
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC2027]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                     CHAPTER 51--FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
 
Sec. 2027. Appropriations and allotments


(a) Authorization of allotments; monthly reports of expenditures to 
        Congressional committees; restriction on use of funds; nutrition 
        education improvements

    (1) To carry out this chapter, there are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal years 
1996 through 2002. Not to exceed one-fourth of 1 per centum of the 
previous year's appropriation is authorized in each such fiscal year to 
carry out the provisions of section 2026 of this title, subject to 
paragraph (3).
    (2) No funds authorized to be appropriated under this chapter or any 
other Act of Congress shall be used by any person, firm, corporation, 
group, or organization at any time, directly or indirectly, to interfere 
with or impede the implementation of any provision of this chapter or 
any rule, regulation, or project thereunder, except that this limitation 
shall not apply to the provision of legal and related assistance in 
connection with any proceeding or action before any State or Federal 
agency or court. The President shall ensure that this paragraph is 
complied with by such order or other means as the President deems 
appropriate.
    (3)(A) Of the amounts made available under the second sentence of 
paragraph (1), not more than $2,000,000 in any fiscal year may be used 
by the Secretary to make 2-year competitive grants that will--
        (i) enhance interagency cooperation in nutrition education 
    activities; and
        (ii) develop cost effective ways to inform people eligible for 
    food stamps about nutrition, resource management, and community 
    nutrition education programs, such as the expanded food and 
    nutrition education program.

    (B) The Secretary shall make awards under this paragraph to one or 
more State cooperative extension services (as defined in section 3103(5) 
of this title) who shall administer the grants in coordination with 
other State or local agencies serving low-income people.
    (C) Each project shall include an evaluation component and shall 
develop an implementation plan for replication in other States.
    (D) The Secretary shall report to the appropriate committees of 
Congress on the results of the projects and shall disseminate the 
results through the cooperative extension service system and to State 
human services and health department offices, local food stamp program 
offices, and other entities serving low-income households.

(b) Limitation of value of allotments; reduction of allotments

    In any fiscal year, the Secretary shall limit the value of those 
allotments issued to an amount not in excess of the appropriation for 
such fiscal year. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, 
if in any fiscal year the Secretary finds that the requirements of 
participating States will exceed the appropriation, the Secretary shall 
direct State agencies to reduce the value of such allotments to be 
issued to households certified as eligible to participate in the food 
stamp program to the extent necessary to comply with the provisions of 
this subsection.

(c) Manner of reducing allotments

    In prescribing the manner in which allotments will be reduced under 
subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall ensure that such 
reductions reflect, to the maximum extent practicable, the ratio of 
household income, determined under sections 2014(d) and 2014(e) of this 
title, to the income standards of eligibility, for households of equal 
size, determined under section 2014(c) of this title. The Secretary may, 
in prescribing the manner in which allotments will be reduced, establish 
(1) special provisions applicable to persons sixty years of age or over 
and persons who are physically or mentally handicapped or otherwise 
disabled, and (2) minimum allotments after any reductions are otherwise 
determined under this section.

(d) Requisite action by Secretary to reduce allotments; statement to 
        Congressional committees

    Not later than sixty days after the issuance of a report under 
subsection (a) of this section in which the Secretary expresses the 
belief that reductions in the value of allotments to be issued to 
households certified to participate in the food stamp program will be 
necessary, the Secretary shall take the requisite action to reduce 
allotments in accordance with the requirements of this section. Not 
later than seven days after the Secretary takes any action to reduce 
allotments under this section, the Secretary shall furnish the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a statement setting 
forth (1) the basis of the Secretary's determination, (2) the manner in 
which the allotments will be reduced, and (3) the action that has been 
taken by the Secretary to reduce the allotments.

(e) Disposition of funds collected pursuant to claims

    Funds collected from claims against households or State agencies, 
including claims collected pursuant to sections 2016(f), 2020(g) and 
(h), and subsections (b) and (c) of section 2022 of this title, claims 
resulting from resolution of audit findings, and claims collected from 
households receiving overissuances, shall be credited to the food stamp 
program appropriation account for the fiscal year in which the 
collection occurs. Funds provided to State agencies under section 
2025(c) of this title shall be paid from the appropriation account for 
the fiscal year in which the funds are provided.

(f) Transfer of funds

    No funds appropriated to carry out this chapter may be transferred 
to the Office of the Inspector General, or the Office of the General 
Counsel, of the Department of Agriculture.

(Pub. L. 88-525, Sec. 18, as added Pub. L. 95-113, title XIII, 
Sec. 1301, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 979; amended Pub. L. 96-58, Sec. 1, 
Aug. 14, 1979, 93 Stat. 389; Pub. L. 96-249, title I, Sec. 134, title 
II, Sec. 201, May 26, 1980, 94 Stat. 368, 370; Pub. L. 97-18, Sec. 1, 
June 30, 1981, 95 Stat. 102; Pub. L. 97-98, title XIII, Secs. 1331, 
1332, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1291; Pub. L. 97-253, title I, 
Secs. 180(b)(2), 183, Sept. 8, 1982, 96 Stat. 784, 785; Pub. L. 99-198, 
title XV, Secs. 1535(c)(2), 1541, 1542(a), Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1585, 
1589; Pub. L. 101-624, title XVII, Secs. 1760, 1761, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 
Stat. 3803, 3804; Pub. L. 104-127, title IV, Sec. 401(e), Apr. 4, 1996, 
110 Stat. 1026; Pub. L. 104-193, title VIII, Sec. 853, Aug. 22, 1996, 
110 Stat. 2339; Pub. L. 105-362, title I, Sec. 101(b), Nov. 10, 1998, 
112 Stat. 3281.)


                               Amendments

    1998--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 105-362 struck out at end ``The 
Secretary shall, by the fifteenth day of each month, submit a report to 
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate setting 
forth the Secretary's best estimate of the second preceding month's 
expenditure, including administrative costs, as well as the cumulative 
totals for the fiscal year. In each monthly report, the Secretary shall 
also state whether there is reason to believe that supplemental 
appropriations will be needed to support the operation of the program 
through the end of the fiscal year.''
    1996--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 104-193 substituted ``1996 through 
2002'' for ``1991 through 1997'' in first sentence.
    Pub. L. 104-127 substituted ``1991 through 1997'' for ``1991 through 
1995'' in first sentence.
    1990--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 101-624, Secs. 1760(1)(A), 1761(1), 
substituted ``To carry out this chapter, there are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary for each of the fiscal years 
1991 through 1995.'' for former first two sentences which related to 
authorizations of appropriation for fiscal years ending September 30, 
1978 through September 30, 1990, and inserted ``, subject to paragraph 
(3)''.
    Pub. L. 101-624, Sec. 1760(1)(B), substituted ``supplemental 
appropriations will be needed to support the operation of the program 
through the end of the fiscal year'' for ``reductions in the value of 
allotments issued to households certified to participate in the food 
stamp program will be necessary under subsection (b) of this section''.
    Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 101-624, Sec. 1761(2), added par. (3).
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101-624, Sec. 1760(2), struck out ``amount 
authorized in subsection (a)(1) of this section'' after ``exceed the 
appropriation''.
    1985--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 99-198, Sec. 1541(1), inserted 
provisions authorizing appropriations for fiscal years ending Sept. 30, 
1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990.
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99-198, Sec. 1541(2), substituted ``the 
appropriation amount authorized in subsection (a)(1) of this section,'' 
for ``the limitation set herein,''.
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99-198, Sec. 1535(c)(2), substituted reference 
to subsections (b) and (c) of section 2022 of this title for reference 
to 2022(b) of this title.
    Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 99-198, Sec. 1542(a), added subsec. (f).
    1982--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 97-253, Sec. 183, inserted provisions 
for appropriations for the fiscal years ending on September 30, 1983-
1985, inclusive.
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97-253, Sec. 180(b)(2), struck out reference to 
section 2025(g) of this title in first sentence.
    1981--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 97-98, Sec. 1331, struck out ``and'' 
after ``September 30, 1980;'' and inserted ``; and not in excess of 
$11,300,000,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982''.
    Pub. L. 97-18 substituted ``$11,480,000,000'' for ``$9,739,276,000'' 
in appropriation authorization for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 
1981.
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97-98, Sec. 1332, added subsec. (e).
    1980--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96-249 designated existing provisions as 
par. (1) and substituted ``$9,491,000,000'' for ``$6,188,600,000'' and 
``$9,739,276,000'' for ``$6,235,900,000'', and added par. (2).
    1979--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96-58, Sec. 1(1), (2), substituted 
``$6,778,900,000'' for ``$6,158,900,000'' in provisions authorizing 
appropriations for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1979, struck out 
provisions directing that sums appropriated under this chapter would 
continue to remain available until expended, and inserted provisions 
requiring the Secretary to submit monthly reports to Senate and House 
Committees relating to monthly expenditures and stating whether or not 
there is reason to believe that reductions in the value of allotments 
issued to households certified to participate in the food stamp program 
will be necessary under subsec. (b) of this section.
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96-58, Sec. 1(3), substituted ``Notwithstanding 
any other provision of this chapter, if'' for ``If'' at beginning of 
second sentence.
    Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 96-58, Sec. 1(4), added subsecs. (c) and 
(d).


                    Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

    Amendment by sections 1760(1)(A) and 1761 of Pub. L. 101-624 
effective Oct. 1, 1990, and amendment by section 1760(1)(B), (2) of Pub. 
L. 101-624 effective Nov. 28, 1990, see section 1781(b)(1), (2) of Pub. 
L. 101-624, set out as a note under section 2012 of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1985 Amendment

    Section 1542(b) of Pub. L. 99-198 provided that: ``The amendment 
made by this section [amending this section] shall become effective on 
October 1, 1986.''


                    Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

    Amendment by section 180(b)(2) of Pub. L. 97-253 effective Oct. 1, 
1982, see section 193(b) of Pub. L. 97-253, set out as a note under 
section 2012 of this title.
    Amendment by section 183 of Pub. L. 97-253 effective Sept. 8, 1982, 
see section 193(a) of Pub. L. 97-253, set out as a note under section 
2012 of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 97-98 effective on earlier of Sept. 8, 1982, or 
date such amendment became effective pursuant to section 1338 of Pub. L. 
97-98, set out as a note under section 2012 of this title, see section 
192(b) of Pub. L. 97-253, set out as a note under section 2012 of this 
title.
    Amendment by Pub. L. 97-98 effective upon such date as Secretary of 
Agriculture may prescribe, taking into account need for orderly 
implementation, see section 1338 of Pub. L. 97-98, set out as a note 
under section 2012 of this title.


                             Effective Date

    Section 1301 of Pub L. 95-113 provided that this section is 
effective Oct. 1, 1977.


 Availability of Amounts if Sequestration Order Issued for Fiscal Year 
                                  1989

    Amounts available to carry out food stamp program under this section 
to be reduced if sequestration order is issued under section 902(b) of 
Title 2, The Congress, see section 702(c)(1) of Pub. L. 100-435, set out 
as an Effective Date of 1988 Amendment note under section 2012 of this 
title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 2013, 2025, 2030 of this 
title.
