Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 13, 1981 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | executive branch |
| Headquarters | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Parent department | U.S. Department of Agriculture Department of Family Affairs of Puerto Rico |
| Parent agency | Administration for the Socioeconomic Development of the Family |
| Key documents | |
| Website | www.benefits.gov |
Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico (NAP) —Spanish: Programa de Asistencia Nutricional (PAN) commonly known in Puerto Rican Spanish as Cupones (English: Food Stamps)— is a federal assistance nutritional program provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) solely to Puerto Rico. It provides over $1.5 billion USD in supplemental economic resources to help just over 1 million impoverished residents cope with their nutritional needs. It is based on, though not directly part of, the USDA's national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Since its inception in 1982, the program has been providing low-income families living in Puerto Rico with cash benefits used for food purchases. It is a collaborative effort between the USDA and the island's government, where the former provides annual federal appropriations for the Puerto Rican government to distribute individually among eligible participants. Although the methods of providing such benefits have changed over the years, the program's basic objective of helping low-income families meet their nutritional needs has remained constant.
It has, however, been controversial throughout its existence. Federal reviews and assessments have revealed deficiencies in its operations and management, requiring the implementation of various changes, including increased scrutiny. It has also attracted both criticism and advocacy from Puerto Rico and the United States over its effectiveness in helping poor families, and its impact on Puerto Rico's social classes and economy.
Food stamps have been issued in the United States since World War II, but the program did not include Puerto Rico until the early 1970s, when U.S. Public Laws 91-671 of January 11, 1971 and 93-86 of November 1, 1974 partially extended the Food Stamp Program to U.S. territories. The Food Stamp program was later expanded to provide full coverage and benefits to Puerto Rico and other territories under Section 19 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977.
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