[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3697 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3697

To modify the Restaurant Meals Program under the supplemental nutrition 
  assistance program in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2020

   Mr. Murphy (for himself, Ms. Harris, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Booker) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To modify the Restaurant Meals Program under the supplemental nutrition 
  assistance program in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``SNAP COVID-19 Anti-Hunger Restaurant 
Relief for You Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM UNDER THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION 
              ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means the 
        period beginning on the first day of the first month that 
        begins after the date of enactment of this Act and ending on 
        the last day of the month that follows the month in which the 
        public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with respect to 
        COVID-19, is lifted.
            (2) Program.--The term ``program'' means the supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program established under the Food and 
        Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Definition of Food.--Section 3(k) of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(k)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``clauses (3), (4), (5), 
        (7), (8), and (9) of this subsection'' and inserting 
        ``paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (7) through (10)'';
            (2) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (3) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``, and (10) in the case of households residing in an 
        area for which a major disaster has been declared by the 
        President under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
        Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), 
        regardless of whether individual assistance has been authorized 
        under such major disaster declaration, or a public health 
        emergency has been declared by the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), meals prepared for and served by a public 
        or private nonprofit establishment (approved by an appropriate 
        State or local agency) that feeds such households and by 
        private establishments that contract with the appropriate 
        agency of the State to offer meals for such households at 
        concessional prices subject to section 9(h).''.
    (c) Temporary Streamlining of State Participation.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), during the 
        covered period, the Secretary shall waive the requirements 
        under section 11(e)(25) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
        (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)(25)) for a State plan of operation required 
        under subsection (d) of that section.
            (2) Covered period.--The Secretary may extend the covered 
        period for the purpose of carrying out paragraph (1) if the 
        Secretary determines that such action is necessary to prevent 
        hunger in areas impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 
        (COVID-19).
    (d) Authorization of New Retailers.--
            (1) In general.--During the covered period, for the sole 
        purpose of expanding the number and capacity of retail food 
        establishments, including restaurants, authorized to accept and 
        redeem program benefits in order to adequately serve households 
        that are eligible to receive program benefits, the Secretary 
        may waive any requirements under section 9 of the Food and 
        Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2018).
            (2) No fees.--Nothing in this subsection permits any retail 
        food establishment, including a restaurant, authorized to 
        accept and redeem program benefits to charge fees for the 
        redemption of those benefits, including fees described in 
        section 7(h)(13) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
        U.S.C. 2016(h)(13)).
    (e) Contracts With Private Establishments.--In the case of a 
contract that a State or the Federal Government enters into with a 
private establishment to offer meals at concessional prices under the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) that is 
effective on the day before the public health emergency described in 
subsection (a)(1) is lifted, if the Secretary determines, on or after 
the date on which the public health emergency described in subsection 
(a)(1) is lifted, that the participation of the private establishment 
is not necessary to meet a documented need in accordance with section 
11(e)(25) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)(25)), 
the Secretary may--
            (1) allow the operation of the private establishment to 
        continue without that determination of need for not more than 
        180 days following the date of that determination by the 
        Secretary; or
            (2) terminate the contract and provide justification for 
        the termination to the State in which the private establishment 
        is located.
    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the public 
health emergency described in subsection (a)(1) is lifted, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives a report that includes--
            (1) a description of the effectiveness of this Act in--
                    (A) increasing access to concessional meals during 
                the public health emergency; and
                    (B) preventing hunger and improving health and 
                safety among program recipients described in paragraphs 
                (3), (4), and (9) of section 3(k) of the Food and 
                Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(k)); and
            (2) recommendations for additional statutory authority 
        needed by the Secretary--
                    (A) to prevent hunger among program recipients 
                during any public health emergency or major disaster; 
                and
                    (B) to improve health and safety among program 
                recipients during ongoing social distancing policies 
                relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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