jan 1, 1964 - Food Stamp Act of 1964

Description:

"On Jan. 31, 1964, President Johnson requested Congress to pass legislation making the FSP permanent. Secretary Orville Freeman had submitted proposed legislation to establish a permanent FSP on April 17, 1963. The bill that was eventually passed by Congress was introduced by Congresswoman Sullivan. Among the official purposes of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 (PL 88-525) were strengthening the agricultural economy and providing improved levels of nutrition among low-income households; however, the practical purpose was to bring the pilot FSP under Congressional control and to enact the regulations into law. The major provisions were:

Required a state plan of operation and development of eligibility standards by states;
Required that recipients purchase their food stamps, paying an amount commensurate with their normal expenditures for food and receiving an amount of food stamps representing an opportunity more nearly to obtain a low-cost nutritionally adequate diet;
Established eligibility for purchased with food stamps of all items intended for human consumption except alcoholic beverages and imported foods (the House version would have prohibited the purchase of soft drinks, luxury foods, and luxury frozen foods);
Prohibited against discrimination on bases of race, religious creed, national origin, or political beliefs;
Divided responsibilities between states (certification and issuance) and the Federal Government (funding of benefits and authorization of retailers and wholesalers), with shared responsibility for funding costs of administration; and
Appropriated for the first year funding limited to $75 million; $100 million for the second year; and$200 million for the third year.
The Department estimated that participation in a national FSP would eventually reach 4 million at a cost of $360 million annually." 1

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