{
  "id": "RL33690",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL33690",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 341528,
      "date": "2006-10-12",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T18:45:30.337029",
      "title": "Food Stamps and Nutrition Programs in the 2002 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "Among the titles dealing with farm-support and other agriculture-related issues, Title IV of the 2002 farm bill (the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act; P.L. 107-171) reauthorized appropriations for and substantially revised the Food Stamp program. It also included provisions affecting several other domestic food aid programs/activities operated under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture that have typically been included in farm bills: nutrition assistance block grants to Puerto Rico and American Samoa, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Community Food Projects, and rules governing foods used in domestic feeding programs such as the School Lunch program. Beyond this traditional array of food assistance programs, the 2002 bill encompassed provisions for a new Seniors Farmers\u2019 Market program, a new Fruit and Vegetables pilot program, a set-aside to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables for schools, a Congressional Hunger Fellows program, the purchase of locally produced food, and changed eligibility rules for free and reduced-price school meals and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (the WIC program).\nAs a historical source and in the expectation that the issues raised in and the results of actions taken during consideration of the 2002 farm bill may come up again in the next scheduled farm bill (2007), this report presents in some detail what happened with regard to nutrition programs in 2002.\nThe nutrition title of the 2002 farm bill (Title IV): substantially expanded food stamp eligibility for legally resident noncitizens (the single largest change), liberalized food stamp benefits and eligibility rules, provided new options for states to vary from regular Food Stamp program rules, greatly changed the system for penalizing states with high rates of erroneous benefit and eligibility determinations, increased funding for TEFAP and CSFP, and, as noted above, introduced several new programs. It was estimated to cost $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion over FY2002-FY2007. However, a number of issues were raised but not addressed: Administration requests to loosen the food stamp asset test as it relates to vehicles and to limit state options to make public assistance recipients automatically eligible for food stamps, a provision to increase benefits for those with very high shelter costs, recommendations to open up work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, a change to allow states to conform their method of reviewing households\u2019 food stamp eligibility to the method used for other public assistance programs, and a proposal to allow food stamps to be used for dietary supplements.\nOverall, the basic themes of the nutrition title of the 2002 farm bill were expanded eligibility for legal noncitizens, more leeway for states to establish their own version of food stamp rules, and support for expanded availability of fresh fruit and vegetables.\nThis report will not be updated.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
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  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations"
  ]
}