House Bill Would Bring Puerto Rico Into National SNAP Program After Decades on Fixed Aid
A house committee must act next: committee consideration.
No action since January 2026
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 253 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 253 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
If Puerto Rico transitions to SNAP, the increased food assistance dollars flowing to the island would boost demand for food products, potentially benefiting local farmers and ranchers as well as mainland agricultural producers who supply goods to Puerto Rico. Higher SNAP benefits generally translate into more spending at grocery stores and food markets.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act to end the decades-long exclusion of the island from SNAP. The bill aims to provide equitable food assistance to 1.4 million residents currently under the limited NAP block grant.
Lawmakers introduced legislation to move Puerto Rico into the SNAP program, arguing the current block grant system leaves residents with fewer benefits than those on the mainland. The bill includes a multi-year transition period to allow the island to build necessary administrative infrastructure.
The Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act proposes a 10-year transition for the island to move to SNAP. This would replace the current NAP system, which provides lower benefits and lacks the ability to automatically expand during emergencies like hurricanes.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.