Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act
Sponsored By: Senator Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced
Summary
Moves Puerto Rico from a nutrition block grant to full SNAP eligibility with local cost adjustments. This bill would create a multi-year path to bring Puerto Rico into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and adjust benefit calculations to reflect local food prices.
Show full summary
- Families and households in Puerto Rico would become eligible for SNAP benefits and see benefit levels adjusted to reflect local food costs under the thrifty food plan.
- Puerto Rico would need to submit a transition plan within 180 days and would receive Secretary-level technical assistance. The Secretary would be required to act on the plan within 180 days and certify Puerto Ricos eligibility to participate in SNAP within 90 days if the plan is approved.
- The bill would allow the current consolidated block grant to continue for up to 5 years while Puerto Rico phases into SNAP, require annual congressional reports on funding needed to complete the shift, and adjust block grant mechanics to align American Samoa payments, including a 0.4 percent moving schedule.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Add Puerto Rico to SNAP rules
If enacted, Puerto Rico would be added to the law that defines who can get SNAP. Ten years after enactment, Puerto Rico households would be eligible under the same rules that apply to other territories. Ten years after enactment, the Thrifty Food Plan would also include a Puerto Rico cost adjustment to better reflect local food prices.
Ten-year delay for law changes
If enacted, the Act would take effect on the date of enactment but most amendments would not become law until the date that is 10 years after enactment. In practice, that would postpone Puerto Rico households' access to SNAP rules, Thrifty Food Plan adjustments, and related payment changes for ten years.
Funding rules for post-transition years
If enacted, each year after Puerto Rico's transition period an amount equal to 0.4 percent of a defined aggregate total would be allocated to Puerto Rico. That 0.4 percent amount would also be adjusted by how much the Thrifty Food Plan changed between specified June 30 dates. These allocations would be subject to available appropriations. The bill would also require funds available for American Samoa to be used to pay 100 percent of that territory's nutrition program costs each year after the post-transition period. Congress could authorize such sums as may be necessary to run the transition until the end of the continuation period described in section 4(a).
Puerto Rico SNAP transition process
If enacted and Puerto Rico names an agency, Puerto Rico would have 180 days to send a plan to the Agriculture Secretary to move to SNAP. The Secretary must provide requested training and technical help during those 180 days. The Secretary must approve a compliant plan within 180 days or list unmet requirements within 30 days of any disapproval. If the plan is approved, the Secretary would certify Puerto Rico's eligibility to Congress within 90 days. The Secretary could keep Puerto Rico's current consolidated block grant in place during a transition period that can last up to 5 years after the amendments take effect or until the block grant is no longer needed.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]
PA • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Charles Schumer
NY • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Raphael Warnock
GA • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/23/2026
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/13/2026
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/13/2026
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov