The New Farm Bill

Brief Overview of Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

Debra Garrard

CNEP State Coordinator

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Spring 2009

Food Stamps are Important to a Farm BillFood Stamps are Important to a Farm Bill

CBO Budget Baseline ProjectionsCBO Budget Baseline ProjectionsMarch 2007March 2007

Farm Commodity

Support

Conservation Exports (SNAP)

Previously Food

Stamps

Total Outlays(millions)

$

Total Baseline

(FY08-FY13) 42,446 26,496 2,005 225,845 296,792

Actual Outlays

(FY02-FY07)72,934 18,323 1,648 178,158 271,063

CBO Baseline v.

Actual Outlays

-39,488 +8,173 +357 +47,687 +25,729

List of Key Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

• SNAP – the new name for the Food Stamp Program: “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”

• Raises the Minimum Standard Deduction and indexes it for inflation affects 10m recipients; benefit increase = $4 - $5/mo

• Increases minimum $10 benefit to 8% of max benefit affects 780,000; now $14/mo

Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

• Eliminates the cap on child care expense deduction ($175) 100,000 households with working parents; increase benefit = $40/mo

• Excludes combat pay from income calculations for food stamp eligibility for military families

• Expands spending for TEFAP to assist food banks (190m to 250m)

Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

• Expands authority for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers for fresh food

• Expands availability of fruits and vegetables for low-income kids in school nutrition programs (65m to 150m)

Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

• Authorizes $5 million annually for Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) FY08-12 for fund to purchase and distribute traditional and locally grown foods, designated by region. Where practical, at least 50% of food distributed through the fund must be produced by Native American farmers, ranchers and producers.

Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124

Nutrition Provisions in H.R. 6124