Para ordenar al Gobierno del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico que siguiendo los parámetros del HR 5168, conocido como ‘‘Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act’’, presentada en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos para consideración, proceda de inmediato a través del Departamento de la Familia y en coordinación con la Administración de Desarrollo Socioeconómico de la Familia (ADSEF), el Departamento de Agricultura de Puerto Rico y cualquier otra agencia pertinente a iniciar las gestiones necesarias para presentar al Secretario de Agricultura de Estados Unidos su plan de operación, incluyendo un plan de transición al Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria conforme a la sección 4(a) de la “Food and Nutrition Act of 2008”, conocida en español como la “Ley de Alimentos y Nutrición de 2008”.

2025-2028 Session

Bill orders Puerto Rico government to initiate federal SNAP transition plan following U.S. HR 5168 standards to align nutrition assistance with federal requirements.

Referido a Comisión(es)

Legislative bill overview

Bill RCC 196 directs the Puerto Rico government to initiate immediate procedures to present an operational plan to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for transitioning from the current nutrition assistance program to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), following parameters outlined in the U.S. House bill HR 5168 (Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act). The government agencies involved would be the Department of Family, the Socioeconomic Development Administration (ADSEF), the Department of Agriculture, and other relevant agencies.

Why this is important

Puerto Rico currently operates a separate nutrition assistance program with different benefit levels and rules than SNAP used in the 50 states. This bill seeks to align Puerto Rico's program with federal SNAP standards, which could significantly impact thousands of low-income families' access to food assistance and the structure of benefits they receive. The transition would require substantial coordination between local and federal agencies and could have budgetary implications for both Puerto Rico and the federal government.

Potential points of contention

Benefit level changes: SNAP benefits may differ from current Puerto Rico program benefits, potentially affecting recipients positively or negatively depending on individual circumstances

Program administration costs: Transitioning to SNAP requires new infrastructure, training, and systems, with unclear allocation of startup and operational costs between local and federal governments

Local program autonomy: Adopting federal SNAP standards may reduce Puerto Rico's flexibility in designing nutrition assistance policies tailored to local conditions and needs