Advocates call for public comments by May 1 to revise USDA rules narrowing access to Food Stamp Program

Rules recently proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for extensive changes in the federal Food Stamp Program threaten access to the program by deleting or diluting key provisions that have protected families for decades. They constitute the most important and far-reaching set of proposed food stamp rules in more than 20 years.

The National Center on Poverty Law and many other national, state, and local groups are advocating revisions in the proposed rules. The public may submit comments by May 1, 2000.

If possible, please customize your letter by adding a cover letter or a paragraph at the beginning of your comment letter indicating the nature of your organization or interest in food and nutrition issues and any additional comments. You may download the sample letter from the National Center on Poverty Law Web site.

Comments should be directed to Patrick Waldron, Program Analyst, Certification Policy Branch, Program Development Division, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Via facsimile: 703.305.2486.

Please fax a copy of your comment letter to Dory Rand, National Center on Poverty Law, 312.263.3846 (fax).

The proposed rules, published in the Federal Register on February 29, 2000, include not only changes required by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 but also many other changes in the Food Stamp Program.

Several proposed changes not required by law would significantly improve food stamp eligibility rules, such as rules that deal with the vehicles that households may own. Unfortunately most of the proposed changes would adversely affect low-income families and reduce their access to the program.

Over the past several years food stamp participation has dropped by more than nine million persons. The decline has been substantially larger than the decline in poverty and the decline due to food stamp eligibility changes in the 1996 federal welfare law. Census data and other studies confirm that the proportion of eligible households—and of poor children—receiving food stamps has fallen.

The proposed regulations are out of step with the Clinton administration’s recent actions to address declines in food stamp participation. They would weaken or eliminate some of the important food stamp regulatory protections that have served for years to improve access to the program by eligible families and to prevent procedural or technical denials of eligible families who have applied for benefits.

The proposed regulations would have especially deleterious effects on working poor families, people with disabilities, immigrant families and the homeless, making it harder for many of them to navigate the food stamp system. And, although the proposed rules contain one important proposal that would positively affect immigrant families, they include numerous other provisions that would be damaging to immigrant families. Exacerbating these problems, the proposed regulations also remove numerous other key protections and clarifications from the rules, while asserting that no policy changes are intended.

For more information, please call Dory Rand (ext. 228) or Dan Lesser (ext. 227) of the National Center on Poverty Law at 312.263.3830.