. 1535: Mr. Davis of North Carolina and Mr. Ciscomani.

H.R. 1555: Mr. Cardenas.

H.R. 1572: Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Harder

of California, Mr. Raskin, Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon, Mr. Posey,

and Mr. Owens.

H.R. 1614: Mr. Costa.

H.R. 1623: Mr. Feenstra.

H.R. 1637: Mr. Ciscomani, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, and Mr.

Ryan.

H.R. 1638: Mr. Bacon.

H.R. 1643: Mr. Gomez.

H.R. 1679: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 1721: Ms. Crockett and Ms. Kuster.

H.R. 1728: Ms. Mace.

H.R. 1740: Mr. Allred.

H.R. 1758: Mr. Donalds.

H.R. 1763: Mr. Harder of California and Mr. Moskowitz.

H.R. 1770: Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia.

H.R. 1777: Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Mr. Grothman, Mr.

Fleischmann, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. Ciscomani.

H.R. 1788: Mr. Phillips, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Spanberger, Ms.

McCollum, and Mr. Beyer.

H.R. 1831: Mr. Burgess and Mr. Grijalva.

H.R. 1841: Mr. Rouzer.

H.R. 1842: Mr. Gallego.

H.R. 2365: Mr. Levin, Mr. Balderson, Ms. Caraveo, Ms.

Salinas, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Trone,

Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Leger Fernandez, and Mr.

Veasey.

H.R. 2367: Ms. Lee of Nevada, Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania,

Mr. Guest, Mr. Pappas, and Mrs. Houchin.

H.R. 2370: Ms. Caraveo.

H.R. 2389: Mr. Moulton, Mr. Trone, Ms. Sherrill, Mr.

Horsford, Ms. Ross, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Mrvan, Ms. McCollum, and

Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas.

H.R. 2406: Mr. Barr, Mrs. Harshbarger, and Mrs. Lesko.

H.R. 2407: Mr. Burgess, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Mr. Mooney,

Mrs. Fletcher, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Nickel, and Mr. Castro of

Texas.

H.R. 2410: Mr. Nickel.

H.R. 2412: Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Landsman, and Mr.

Cleaver.

H.R. 2431: Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer and Ms. Lee of Nevada.

H.R. 2510: Mr. Harder of California and Ms. Salinas.

H.R. 2550: Ms. Leger Fernandez.

H.R. 2583: Mr. Doggett, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Sewell,

and Ms. Pingree.

H.R. 2630: Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Steube, Mr. Fitzpatrick,

and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia.

H.R. 2667: Mrs. Miller of West Virginia and Mr. Aderholt.

H.R. 2697: Mr. Vargas and Ms. Tlaib.

H.R. 2700: Mr. McCormick.

H.R. 2718: Ms. Blunt Rochester.

H.R. 2720: Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Kuster, Mr. Blumenauer, and

Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 2723: Mr. Moulton and Mr. Ryan.

H.R. 2736: Ms. Caraveo.

H.R. 2739: Mrs. Kim of California.

H.R. 2743: Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, Mr. C. Scott

Franklin of Florida, Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Newhouse.

H.R. 2814: Mr. Moore of Utah.

H.R. 2855: Mr. Harder of California.

H.R. 2869: Mr. Mfume.

H.R. 2871: Ms. Jayapal.

H.R. 2891: Mr. Tonko.

H.R. 2929: Mr. Pappas.

H.R. 2955: Mr. Burgess, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Raskin, and Mr.

Goldman of New York.

H.R. 2957: Mr. Morelle and Mr. Allred.

H.R. 2987: Ms. Bush.

H.R. 3007: Mr. McGarvey.

H.R. 3029: Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania and Mrs. Miller of

West Virginia.

H.R. 3074: Mr. Carter of Louisiana and Ms. Scanlon.

H.R. 3108: Mr. Fitzpatrick.

H.R. 3137: Mr. Newhouse.

H.R. 3139: Mr. Ryan and Ms. Foxx.

H.R. 3145: Ms. Omar.

H.R. 3152: Mr. Simpson, Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Mr. C.

Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Cline, Mr. Santos, Mr. Golden

of Maine, Mrs. Foushee, and Mr. Rouzer.

H.R. 3170: Mr. Pallone and Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania.

H.R. 3184: Mr. Norcross.

H.R. 3192: Ms. Slotkin.

H.R. 3206: Mr. Gooden of Texas.

H.R. 3235: Mr. Huffman.

H.R. 3251: Mr. McGovern.

H.R. 3272: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 3378: Mr. Bacon.

H.R. 3380: Ms. Kuster and Mr. Landsman.

H.R. 3381: Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Norman, Mr. Babin, Ms.

Malliotakis, Mr. Soto, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Trone, Ms.

Manning, Mr. Ciscomani, Ms. Caraveo, Mr. Carey, and Ms.

Salazar.

H.R. 3394: Mr. Pallone, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Scanlon, Ms.

Brownley, Ms. Ross, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Deluzio, Ms. Tlaib, and

Mr. Trone.

H.R. 3410: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 3413: Ms. Chu, Ms. Greene of Georgia, and Ms. Ross.

H.R. 3424: Mr. Tonko and Mr. Harder of California.

H.R. 3425: Mr. Tiffany and Ms. Manning.

H.R. 3448: Ms. Spanberger.

H.R. 3464: Mrs. Houchin.

H.R. 3468: Mr. Schiff, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Salinas, and Mr.

Goldman of New York.

H.R. 3473: Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.

H.R. 3488: Mr. Grijalva and Ms. Velazquez.

H.R. 3492: Mr. C. Scott Franklin of Florida.

H.R. 3503: Mr. Lieu and Mr. Pocan.

H.R. 3518: Ms. Norton.

H.R. 3519: Mr. Gomez.

H.R. 3530: Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Swalwell,

Mr. Lieu, Ms. Ross, Mr. Neguse, and Mr. Schneider.

H.R. 3539: Mr. Crow and Mr. Molinaro.

H.R. 3549: Mrs. Miller-Meeks.

H.R. 3576: Mr. Smith of Washington and Mr. Vargas.

H.R. 3585: Ms. Mace.

H.R. 3589: Ms. Tokuda.

H.R. 3600: Mr. Larsen of Washington and Mr. Harder of

California.

H.R. 3601: Mr. Vargas, Mr. Moulton, and Ms. Sherrill.

H.R. 3608: Mr. Ruiz.

H.R. 3618: Mr. Fitzpatrick and Ms. Wilson of Florida.

H.R. 3662: Ms. Pingree.

H.R. 3679: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 3681: Mr. Levin.

H.R. 3730: Mr. Ciscomani.

H.R. 3755: Mr. Smucker.

H.R. 3774: Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Soto, Mr.

Sherman, Ms.

Craig, and Mr. Bilirakis.

H.R. 3782: Mr. Fry and Mr. Phillips.

H.R. 3792: Mr. Lieu, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Tony

Gonzales of Texas, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Sherman, and

Mr. Robert Garcia of California.

H.R. 3838: Mr. Cohen.

H.R. 3843: Mr. Pocan and Ms. Tlaib.

H.R. 3851: Ms. Van Duyne and Ms. Sherrill.

H.R. 3859: Ms. Lofgren, Ms. McCollum, and Mr. Fitzpatrick.

H.R. 3867: Mr. LaLota.

H.R. 3875: Mr. Quigley and Mr. Mullin.

H.R. 3876: Mr. Crow.

H.R. 3879: Ms. Craig.

H.R. 3882: Mr. Deluzio and Mr. Joyce of Ohio.

H.R. 3916: Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Bice, Ms.

McClellan, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, and Ms. Sherrill.

H.R. 3923: Mr. McGarvey.

H.R. 3949: Mr. Fry and Mr. Latta.

H.R. 3965: Mr. Robert Garcia of California.

H.R. 3988: Mr. Good of Virginia.

H.R. 3990: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 4007: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 4024: Ms. Matsui.

H.R. 4034: Ms. DelBene.

H.R. 4035: Mrs. Miller-Meeks.

H.R. 4040: Ms. DeGette.

H.R. 4059: Ms. Budzinski.

H.R. 4061: Mr. Kildee.

H.R. 4076: Mr. Peters.

H.R. 4118: Ms. Crockett, Ms. Norton, Mr. Carson, and Ms.

Jackson Lee.

H.R. 4144: Mr. Yakym.

H.R. 4149: Mr. Carson.

H.R. 4157: Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Flood, and

Ms. Wild.

H.R. 4170: Ms. Ross and Ms. Balint.

H.R. 4174: Ms. Budzinski.

H.R. 4175: Mr. Hill.

H.R. 4183: Ms. Castor of Florida.

H.R. 4198: Mr. Hill.

H.R. 4202: Mr. Gottheimer, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms.

Spanberger, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Torres of New

York, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Trone, Mr.

Garcia of Illinois, and Mr. Lynch.

H.R. 4238: Mr. Timmons.

H.R. 4241: Ms. Davids of Kansas.

H.R. 4249: Ms. Craig.

H.R. 4259: Mrs. Houchin.

H.R. 4262: Ms. Mace.

H.R. 4273: Mr. Phillips.

H.R. 4274: Mr. McGovern.

H.R. 4295: Mr. Carter of Louisiana and Mr. Mullin.

H.R. 4314: Ms. DeGette.

H.R. 4328: Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia.

H.R. 4334: Mr. Bacon and Mr. Bergman.

H.R. 4384: Ms. Manning.

H.R. 4395: Mr. Baird.

H.R. 4432: Ms. Davids of Kansas.

H.R. 4438: Mr. Owens.

H.R. 4466: Mr. McGarvey and Ms. Wilson of Florida.

H.R. 4475: Mrs. Watson Coleman.

H.R. 4478: Mr. Mills.

H.R. 4514: Ms. Greene of Georgia.

H.R. 4534: Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Connolly, Ms.

Clarke of New York, and Ms. Wild.

H.R. 4561: Mr. McGovern and Ms. DeGette.

H.R. 4562: Mr. Moulton and Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 4563: Mr. McCormick.

H.R. 4566: Ms. Lofgren.

H.R. 4577: Ms. Sherrill and Mr. Guest.

H.R. 4581: Mr. Feenstra.

H.R. 4587: Ms. Salazar and Ms. Lee of Florida.

H.R. 4598: Mr. Lieu.

H.R. 4602: Ms. Kuster.

H.R. 4612: Mr. Duarte and Ms. Caraveo.

H.R. 4624: Mr. Carson, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Grijalva, and Ms.

Jackson Lee.

H.R. 4663: Mrs. Lesko.

H.R. 4702: Mr. Lieu.

H.R. 4728: Ms. Schakowsky.

H.R. 4729: Ms. De La Cruz and Mr. Fry.

H.R. 4733: Mr. Neguse.

H.R. 4745: Mrs. Kim of California.

H.R. 4750: Ms. Jayapal.

H.R. 4758: Ms. Wexton, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Smucker, and Ms.

Barragan.

H.R. 4769: Ms. Scholten, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Garbarino, Mr.

Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr.

LaLota, and Mr. Carter of Louisiana.

H.R. 4779: Mr. Doggett, Mr. Payne, and Mr. McGovern.

H.R. 4782: Mr. Blumenauer.

H.R. 4817: Mr. Robert Garcia of California.

H.R. 4844: Mr. Harder of California.

H.R. 4886: Mr. Kildee.

H.R. 4895: Mr. Connolly, Mr. Kildee, Ms. Escobar, Mr.

Larsen of Washington, and Ms. Porter.

H.R. 4904: Mrs. Miller-Meeks.

H.R. 4914: Ms. Barragan.

H.R. 4919: Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, and

Mr. Frost.

H.R. 4921: Mrs. Miller of Illinois.

H.R. 4965: Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Norcross, Ms. Ocasio-

Cortez, and Ms. Lofgren.

H.R. 4970: Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer.

H.R. 5006: Ms. Stefanik.

H.R. 5008: Ms. Kamlager-Dove and Ms. Balint.

H.R. 5012: Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Williams of Georgia,

and Ms. Craig.

H.R. 5013: Mr. Fitzpatrick.

H.R. 5041: Mr. Ruiz.

H.R. 5094: Mr. Langworthy.

H.R. 5106: Mr. Womack.

H.R. 5107: Mr. Grothman.

H.R. 5110: Mrs. McClain, Ms. Foxx, Ms. Perez, Mr. Walberg,

Mrs. Houchin, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Bost, Mr. Williams of New

York, Mr. DesJarlais, and Mr. LaHood.

H.R. 5113: Mr. Vasquez.

H.R. 5130: Mr. Graves of Missouri.

H.R. 5136: Ms. Caraveo.

H.R. 5145: Mr. Bowman.

H.R. 5159: Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. LaHood, Mr.

Fitzpatrick, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Larson of

Connecticut, Mr. Comer, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, Mr. Boyle of

Pennsylvania, Mr. Gottheimer, and Mr. Phillips.

H.R. 5169: Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Bergman, Mr. Thompson of

California, and Mr. Ciscomani.

H.R. 5171: Mr. Swalwell.

H.R. 5175: Ms. Norton, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr.

Moskowitz.

H.R. 5182: Mr. Fry and Mr. Owens.

H.R. 5184: Mr. Fallon, Mr. Crenshaw, and Mr. Meuser.

H.R. 5203: Mr. Mooney.

H.R. 5221: Ms. Eshoo.

H.R. 5233: Ms. Davids of Kansas.

H.R. 5239: Ms. Lee of Florida.

H.R. 5242: Ms. Bonamici and Mr. Fitzpatrick.

H.R. 5245: Mr. Issa and Ms. Stefanik.

H.R. 5247: Mr. Sablan.

H.R. 5249: Mr. Moulton, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Carson, Ms.

Tokuda, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, and Mr. Case.

H.R. 5250: Mr. Lawler.

H.R. 5252: Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Payne, and Mr. Blumenauer.

H.R. 5265: Mr. Stauber.

H.R. 5283: Mr. Smith of New Jersey.

H.R. 5290: Mr. Tonko and Ms. Bush.

H.R. 5291: Ms. Bush.

H.R. 5292: Mr. Tonko, Ms. Bush, Ms. Chu, and Ms. Jayapal.

H.R. 5293: Ms. Bush.

H.R. 5294: Ms. Bush and Ms. Jayapal.

H.R. 5295: Mr. Tonko and Ms. Bush.

H.R. 5302: Mr. Waltz.

H.R. 5308: Mr. Costa and Mr. Ryan.

H.R. 5318: Mr. Davis of North Carolina.

H.R. 5323: Mr. Sessions.

H.R. 5329: Mr. Takano.

H.R. 5342: Mr. Williams of Texas, Mr. Gooden of Texas, and

Ms. De La Cruz.

H.R. 5349: Mr. Owens.

H.R. 5351: Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Veasey.

H.R. 5361: Mrs. Foushee.

H.R. 5368: Mr. Fry, Mrs. Harshbarger, Mr. Van Drew, Mr.

Johnson of Louisiana, Mr. Bost, and Mr. Mills.

H.R. 5369: Ms. Barragan.

H.R. 5377: Mr. Davis of North Carolina.

H.R. 5379: Mr. Norman.

H.J. Res. 88: Mr. Babin, Mr. Good of Virginia, Mrs. Miller-

Meeks, Mrs. Houchin, Mr. Yakym, and Ms. Hageman.

H. Con. Res. 31: Mr. Huffman.

H. Con. Res. 44: Mr. Casar.

H. Con. Res. 59: Ms. Sanchez.

H. Con. Res. 61: Ms. Waters, Mr. Moulton, Ms. DeGette, Mr.

Casten, Mr. Levin, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Clarke of New

York, Ms. McClellan, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Casar, Ms. Balint,

Ms. Salinas, and Mr. Pocan.

H. Res. 50: Mr. Mooney, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Cloud, and Ms.

Van Duyne.

H. Res. 77: Mr. Lynch.

H. Res. 100: Mr. Walberg.

H. Res. 108: Mr. Mike Garcia of California.

H. Res. 154: Mr. Khanna.

H. Res. 198: Mrs. Fletcher.

H. Res. 339: Mr. Donalds.

H. Res. 345: Mr. Nadler.

H. Res. 374: Mr. Frost.

H. Res. 451: Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Mrs. Miller of

Illinois, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Davis of

North Carolina, Mr. Bost, and Mr. Sorensen.

H. Res. 492: Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Vasquez, Ms.

Stevens, Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas,

Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Davis of Illinois, and Mr. Allred.

H. Res. 509: Mr. Goldman of New York.

H. Res. 585: Mrs. Torres of California, Ms. Lee of

California, and Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania.

H. Res. 615: Mr. Carter of Louisiana.

H. Res. 616: Mr. Peters, Mr. Keating, and Ms. Ross.

H. Res. 623: Mr. Moskowitz and Mr. Trone.

H. Res. 625: Mrs. Trahan, Mr. Costa, and Mr. Torres of New

York.

H. Res. 627: Mr. Ruppersberger, Mrs. Miller of Illinois,

Mr. Langworthy, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Schiff, and Ms. Craig.

H. Res. 634: Ms. Schakowsky.

H. Res. 651: Mr. DesJarlais.

H. Res. 674: Mr. Moylan, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Norton, Mr.

Posey, Mrs. Peltola, Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Van Drew, Mr.

Donalds, Mr. Westerman, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, and Mr.

Crenshaw.

Rep. Jahana HayesD-CT-5 · May 22, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to submit extraneous material in the Record on the topic of this…

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to submit extraneous material in the Record on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues who have joined me for this extremely special SNAP Special Order hour.

Hunger continues to be a pervasive issue in America. According to the USDA, in 2023, over 42 million people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, and 41 percent of those households have children.

SNAP benefits are modest, averaging only about $6.20 per person per day or about $2 per person per meal.

The benefits of SNAP are highly targeted to focus on those with the greatest needs. Ninety-two percent of SNAP benefits go to households with income below the poverty line and 54 percent go to households at or below half of the poverty line.

Additionally, every dollar spent on SNAP benefits generates as much as $1.54 to the local economy. House Republicans are putting forward a farm bill which would end the USDA's authority to increase the Thrifty Food Plan. The Thrifty Food Plan is used to determine the amount of benefits a SNAP recipient receives.

USDA calculates the Thrifty Food Plan using a mathematical model based on the cost of food, the nutrients in the food, nutrition guidance, and what Americans are actually eating. The Thrifty Food Plan goes further than a simple adjustment for inflation to better ensure that people have access to food.

The 2018 bipartisan farm bill directed USDA to regularly reevaluate the Thrifty Food Plan and SNAP benefit adjustments as food prices, dietary guidance, and other scientific standards shifted over time. The farm bill put forth by House Republicans will result in roughly $30 billion in benefit cuts, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That would impact every SNAP household in future years, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities.

It would mean that the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan would be frozen no matter what the science says about the cost of a healthy, normal diet.

In the last 50 years, the Thrifty Food Plan has only been updated three times: in 1983, 1989, and 2006, but these updates did not increase SNAP benefits.

As a result of the 2021 update, the benefit amounts were increased and the purchasing power of the plan to 21 percent. This led to a $1.40 per person per day increase in SNAP's average benefits, or about 70 cents per meal.

This is not a lot of money to begin with; however, this update lifted over 2 million SNAP participants out of poverty or above the poverty line, including over 1 million children.

According to the Urban Institute, the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan reduced poverty for Black and Hispanic people, suggesting that reevaluation was addressing longstanding systemic racial issues. Additionally, a 2023 Data for Progress poll found that 66 percent have a favorable view of SNAP, including 83 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of Independents, and 52 percent of Republicans. All Americans benefit from this anti- hunger program. A majority of Americans support increasing funding for SNAP, not cutting it.

The total cut to SNAP and related nutrition programs under the House Republican proposal is roughly $30 billion. The average per person SNAP benefit would be roughly $7 less per month between 2027 and 2031 and jump to $15 less per month in 2032 and 2033.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this cut would affect nearly 6 million older adults, 4 million people with disabilities, and nearly 17 million children, including 5 million children under the age of 5.

Hunger is a policy choice and SNAP is our most effective anti-hunger program, and we must protect the Thrifty Food Plan in the farm bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record four letters in opposition to the House Republican farm bill from the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, AFL-CIO, and ASFCME. All letters disapprove of the nearly $30 billion cut to SNAP.

American Federation of Teachers,

May 22, 2024.

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Representative: On behalf of the 1.7 million members of the

AFT, I write in opposition to the Farm, Food, and National

Security Act of 2024 (Farm Bill).

Simply put, this bill will only increase hunger and food

insecurity for many Americans by cutting $30 billion in

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits

over 10 years. This will have a devastating effect on the

children, families, older Americans, college students and

individuals with disabilities who rely on the program. SNAP

is the nutritional safety net that families and individuals

depend on to thrive. The AFT represents school food service

workers and educators who know firsthand that SNAP is the

guardrail, along with school meals, that ensures our most

vulnerable students are receiving the food assistance needed

to learn and excel in school. This proposal will be the

largest cut to SNAP in 30 years. According to the Center on

Budget and Policy Priorities, the Summer EBT (electronic

benefit transfer) program, which provides families with

school-age children a grocery benefit over the summer when

students cannot receive their school meals, will also receive

a cut of $500 million in this bill.

SNAP benefits are already limited, with the average benefit

totaling approximately $6.20 per person, per day. And this is

after the 2021 re-evaluation (the first adjustment in nearly

50 years), which provided SNAP recipients with an additional

$1.40 per person, per day. According to the Urban Institute,

this increase helped reduce poverty by 4.7 percent, impacting

approximately 2.3 million Americans. Yet, in addition to the

cuts, this is the adjustment the House Farm Bill wants to

prevent from occurring again.

The Farm Bill is also proposing to eliminate the federal

protections for merit staffing and privatize the workforce

that conducts the essential work for the SNAP program. Merit

staff are government workers who ensure the program is

working effectively with transparency by providing

eligibility screenings, application assistance and

verification guidance. As a union of public employees,

including those who process SNAP applications, the AFF

opposes the proposal to outsource jobs and strip merit

staffing that has protected public investment for more than

75 years. Not only will this eliminate public accountability

for public investment, but it will also set the precedent to

remove the merit staffing provisions in other critical

federal programs.

Although the Farm Bill includes programs for rural

communities that have bipartisan support, the funding for

those programs is paid for with funding taken from SNAP. If a

child is hungry, any positive gains of having additional

funding for schools, broadband and other services in rural

communities are nullified. This is not a time to borrow from

Peter to pay Paul.

Many individuals and families are struggling to buy

sufficient, healthy meals. Instead of focusing on real

bipartisan solutions for families, children, workers and

rural communities, the House Farm Bill is attempting to roll

back nutrition and labor protections. I urge you to oppose

the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 in

committee.

Sincerely,

Randi Weingarten,

President, AFT.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Wild for those powerful words.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Vargas).

Mr. Speaker, I would add that $18 billion of the cuts would affect households with children, which, in a typical month, would include nearly 17 million children.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Barragan).

Mr. Speaker, I would add for the record that $9 billion of the cuts would affect households with preschool-aged children or children under 5, which, in a typical month, would include about 5 million young children.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Mr. Speaker, $5 billion of the cuts will affect households with older adults, which, in a typical month, would include more than 6 million individuals age 60 or older whose benefits would be cut.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson).

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate everything Representative Jackson said, and I thank him for his words.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the Task Force on Agriculture and Nutrition in the 21st Century.

Mr. Speaker, I want to amplify the point that we have to have a farm bill that works for everyone. I often hear people say that we need a farm bill that represents farmers. I would challenge that. We need a farm bill that represents everyone.

Members often ask me whether I represent a farming community. My response is that we all represent communities where people eat, and that has to be a part of the conversation, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Pressley for her remarks. I add that children in some of our most vulnerable communities don't have lobbyists, but they do have Members of Congress, and it is our job to make sure that we are actively working to improve their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar).

Mr. Speaker, I would add that in 2023, 1.2 million veterans participated in the SNAP program. I really don't understand why in this Congress whenever we have to make tough policy choices, these are the people that are always targeted.

Last year during the debt ceiling negotiations, the program that was targeted and cut was SNAP and nutrition programs.

In September when we went back for the appropriations budget, the program and the hard lines that were targeted were, once again, feeding and nutrition programs. When will this end?

I yield to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Balint for her remarks. As my colleague stated, she and I are both former educators, and I really wish that before Members of Congress cast their vote on these cuts to programs like SNAP that they were forced to sit in a classroom on a Tuesday morning after a long weekend and count the number of kids who have their heads down on their desk.

I wish that Members were forced to sit in a classroom on any given day as a kid said they had a headache third period, and you realize it is because they haven't had breakfast.

I wish that Members of Congress were forced to stand with you at the after-school program when a kid hung behind and asked if they could take something home for their little brother who has been home all day, and they know they haven't eaten.

I wish every Member of Congress and everyone in this Chamber were forced to do that before these proposals were put into a bill like the farm bill and before Members voted on these things.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).

Mr. Speaker, I can't help but reflect on the irony of us hearing every day about inflation and the rising cost of food and basic things that people need while also proposing cuts to the most vulnerable people on an anti-hunger, antipoverty program.

I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy), the newest member of our Democratic Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), a leader on the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues who participated in tonight's SNAP Special Order.

I will close by saying that these cuts will affect Summer EBT, which is how most families feed their children over the summer, by $500 million in this farm bill.

I am not really sure if there is a full appreciation of who is affected by these cuts. I have been very transparent about my story and the fact that I grew up in a household that received food stamps. As a young college student and a single mom, I was working two jobs, attending community college, and still qualified for benefits.

I promise you that my story is the same as a constituent in the district of every single Member of Congress who just wants a shot, who just wants a chance at raising their children with dignity, who just wants a chance at moving their family from poverty into being contributors to society.

Every single one of you has someone in your district just like me, hundreds of families going through the same thing, working families that will be affected by the $11 billion in cuts that would affect their households and their earnings.

I urge my Republican colleagues to rethink these proposals, to come back to the table and let us work on a bipartisan farm bill that helps everybody in America. Of all the things that we can say that we have done, I don't want taking food out of the mouths of children to be one of them.

Tomorrow, we will go into a markup on this farm bill, and we will review it title by title. There are 12 titles. The Thrifty Food Plan, which is what many of us have spoken about tonight, which is a mathematical system by which benefits are evaluated and based upon, was moved from title IV, which is the nutrition title, to title XII, miscellaneous and others.

Nutrition is not miscellaneous. It is something that should be a priority in this country. It is something that we have the ability to do. Once again, it is a policy choice.

I held out until I saw the text because I prayed about it and I hoped and I wished that the cuts were not as bad as I had read about in the papers and heard talk about, but they are. Mr. Speaker, $30 billion in cuts are devastating to a program that is the most effective antihunger program that we have.

I urge my colleagues to really consider their votes on this farm bill and the impact that it will have on children and families.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Jonathan L. JacksonD-IL-1 · May 22, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I rise because it is imperative that this body move with all deliberate speed to pass a farm bill that is both responsible and enriching for the American people. The farm bill is one of…

Mr. Speaker, I rise because it is imperative that this body move with all deliberate speed to pass a farm bill that is both responsible and enriching for the American people.

The farm bill is one of the most fundamental pieces of legislation that we enact as a government, not simply because of the dollars we dedicate, but more so because of the number of people who are supported by the passing of this indispensable law.

Unlike most of the bills we pass, the farm bill is not a dry and depersonalized legislative act. There are names and faces attached to food. There are real people in dire situations associated and connected to the success of this bill.

Unlike most of the appropriations we allocate in this body, the farm bill is a moral document that reminds us that we owe each other as human beings.

It brings us back to the fundamental things. It reminds us that the politics of the future mean nothing in the stomach of a child who is hungry.

To be sure, this bill compels us to move forward. This bill moves us beyond politics of blame so that we might embrace a more excellent way. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the farm bill is one of the few manifestations of the social contract this government makes with the American people. The SNAP program alone is a moral accomplishment that we have to reach for.

Over 300,000 people make up my district in Illinois. Almost 73,000 of those households receive SNAP benefits. Almost 40 percent of these households have a child in them, and almost 45 percent of those children have some sort of disability.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that the bill is one of the few manifestations of the social contract of this government that the American people deserve. The SNAP program alone is our moral achievement, and I say this because all of us know that 86 percent of the SNAP benefits go to the households of women and children.

Mr. Speaker, we have to move with speed. Ask not what you can do for your country but what your country can do for you. Let me tell you, there is a mutuality in this contract. We also have to understand that the state has to support the people, not simply the people supporting the state. The farm bill helps those who are in need when their backs are against the wall.

Does this bill achieve that? No, Mr. Speaker. Taking food off of children's plates is not the best of the American ideal. We say our prayers, and we pray for the food we are about to receive. We do not pray for the food that has now been removed from our table by our government.

We must, indeed, fight for the rights of all those women and children and disabled families that need our help.

This is important because the time when we ignore cities and emerging farming centers is over. In the district that I represent, we celebrate community gardens and urban farms because inasmuch as I believe that access to healthy food is a right that all human beings should enjoy, it is also a responsibility that each of us must take into our own hands. Each of us must do whatever we can to ensure that our families have the sustenance and nutrition they require for flourishing and the possibility of a great life.

We need a farm bill that is responsible. Taking food out of the mouths of the most desperate and those of the least, the lost, and the left behind cannot stand. I will be opposing this farm bill until it is more responsive and we leave SNAP alone and ensure that every family is well fed in America.

I thank Mrs. Hayes for picking up this fight.

Rep. Bennie G. ThompsonD-MS-2 · May 22, 2024

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I am one of those Members who represent a significant agricultural district which actually has its economy based on agriculture. I also represent the district that former Congressman Jamie Whitten represented. Ultimately, he framed the farm bill such that it did not pit rural America against urban America.

This bill pits rural America against urban America, and that is not the purpose of a farm bill. Let's talk a little bit about it.

Mr. Speaker, you can't penalize the needy for the greedy. What I am saying in that respect is, so many people in this country are in need of nutrition benefits. That is why we have a farm bill. A substantial majority of the farm bill is devoted to nutrition, and rightfully so.

Let's talk a little bit about where I am with it. This is my fourth farm bill. I have gone through all of it. I have seen everything that has been had with it, but the important part is that I serve as the chair of the Task Force on Agriculture and Nutrition in the 21st Century, appointed by Leader Jeffries.

We went all over the country. We heard from people saying, look, there are important things for the farm bill, but it is all about compromise and working together.

What did we hear people say? The first thing they said: Food is medicine. If you are worried about healthcare in this country, if people don't have nutrition, that is a problem.

Today, the cost of food is steadily rising, which means Americans cannot afford to purchase healthy and nutritious meals.

In going around the country, there were a number of things that we heard from east, west, north, and south. People said that we must eliminate the hot

food ban for SNAP recipients. SNAP recipients should have the benefit of hot meals. We must address the hunger among college students. We should protect SNAP against harmful cuts to eligibility requirements.

Talking about eligibility requirements, most people don't know that if you are on Social Security and Medicare, that counts against seniors' eligibility for SNAP benefits. By doing that, veterans are also penalized in the qualification for SNAP benefits.

We also have those individuals who have made a mistake. They have come out, but they are ineligible for SNAP benefits. We always talk about second-chance people, so why shouldn't formerly incarcerated people be eligible for food stamps?

Those are the things that we heard.

More importantly, this $30 billion cut is totally unreasonable. It makes no sense, and again, it penalizes people by putting politics over people. I hope when this issue is taken up tomorrow, Democrats will stand firm in their opposition against it.

If Republicans are genuinely interested in making this work, we can do that, but from the nutritional standpoint, don't penalize people who need help. The demonstration of their help is already here.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to, after this issue is defeated, coming back together, pulling people together, working through all the logistics, and not being cute about how we fund certain programs and defund other programs.

Rep. Rashida TlaibD-MI-12 · May 22, 2024

Mr. Speaker, I thank my wonderful, amazing, dedicated, committed colleague from Connecticut, who is today, as we say in Detroit, speaking truth to power when it comes to our most vulnerable in the…

Mr. Speaker, I thank my wonderful, amazing, dedicated, committed colleague from Connecticut, who is today, as we say in Detroit, speaking truth to power when it comes to our most vulnerable in the United States.

We have heard over and over again that we are the richest country in the world. Even though we live in the richest country, millions of children live in poverty, lacking access to necessities like food, housing, and healthcare. It is shameful.

More than 44 million people in our country face hunger, including over 15 percent in one of the largest counties in my district, Wayne County. SNAP is an essential food assistance program that has been a key tool in combating hunger in our most vulnerable communities.

Now, my Republican colleagues want to cut this essential program that so many of our families rely on to feed their children. It is shameful. The GOP farm bill would make the largest cut to SNAP in nearly 30 years. The bill threatens $27 billion in SNAP benefits for low-income families. It is utterly shameful.

We must stand together strongly in support of expanding the social safety net and increasing funding programs for SNAP and other child nutrition programs. They are essential in creating healthy, thriving communities.

It is time to protect programs to combat hunger, not make extremist cuts. Working families in our country should not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

In this body, we see over and over again that we seem to find money for endless wars like this, but we can't seem to find the same resources to end child hunger in our country.

The first African-American woman ever to serve in our Congress was Shirley Chisholm. She used to say children can't learn if they are hungry.

Children should and must have access to SNAP benefits to experience long-term positive outcomes like better health, improved learning, and higher success as adults.

I don't think people realize the trauma of what the most vulnerable people among us go through in going to sleep hungry. Access to nutritious meals is essential for every child's health and development. We know this.

Why make these extremist cuts? We must continue to invest in universal school meals and so much more.

I am proud to cosponsor the Universal School Meals Program Act and proud to say to all my folks in the 12th Congressional District that I am not going to back down. I am not going to back down until we fully fund SNAP benefits.

Mr. Speaker, it is the least we can do in this Congress. It is not just our children. It is our disabled neighbors, our seasoned residents, our veterans, and working-class folks who are working hours and hours a day but still can't put food on the table. We must do better.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank my colleague from Connecticut for bringing us together today to discuss the importance of protecting SNAP.

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Introduced in HouseIssued August 1, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5094

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 1, 2023

Mr. Bacon (for himself and Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow for blended workforces to carry out the supplemental nutrition assistance program under certain conditions, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2023.

SNAP staffing flexibility

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding section 11(e)(6)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, a State agency (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008) may, by contract with the State agency at a reasonable cost in accordance with the State agency’s standard contracting rules, hire a contractor to undertake supplemental nutrition assistance program certification or carry out any other function of the State agency under the supplemental nutrition assistance program so long as—

(1)

the contract does not provide incentives for the agency or contractor to delay eligibility determinations or to deny eligibility for individuals other wise eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, and

(2)

the contractor has no direct or indirect financial interest in an approved retail store.

(b)

Use

A State agency may use the authority provided in subsection (a) when the State experiences increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or an inability to timely process such applications from causes that include but are not limited to—

(1)

pandemics and other health emergencies,

(2)

seasonal workforce cycles,

(3)

temporary staffing shortages, and

(4)

weather or other natural disasters.

(c)

Requirements

A State agency that hires a contractor under subsection (a) shall ensure such action—

(1)

is consistent with all principles under section 900.603 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations; and

(2)

is part of a blended workforce and does not supplant existing merit-based personnel in the State.

(d)

Notification

A State agency shall notify the Secretary of Agriculture of the intent to use the authority provided in this section and shall provide any information or data supporting State agency increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or inability to timely process such applications.

(e)

Program design

Any action taken by a State agency under subsection (a) shall not be—

(1)

considered to be a major change in the operations of such State agency for the purposes of section 11(a)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(a)(4)), or

(2)

subject to any requirement specified in such section.

(f)

Blended workforce

For purposes of this section, the term blended workforce means a government workforce that combines—

(1)

employees of the State or of a local government of such State, and

(2)

employees of a for-profit, or private nonprofit, employer with whom a contract is made under the authority provided in this section.

(g)

State agency notifications

Not later than 10 days after the date of the receipt of a notification submitted by a State agency under subsection (d), the Secretary of Agriculture shall make publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture the notification submitted by such State agency and any accompanying information or data supporting such notification so submitted.

(h)

Annual report

The Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Agriculture Committee of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, an annual report that contains a description of the measures taken to address the increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications, any inability to timely process such applications, any information or data supporting State agency requests and recommendations for changes to the Secretary’s authority under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) to assist the Secretary, and States and local governments of State, in preparations for any future increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or inability to timely process such applications.

(i)

Temporary staffing shortages

In cases of temporary staffing shortages, the authority provided to State agencies under subsection (a)—

(1)

shall expire when the backlog of supplemental nutrition assistance program applications has been eliminated, and

(2)

shall not impact any collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding in effect between the State and employees of the State or of a local government of such State.