Republicans reject efforts to transition Puerto Rico to SNAP from NAP

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico’s effort to begin a phased transition from the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has stalled.

The initiative was left out of the latest Republican draft of the Farm Bill. The proposal—introduced on January 23 by Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández—did not appear in the new version of the legislation released last week, dealing a setback to efforts to modernize Puerto Rico’s food‑assistance system.

Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee unveiled their farm bill draft on Friday and set a Feb. 23 markup. The release immediately drew objections from the committee’s ranking Democrat, who accused Republicans of loading the bill with “poison pills” that could undermine bipartisan negotiations.

Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R‑Pa.) defended the measure, calling the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 long overdue. He described it as a comprehensive package meant to stabilize agricultural and rural communities and address “modern challenges” identified through years of consultation with farmers and industry stakeholders. Thompson emphasized that the bill has nationwide ramifications and urged lawmakers to work together to move it forward.

Congress has not enacted a full farm bill since 2018, despite the long‑standing five‑year reauthorization schedule. Instead, lawmakers have kept the 2018 law in place through a series of stopgap extensions following its 2023 expiration.

Many of the agricultural and nutrition elements debated in this cycle were already previewed in the GOP’s broader One Big Beautiful Bill Act—later renamed the Working Families Tax Cut—which passed last year without Democratic support. That bill tightened work requirements for SNAP and created new financial penalties for states with high payment‑error rates.

Rep. Angie Craig (D‑Minn.) criticized the newly released farm bill draft, arguing that Republicans locked Democrats out of the drafting process and failed to produce legislation that meets the needs of farmers and working families. Craig called for lowering inflation‑driven tariffs, stabilizing trade relationships, expanding domestic fuel markets such as year‑round E15, and reducing input costs. She argued the Republican proposal is incomplete and filled with provisions that could derail progress if not negotiated in a bipartisan manner.

The bill also includes a controversial measure that could frustrate Republicans aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” wing. The provision would prevent states and courts from penalizing pesticide manufacturers for failing to include health warnings that exceed those formally recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Before the bill’s release, Hernández had mounted a bipartisan push to include the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act (H.R. 5168). Supported by 20 members of Congress, the bill sought to begin a structured transition from NAP’s capped block‑grant system to SNAP, which expands automatically during economic downturns or natural disasters. Advocates argue that the island’s fixed allocation leaves more than 1.3 million low‑income residents vulnerable in crises. Despite these arguments, Puerto Rico was ultimately excluded from the GOP’s latest draft, leaving its transition plan unresolved.

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 also formalizes a series of stringent SNAP work‑requirement changes previously introduced in the July 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The revised Farm Bill integrates these requirements into agricultural policy and aligns them more closely with the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Under the bill, able‑bodied adults without dependents must now meet work requirements until age 64, an expansion from the previous cutoff of 54. The legislation also tightens rules for households with children by requiring parents and other members to comply with work requirements once the youngest child reaches age 14, lowering the previous threshold of 18.

The bill further removes several long‑standing exemptions. Veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth will no longer receive automatic exceptions under SNAP and must meet the same work or training obligations as other adults. In addition, all affected recipients must now complete at least 80 hours per month—roughly 20 hours per week—of work, approved job training, or community service. Those who fail to comply can receive benefits for only three months within a fixed three‑year period.

The legislation also places tighter constraints on states. Work‑requirement waivers will now be available only in areas where unemployment reaches at least 10 percent, limiting state flexibility in responding to economic downturns. Beginning in October, states with SNAP payment error rates above 6 percent will be required to absorb between 5 and 15 percent of program costs, shifting part of the financial burden from the federal government to state agencies. And for states struggling with high error rates, the bill authorizes the temporary use of outside contractors to assist in SNAP administration.