§5179. Food coupons and distribution

(a) Persons eligible; terms and conditions

Whenever the President determines that, as a result of a major disaster, low-income households are unable to purchase adequate amounts of nutritious food, he is authorized, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, to distribute through the Secretary of Agriculture or other appropriate agencies coupon allotments to such households pursuant to the provisions of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 (P.L. 91–671; 84 Stat. 2048) [7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.] and to make surplus commodities available pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(b) Duration of assistance; factors considered

The President, through the Secretary of Agriculture or other appropriate agencies, is authorized to continue to make such coupon allotments and surplus commodities available to such households for so long as he determines necessary, taking into consideration such factors as he deems appropriate, including the consequences of the major disaster on the earning power of the households, to which assistance is made available under this section.

(c) Food Stamp Act provisions unaffected

Nothing in this section shall be construed as amending or otherwise changing the provisions of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 [7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.] except as they relate to the availability of food stamps in an area affected by a major disaster.

( Pub. L. 93–288, title IV, §412, formerly §409, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 157 ; renumbered §412, Pub. L. 100–707, title I, §106(h), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4705 .)

References in Text

The Food Stamp Act of 1964, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c), is Pub. L. 88–525, Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 703 , as amended, known as the Food Stamp Act of 1977, which is classified generally to chapter 51 (§2011 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2011 of Title 7 and Tables.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 412 of Pub. L. 93–288 was renumbered section 415 by Pub. L. 100–707 and is classified to section 5182 of this title.

Delegation of Functions

Secretary of Agriculture designated and empowered to exercise, without approval, ratification, or other action of President, all authority vested in President by this section concerning food coupons and distribution, see section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 11795, as amended, set out as a note under section 5121 of this title.