WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

S. 3958 · 119th Congress

Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act

IntroducedAgriculture and Food
IntroducedMar 2, 2026
Passed SenateNot yet
Passed HouseNot yet
To PresidentNot yet
Became lawNot yet

Where it stands

Introduced. Latest step, Mar 2, 2026: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. It would change 3 sections of existing law and would add 3 new provisions of its own.

How this bill changes the law

Sourced

S. 3958 would change 3 sections of existing law, and would create 3 new provisions of its own. Read from the bill text as introduced in the Senate (Mar 2, 2026).

7 U.S.C. 2012

7 U.S.C. 2014

7 U.S.C. 2028

New provisions of the bill's own

  • Sec. 3 Submission of plan of operation; technical assistance; determination and certification by Secretary of Agriculture
  • Sec. 4 Transition from the consolidated block grant for Puerto Rico
  • Sec. 6 Authorization of appropriations
What the words would change: every change, in place (17)

Today's wording of each part of the law, with what would be struck out and added. Each change also gives the bill's own instruction, word for word.

  1. 7 U.S.C. 2012(r)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 2(a)

    (r) "State" means the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the reservations of an Indian tribe whose tribal organization meets the requirements of this chapter for participation as a State agency.

    The bill says: in subsection (r), by inserting "Puerto Rico," after "Guam,"; and

  2. 7 U.S.C. 2012(u)(3)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 2(a)

    The bill says: in subsection (u)(3), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:

  3. 7 U.S.C. 2014(b)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 2(b)

    (b) Eligibility standards. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the Secretary shall establish uniform national standards of eligibility (other than the income standards for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States established in accordance with subsections (c) and (e) of this section) for participation by households in the supplemental nutrition assistance program in accordance with the provisions of this…

    The bill says: in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by inserting "Puerto Rico," after "Guam,";

  4. 7 U.S.C. 2014(c)(1)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 2(b)

    (1) the household's income (after the exclusions and deductions provided for in subsections (d) and (e)) exceeds the poverty line, as defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)), for the forty-eight contiguous States and the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and GuamGuam, and Puerto Rico, respectively; and

    The bill says: in subsection (c)(1), by striking "and Guam" and inserting "Guam, and Puerto Rico"; and

  5. 7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(1)(A)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 2(b)

    The bill says: in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting "Puerto Rico," after "Hawaii," each place it appears; and

  6. 7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(6)(B)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 2(b)

    The bill says: in paragraph (6)(B), in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting "Puerto Rico," after "Guam,".

  7. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(1)(A)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    (A) until the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and

    The bill says: in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting "until the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act," before "the Commonwealth";

  8. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(A)(i)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    The bill says: in clause (i), by striking "and" at the end, and

  9. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(A)(ii)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    The bill says: by inserting "ending at the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act" after "thereafter";

  10. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(A)(ii)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    The bill says: by striking the period at the end and inserting "; and"; and

  11. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(A)(ii)a new sectionadded (iii)by S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    (iii) subject to the availability of appropriations under section 18(a), for each fiscal year beginning after the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, 0.4 percent of the aggregate amount specified in clause (i) and adjusted under clause (ii), as further adjusted by the percentage by which the thrifty food plan has been adjusted under section 3(u)(3) between June 30 of the penultimate fiscal year preceding such effective date and June 30 of the fiscal year for which the adjustment is made under this clause.

    The bill says: by adding at the end the following:

  12. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(B)(i)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    The bill says: in subparagraph (B)(i), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting "ending at the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act" after "thereafter"; and

  13. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(C)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    The bill says: by striking "For" and inserting the following:

  14. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(C)(i)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    The bill says: in clause (i) (as so designated), by inserting "ending at the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act" after "thereafter"; and

  15. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(C)a new sectionadded (ii)by S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    (ii) Full use of funds.— For each fiscal year beginning after the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, the Secretary shall use 100 percent of the funds made available under subparagraph (A) for payment to American Samoa to pay 100 percent of the expenditures by American Samoa for a nutrition assistance program extended under section 601(c) of Public Law 96–597 (48 U.S.C. 1469d(c)).

    The bill says: by adding at the end the following:

  16. 7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(3)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(1)

    (3) Time and manner of payments to Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Secretary shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (b), until the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, pay to the Commonwealth for the applicable fiscal year, at such times and in such manner as the Secretary may determine, the amount estimated by the Commonwealth pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A)(iv), reduced or increased to the extent of any prior overpayment or current underpayment which the Secretary determines has been made under this section and with respect to which adjustment has not already been made under this subsection.

    The bill says: in paragraph (3), by inserting "until the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act," before "pay to"; and

  17. 7 U.S.C. 2028(b)(1)(A)a new sectionchangedby S. 3958 Sec. 5(2)

    The bill says: in subsection (b)(1)(A), in the first sentence, by striking "In order to receive payments under this Act for any fiscal year" and inserting "Until the end of the period described in section 4(a) of the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, to receive payments under this Act for a fiscal year".

From the bill's official text on GovInfo and the U.S. Code, latest edition, which may not yet show changes made since.

What it does

Sourced

Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act

This bill establishes a process to enable Puerto Rico to participate as a state in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under current law, a state receives SNAP funding based on the number of participating households in the state whereas Puerto Rico receives a block grant to fund its nutrition assistance program.

The bill requires Puerto Rico to submit to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a plan of operation to transition from the consolidated block grant program to SNAP. USDA must provide appropriate training and technical assistance to enable Puerto Rico to formulate such plan.

Official summary by the Congressional Research Service (Introduced in Senate, Mar 2, 2026).

Our plain-language breakdown, with what it means for you and the case for and against, is written once a bill starts to move.

What has happened

Sourced
  1. Mar 2, 2026Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.Senate
  2. Mar 2, 2026Introduced in SenateLibrary of Congress

Show key steps only

Cosponsors

  • Angela D. Alsobrooks D-MD
  • Richard Blumenthal D-CT
  • Cory A. Booker D-NJ
  • Richard J. Durbin D-IL
  • John Fetterman D-PA
  • Ruben Gallego D-AZ
  • Martin Heinrich D-NM
  • Tim Kaine D-VA
  • Andy Kim D-NJ
  • Ben Ray Luján D-NM
  • Edward J. Markey D-MA
  • Christopher Murphy D-CT
Show 8 more cosponsors
  • Alex Padilla D-CA
  • Bernard Sanders I-VT
  • Adam B. Schiff D-CA
  • Charles E. Schumer D-NY
  • Raphael G. Warnock D-GA
  • Peter Welch D-VT
  • Roger F. Wicker R-MS
  • Ron Wyden D-OR