7 U.S.C. § 7515 — Allotment and delivery of commodities

(a) Mandatory allotments In each fiscal year, the Secretary must allot— (1) 60 percent of the total value of additional commodities^* provided to States in a manner that that the value of additional commodities allocated to each State^* bears that ratio to 60 percent of the total value of additional commodities^* as the number of persons in households within the State having incomes below the poverty line^* bears to the total number of persons in households within all States having incomes below that poverty line, and each State must be entitled to receive that value of additional commodities; and (2) 40 percent of the total value of additional commodities provided to States in a manner that that the value of additional commodities allocated to each State bears that ratio to 40 percent of the total value of additional commodities as the average monthly number of unemployed persons^* within the State bears to the average monthly number of unemployed persons within all States during that fiscal year, and each State must be entitled to receive that value of additional commodities. (b) Reallocation The Secretary must notify each State of the amount of the additional commodities that that State is allotted to receive under subsection (a), and each State must promptly notify the Secretary if that State determines that it will not accept any or all of the commodities made available under that allocation. On that a notification by a State, the Secretary must reallocate and distribute the amount the State was allocated to receive under the formula prescribed in subsection (a) but declined to accept. The Secretary must further establish procedures to permit States to decline to receive portions of that allocation during each fiscal year as the State determines is appropriate and the Secretary must reallocate and distribute that allocation. In the event of any drought, flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster affecting substantial numbers of persons in a State, county or parish, the Secretary may request that States unaffected by that a disaster consider assisting affected States by allowing the Secretary to reallocate commodities to which each that unaffected State is entitled to States containing areas adversely affected by the disaster. (c) Administration (1) In general Commodities made available for each fiscal year under this section must be delivered at reasonable intervals to States based on the grants calculated under subsection (a), or reallocated under subsection (b), before December 31 of the following fiscal year. (2) Entitlement Each State must be entitled to receive the value of additional commodities determined under subsection (a). (d) Maintenance of effort If a State uses its own funds to provide commodities or services to organizations receiving funds or services under this section, that State must not diminish the level of support it provides to that organizations.