COMPARABLE TREATMENT FOR DISQUALIFICATION.

SEC. 819. COMPARABLE TREATMENT FOR DISQUALIFICATION. (a) In General.—Section 6 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2015) is amended by adding at the end the following: “(i) Comparable Treatment for Disqualification.— “(1) In general.—If a disqualification is imposed on a member of a household for a failure of the member to perform an action required under a Federal, State, or local law relating to a means-tested public assistance program, the State agency may impose the same disqualification on the member of the household under the food stamp program. “(2) Rules and procedures.—If a disqualification is imposed under paragraph (1) for a failure of an individual to perform an action required under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the State agency may use the rules and procedures that apply under part A of title IV of the Act to impose the same disqualification under the food stamp program. “(3) Application after disqualification period.—A member of a household disqualified under paragraph (1) may, after the disqualification period has expired, apply for benefits under this Act and shall be treated as a new applicant, except that a prior disqualification under subsection (d) shall be considered in determining eligibility.” . (b) State Plan Provisions.—Section 11(e) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (24), by striking “and” at the end; (2) in paragraph (25), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (3) by adding at the end the following: “(26) the guidelines the State agency uses in carrying out section 6(i); and” . (c) Conforming Amendment.—Section 6(d)(2)(A) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2015(d)(2)(A)) is amended by striking “that is comparable to a requirement of paragraph (1)”.