Number:  113-16
Date:  February 5, 2014

Senate Passes H.R. 2642,
the Agricultural Act of 2014

On February 4, 2014, the Senate agreed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 2642, the Agricultural Act of 2014, by a vote of 68-32.  The bill would reauthorize and make amendments to various programs administered by the Department of Agriculture, including programs that use Social Security data to administer Federal payments.  The House previously agreed to the conference report on January 29, 2014, by a vote of 251-166.  The bill now goes to the President for his action.  

Following are provisions of interest to SSA:

Section 1608 – Farm Commodity Payments to Deceased Individuals

  • Would require the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to reconcile, at least twice each year, the Social Security numbers of all individuals receiving payments, whether directly or indirectly, under farm commodity programs, with the Commissioner of SSA to determine if the individuals are alive.

  • Would be effective upon enactment.

Section 4015 – Mandating State Immigration and Income Verifications

  • Would require States, in carrying out the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to use a system for verifying income and eligibility1.

  • Would be effective upon enactment.

Section 4016 – Data Exchange Standardization for SNAP-Related Data

  • Would require the Secretary, in consultation with an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) interagency workgroup and State government agencies, to issue rules no later than two years after enactment that designate data exchange standards for SNAP-related State data exchanges with other States and SNAP-related Federal data exchanges and reporting.

  • Would not require a change to existing Federal data exchanges related to SNAP that are found to be effective and efficient.

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1 In order to fulfill this requirement, States may choose to use the income and eligibility verification system established under section 1137 of the Social Security Act through which SSA provides benefit and SSN verifications.