Food Stamp Act of 1964

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, formerly known as the Food Stamp Act of 1964 and Food Stamp Act of 1977, provides permanent legislative authority to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. On August 31, 1964 it was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
It was later amended by the food stamp provisions of the Food 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 the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 renamed the act to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Food Stamp Program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.