Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§5179 Benefits and Distribution
Title 42 › CHAPTER 68 — DISASTER RELIEF › SUBCHAPTER IV — MAJOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS › § 5179
Summary
The President may order extra food help for low-income households after a major disaster. He can provide benefit allotments under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 of 1964 (P.L. 91–671; 84 Stat. 2048) [7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.] through the Secretary of Agriculture or other agencies, and he can make surplus food available. He can keep giving this aid as long as he thinks it is needed and may consider things like how the disaster hurt a household’s ability to earn money. This does not change the rest of the Food and Nutrition Act except for how supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits are made available in disaster areas.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §5179
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Persons eligible; terms and conditions
Whenever the President determines that, as a result of a major disaster, low-income households are unable to purchase adequate amounts of nutritious food, he is authorized, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, to distribute through the Secretary of Agriculture or other appropriate agencies benefit allotments to such households pursuant to the provisions of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 of 1964 (P.L. 91–671; 84 Stat. 2048) [7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.] and to make surplus commodities available pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(b)Duration of assistance; factors considered
The President, through the Secretary of Agriculture or other appropriate agencies, is authorized to continue to make such benefit allotments and surplus commodities available to such households for so long as he determines necessary, taking into consideration such factors as he deems appropriate, including the consequences of the major disaster on the earning power of the households, to which assistance is made available under this section.
(c)Food and Nutrition Act provisions unaffected
Nothing in this section shall be construed as amending or otherwise changing the provisions of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 of 1964 1 [7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.] except as they relate to the availability of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits in an area affected by a major disaster.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c), is Pub. L. 88–525, Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 703, which is classified generally to chapter 51 (§ 2011 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 2011 of Title 7 and Tables. This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 5121 of this title and Tables. Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical
Amendments
to this section. The
Amendments
by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 412 of Pub. L. 93–288 was renumbered section 415 by Pub. L. 100–707 and is classified to section 5182 of this title.
Amendments
2008—Pub. L. 110–246, § 4115(c)(1)(A)(iv), (B)(v), substituted “Benefits” for “Food coupons” in section catchline. Pub. L. 110–246, § 4002(b)(1)(C), (2)(DD), substituted “Food and Nutrition Act of 2008” for “Food Stamp Act” in subsecs. (a) and (c). Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 110–246, § 4115(c)(1)(A)(ii), (B)(v), substituted “benefit” for “coupon”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–246, § 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(DD), substituted “supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits” for “food stamps”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture. Amendment by section 4002(b)(1)(C), (E), (2)(DD), and 4115(c)(1)(A)(ii), (iv), (B)(v) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress. Executive Dcouments Delegation of Functions Secretary of Agriculture designated and empowered to exercise, without approval, ratification, or other action of President, all authority vested in President by this section concerning food coupons (benefits) and distribution, see section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 11795, as amended, set out as a note under section 5121 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 5179
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110