Thrifty Food Plan Accountability Act of 2023
This bill requires that, when the Department of Agriculture (USDA) reevaluates the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), the results of the reevaluation (1) be budget-neutral; and (2) only adjust the cost of the diet based on current standards (i.e., food price inflation, household size, and the cost of food in specific states).
USDA created the TFP (the cost of purchasing a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet), which is used to determine maximum monthly benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). USDA calculates the cost of the TFP each year to account for food price inflation. Under a provision of the 2018 farm bill, USDA must reevaluate the contents of the TFP (i.e., the market basket of goods) every five years based on current food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns, and dietary guidance. USDA last re-evaluated the TFP in 2021.