WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) introduced the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act to address inequalities in food assistance for Puerto Ricans by allowing Puerto Rico to fully participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“I’ve always maintained that SNAP is a critical lifeline, yet Puerto Ricans aren’t fully eligible. We all get hungry and we shouldn’t punish people when they need food,” said Senator Fetterman. “I’m proud to support the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act to make USDA nutrition programs more fair and accessible.”
“Puerto Rico’s exclusion from SNAP has needlessly punished Puerto Ricans, ripping away essential nutrition benefits and billions of dollars in funding to the island,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The vital Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act would correct this injustice by enabling Puerto Ricans to participate in SNAP and receive Disaster SNAP in the wake of natural disasters and other emergencies. I’m proud to lead the charge to get this legislation passed, and I’ll keep fighting until Puerto Ricans have the same benefits that are afforded to other American citizens.”
“Our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico have been unjustly excluded from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for decades,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m proud to champion this legislation with Senator Gillibrand to right past wrongs by enabling our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico to fully participate in SNAP and ensuring the people of Puerto Rico have the full access to federal resources that they deserve.”
“This Senate bill builds on the work we have done in the House to address the cost-of-living challenges that Puerto Ricans face,” said Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández. “I commend Senator Gillibrand for her leadership in introducing the Senate companion and strengthening this effort to improve affordability in Puerto Rico.”
“Puerto Rico’s Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) lacks several important tools that are available under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and are designed to provide direct support to beneficiaries,” said Puerto Rico Governor Jeniffer González-Colón. “Aside from providing greater benefit assistance, SNAP offers opportunities for economic development via education, training, and employment, and offers robust assistance in the aftermath of natural and other disasters. This is why Puerto Rico needs a transition from NAP to SNAP, a goal that I support and have worked on for many years, first as a member of Congress and now as Governor. One of the bills I introduced on this issue while in Congress was the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation to secure a structured and successful transition. Senator Gillibrand has historically been our lead for this bill in the Senate, and I am thankful that we can count on her once more as she reintroduces this important proposal in the 119th Congress. I look forward to continuing to work together.”
Currently, U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico participate in the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), a capped block grant that is not needs-based or reactive to increased participation. This has led to lower nutrition benefits for residents of Puerto Rico than for residents of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Furthermore, the NAP block grant has no equivalent to Disaster SNAP, meaning that Puerto Rican disasters or emergencies require separate, new appropriations from Congress which can take months. There are currently approximately 1.5 million NAP participants.
The Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act would transition Puerto Rico from NAP to SNAP, and is endorsed by the Hispanic Federation, Coalition for Food Security, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and Bread for the World.
“For more than four decades, American families in Puerto Rico have endured unequal treatment in federal nutrition assistance programs, resulting in hundreds of thousands of families going hungry as nutrition assistance fails to keep pace with the growing costs of groceries,” said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, Puerto Rico Chief Director for Hispanic Federation. “Hispanic Federation has long advocated for Puerto Rico’s inclusion in SNAP, and the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, led by Senator Gillibrand, represents a crucial step to achieve this. Congress must seize this moment and include Puerto Rico’s transition from NAP to SNAP in the Farm Bill.”
“For almost eight years, the Coalition for Food Security Puerto Rico has dedicated its efforts to securing equitable nutrition funding for American citizens residing in Puerto Rico to combat hunger,” said Lillian Rodriguez Lopez of the Coalition for Food Security. “A central focus of these initiatives is advocating for Puerto Rico’s transition to SNAP, thereby addressing longstanding disparities that have existed since the territory’s exclusion more than 45 years ago. The Senate bill, with the support of Senators Gillibrand, Fetterman, Lujan, Padilla, and Senate Leader Schumer, proposes a transparent and strategic ten-year timeline for this transition. It is recommended that all members of the Senate endorse S.XXX to promote nutrition equity as part of the Farm Bill 2026 framework.”
“All people deserve to be able to feed themselves and their families, and this must include the people of Puerto Rico who have been ignored for far too long,” said Liza Lieberman, Vice President of Public Affairs at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. “The Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act will ensure that the people of Puerto Rico can access the same nutrition benefits as all other American citizens. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is committed to supporting and uplifting our partners in Puerto Rico, and we are proud to fight for the structural changes needed to address growing food insecurity across our communities.”
Read the full text of the bill here.
