| Long title | An Act to strengthen the agricultural economy; to help to achieve a fuller and more effective use of food abundances; to provide for improved levels of nutrition among economically needy households through a cooperative Federal-State program of food assistance to be operated through normal channels of trade; and for other purposes. |
|---|---|
| Acronyms(colloquial) | FSA |
| Enacted by | the88th United States Congress |
| Effective | August 31, 1964 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 88–525 |
| Statutes at Large | 78 Stat. 703 |
| Codification | |
| Titles amended | 7 U.S.C.: Agriculture |
| U.S.C. sections created | 7 U.S.C. ch. 51 § 2011 et seq. |
| Legislative history | |
| |

TheFood and Nutrition Act of 2008, formerly known as theFood Stamp Act of 1964 andFood Stamp Act of 1977, provides permanent legislative authority to theSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. On August 31, 1964 it was signed into law by PresidentLyndon B. Johnson.[1]
It was later amended by the food stamp provisions of theFood and Agriculture Act of 1977, which eliminated the purchase requirement and simplified eligibility requirements. Amendments were made to this Act in 1981–82, 1984–85, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2002, more recently by Title IV of theFarm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 farm bill). TheFood, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 farm bill) renamed the act to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Food Stamp Program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
| Short title | Date of Enactment | Public Law Number | U.S. Statute Citation | U.S. Legislative Bill | U.S. Presidential Administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 27, 1967 | P.L. 90-91 | 81 Stat. 228 | S. 953 | Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| October 8, 1968 | P.L. 90-552 | 82 Stat. 958 | S. 3068 | Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| January 11, 1971 | P.L. 91-671 | 84 Stat. 2048 | H.R. 18582 | Richard M. Nixon | |
| July 12, 1974 | P.L. 93-347 | 88 Stat. 340 | S. 3458 | Richard M. Nixon | |
| February 20, 1975 | P.L. 94-4 | 89 Stat. 6 | H.R. 1589 | Gerald R. Ford | |
| July 5, 1976 | P.L. 94-339 | 90 Stat. 799 | S. 2853 | Gerald R. Ford | |
| Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 | September 29, 1977 | P.L. 95–113 | 91 Stat. 913 | S. 275 | Jimmy E. Carter |
| 1981–82 | |||||
| 1984–85 | |||||
| 1988 | |||||
| 1990 | |||||
| 1994 | |||||
| 1996 | |||||
| 1997 | |||||
| 1998 | |||||
| Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | May 13, 2002 | P.L. 107–171 | 116 Stat. 134 | H.R. 2646 | George W. Bush |
| Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 | June 18, 2008 | P.L. 110–246 | 122 Stat. 1651 | H.R. 2419,H.R. 6124 | George W. Bush |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromJasper Womach.Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition.Congressional Research Service.