# Understanding the Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023

This bill makes several changes to how the government calculates food assistance benefits and who can receive them. The core idea is to increase the amount of money people get through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps) and make it easier for certain groups to qualify.

The biggest change involves switching from what's called the "thrifty food plan" to a "low-cost food plan" when calculating SNAP benefits. In practical terms, this means the government would base benefit amounts on a slightly more generous food budget. Currently, SNAP benefits are calculated using the cheapest possible diet the government thinks a family can eat. This bill would shift to a low-cost diet instead, which allows for a bit more variety and realistic food choices. The bill also increases the medical expense deduction from 8 percent to 10 percent, which helps elderly and disabled people get more SNAP benefits by counting more of their medical costs. Additionally, it removes the cap on shelter expense deductions, meaning people with very high housing costs could deduct all of them rather than being limited to a maximum amount.

The bill also eliminates time limits on SNAP benefits for able-bodied adults without dependents, a group that currently faces restrictions on how long they can receive assistance. This would allow more people to stay on the program longer. Finally, the bill attempts to bring Puerto Rico into the SNAP program, which currently operates under a different, more limited system. Puerto Rico would need to set up the necessary infrastructure and submit a plan to the federal government, and the bill provides $112.5 million to help with that transition.

Overall, these changes would increase benefits for current recipients and expand eligibility for some groups, particularly low-income elderly and disabled people, and residents of Puerto Rico.

Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023

Adams, Alma S.

Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2023 This bill revises the requirements for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.The bill increases the minimum SNAP benefit and requires benefits to be calculated using the value of a low-cost food plan. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan, which is the diet required to feed a family of four, consisting of<ul><li>a man and a woman ages 19-50 years,</li><li>a child ages 6-8 years, and</li><li>a child ages 9-11 years.</li></ul>USDA must (1) reevaluate and publish the market baskets of the plan by December 31, 2029, and every five years thereafter, based on current food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns, and dietary guidance; and (2) make adjustments to the plan to account for household size, changes in the cost of the diet, and the costs of food in specified areas.The bill modifies the requirements for calculating household income to determine SNAP eligibility by (1) authorizing a standard medical expense deduction for households containing an elderly or disabled member, and (2) eliminating the cap on the excess shelter expense deduction.The bill eliminates certain work requirements for SNAP; the requirements apply to able-bodied adults who are ages 18-49 and have no dependent children.The bill allows Puerto Rico to participate in SNAP. Currently, Puerto Rico receives a block grant instead of participating in SNAP. The bill also provides funding for Puerto Rico to receive a one-time USDA grant for the technology infrastructure necessary to implement SNAP.&nbsp; &nbsp;