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Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973
PL 93-86, 87 Stat. 221-250
Aug. 10, 1973
- Amended definition of "household" to include any narcotics addict or alcoholic who lives under the supervision of a private nonprofit organization or institution for the purpose of regular participation in a drug or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program.
- Prohibited any individual who received SSI benefits under title XVI of the SSA to be considered a member of a household or an elderly person for any purpose of the FSA for any month if such person received for such month, as part of his SSI benefits or payments, an amount equal to the bonus value of food stamps in addition to the amount of assistance such individual would be entitled to receive. Secretary of HEW to issue regulations to implement this provision after consultation with the Secretary of USDA.
- Added definition of "drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program" to mean any drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program conducted by a private nonprofit organization or institution which is certified by the state agency or agencies responsible for the administration of the state's programs for alcoholics and drug addicts pursuant to PL91-616 `Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act' and PL92-255 "Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972" as providing treatment that can lead to the rehabilitation of drug addicts or alcoholics.
- Secretary to establish uniform national standards of eligibility for narcotics addicts or alcoholics who live under the supervision of a private nonprofit organization or institution for the purpose of regular participation in a drug or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program.
- Excluded narcotics addicts and alcoholics who regularly participate, as residents or non residents, in any drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program from program work requirements.
- Permitted narcotics addicts or alcoholics who regularly participate in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program to use coupons to purchase food prepared for or served to them during the course of such program by a private nonprofit organization or institution which meet the requirements contained in this act.
- Provided that income and resource eligibility standards take into account payments in kind received from an employer by members of a household, if such payments are in lieu of or supplemental to household income.
- Permitted the establishment of temporary emergency standards of eligibility, without regard to income and other financial resources, for households that are victims of a mechanical disaster which disrupts the distribution of coupons.
- Provided for the issuance of coupon allotments no less often than two times per month.
- Any household participating in the program entitled to have the charges, if any, for its coupon allotment deducted from its AFDC and have its coupon allotment distributed to it with such grant. PL 91-671 allowed allotment charges to be deducted from any grant or payment such household may be entitled to receive under any federally aided public assistance program. This authority was revoked under PL 92-603).
- Required states to submit, prior to Jan. 1, 1974, plans of operation specifying the manner in which such state agency intended to conduct the FSP in every political subdivision in the state, unless the state could demonstrate it was impracticable to extend the program to particular subdivisions. Secretary to approve or disapprove plans in sufficient time to permit institution of plans no later than June 30, 1974.
- Household members sixty years of age or over or elderly persons and their spouses allowed to use coupons to purchase meals prepared by senior citizens' centers, apartment buildings occupied primarily by elderly persons, any public or nonprofit private school which prepares meals especially for elderly persons, any public or nonprofit private eating establishment which prepares meals especially for elderly persons during special hours, and any other public or nonprofit private establishment approved for such purpose by the Secretary when an appropriate state or local agency contracts with a private establishment to offer, at concessional prices, meals prepared especially for elderly persons during regular or special hours.
- Amended definition of "food" to mean any food or food product for home consumption except alcoholic beverages and tobacco and shall also include seeds and plants for use in gardens to produce food for the personal consumption of the eligible household.
- Provided for the semiannual adjustment by the nearest dollar increment that is a multiple of two to reflect changes in the prices of food published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Department of Labor to be implemented commencing with the allotments of Jan. 1, 1974, incorporating the changes in the prices of food through Aug. 31, 1973, but in no event shall such adjustments be made for value of the coupon allotment for such households, as calculated above, is a minimum of $2.
- Allowed members of eligible households living in Alaska to purchase hunting and fishing equipment for the purpose of procuring food for the household except firearms, ammunition, and other explosives, with coupons if the Secretary determined that:
-- such households are located in an area of the state which makes it extremely difficult for members to reach retail food stores, and
-- such households depend to a substantial extent on hunting and fishing for subsistence purposes. - Amended definition of "retail food store" to include senior citizens' centers, apartment buildings occupied primarily by elderly persons, any public or nonprofit private school which prepares meals especially for elderly persons, any public or nonprofit private eating establishment which prepares meals especially for elderly persons during special hours, and any other public or nonprofit private establishment approved for such purpose by the Secretary. Definition also included private nonprofit organizations or institutions which meet act requirements and operate drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation programs.
- Permitted residents of federally subsidized housing for the elderly, built under either section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (PL 86-372), or section 236 of the National Housing Act to be considered households and not residents of an institution or boarding house for purposes of eligibility for food stamps.