Mickey Leland Memorial Domestic Hunger Relief Act

Mickey Leland Memorial Domestic Hunger Relief Act - Title I: Reducing Childhood Hunger - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to revise and increase the excess shelter expense deduction for each fiscal year from FY 1991 through FY 1993.

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust the basic benefit level upwards by specified increments at the beginning of each fiscal year from FY 1991 through FY 1995 until it reaches 105 percent of the cost of the thrifty food plan.

Directs the Secretary by regulation to provide for emergency allotments to eligible households to replace food lost in a disaster.

Excludes from the computation of household income any State allowance (provided at least annually) for obtaining school clothes for children in school or child care.

Provides for allotment increases to cover State or local sales taxes for participants in demonstration projects.

Requires alternative systems for delivery or use of food stamp benefits to meet standards issued by the Secretary and, where household participation is not optional, to involve retail food stores serving minority populations, but only if necessary special equipment is operational at all registers.

Provides food stamp coverage for prepared meals for homeless households.

Permits State agencies to develop standard estimates of the shelter and related expenses which homeless households may reasonably be expected to incur in order to certify such households based on reported expenses not exceeding such an estimate.

Title II: Promoting Self-Sufficiency - Excludes the first $50 a month received as child support from consideration as income in determining the food stamp allotments of households also receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits.

Increases from $4,500 to $5,500 from January 1 through September 30, 1991, with annual cost-of-living adjustments to follow, the limit on the fair market value of vehicles that food stamp recipients may own.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a sufficient number of demonstration projects to evaluate the effects of excluding from such vehicle calculation the value of: (1) any licensed vehicle used for certain income-producing, transportation, or shelter purposes; and (2) one licensed vehicle used for job-related or job-seeking purposes (including commuting), for pursuing education or training, or for securing food or food stamp benefits.

Allows States to use their own agency-designed forms instead of forms approved by the Secretary.

Directs State agencies to allow a household to select an adult parent of children in the household as its head where all adult household members agree to do so.

Allows four States to give priority in the provision of services to voluntary participants (including both exempt and nonexempt), so long as performance standards are maintained.

Authorizes an employment and training program to contain programs designed to increase the self-sufficiency of recipients through self-employment. Excludes from the computation of household financial resources any nonliquid resources necessary to allow the household to carry out an approved plan for self-sufficiency.

Increases from $25 to $75 the limit for reimbursements to recipients for costs incurred in employment and training activities.

Permits otherwise eligible persons who attend an institution of higher learning to receive food stamp benefits if he or she: (1) attends the institution as part of an employment and training program; or (2) is over 50, registered for employment, and subject to employment or training requirements.

Revises the exclusion of educational expenses from the computation of household incomes.

Excludes from the computation of household incomes housing assistance payments made to a third party on behalf of a household residing in transitional housing for the homeless.

Title III: Simplifying Program Administration - Requires parents and children (regardless of age) who live together to apply for food stamps as a single household.

Directs the Secretary to conduct five demonstration projects, in both rural and urban areas, under which households in which each member receives AFDC benefits shall receive monthly food stamp allotments following AFDC rules and procedures, without regard to the eligibility, benefit, and administrative rules of the food stamp program.

Requires the Secretary to issue rules under which State agencies must develop standards for identifying (for exclusion as inaccessible resources) those kinds of resources the household is unlikely to sell for any significant return because its interest is so slight or the cost of selling would be so great.

Provides that a food stamp office need not consider any resources that the AFDC or supplemental security income benefit programs have already determined to be exempt.

Directs State agencies to require only one adult representative of a household to sign all declarations required in the application process on behalf of the household.

Makes recipients of State or local general assistance programs categorically eligible for food stamps.

Reduces from 30 to ten days the deadline for households convicted of food stamp fraud to decide how to repay their over issuances.

Establishes a Commission on the Coordination of Family Support and Food Stamp Policies to report to the President and the Congress on AFDC and food stamp program policies, recommending how to eliminate barriers to participation in both programs. Authorizes appropriations.

Title IV: Hunger in Rural America - Requires State agencies to designate rural project areas where low-income persons face substantial difficulties in getting transportation. Requires issuance of coupons by mail in such areas, except where households experience mail losses exceeding certain levels.

Allows States to assist households with the food stamp application process.

Directs the Secretary to exclude from financial resources the value of a vehicle a household depends upon to carry heating fuel or water for home use where it has no other access to fuel or water.

Title V: Promoting Access for the Elderly and Disabled - Declares that State agencies, with respect to the excess medical deduction for the elderly and the disabled, shall not require further verification of a change in medical expenses if the change has been anticipated for the verification period.

Requires annual adjustments to the value of the minimum food stamp benefit.

Permits State agencies to establish a procedure allowing households whose regular food stamp benefits do not exceed $20 per month to receive up to $60 worth for intervals of up to three months.

Requires that any applicant for or recipient of supplemental security income benefits be informed of the availability of food stamp benefits.

Title VI: Program Administration by State Agencies - Prohibits the application of disallowances for erroneous issuances or similar actions to any State for a fiscal year before FY 1991.

Directs the Secretary, by specified deadlines, to develop standards for initial approval of automated data processing and information retrieval systems for State agencies, as well as written procedures and standards for initial and continued approval reviews. Sets alternative deadlines for full operation of such systems, the later being September 30, 1993. Provides for waivers of ADC system requirements where their application would not significantly improve the efficiency of a State agency's administration.

Title VII: Reauthorization of Programs - Reauthorizes through FY 1995: (1) the food stamp program; (2) the nutrition assistance program for Puerto Rico; (3) the temporary emergency food assistance program under the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983; (4) the soup kitchen and food bank programs under the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988; (5) the commodity distribution and supplemental food programs under the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973; (6) the distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition projects under the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981; and (7) the nutrition education program under the Food Security Act of 1985.

Title VIII - Amends the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 to require biennial reports to the Congress on food bank projects.

Amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to establish a Commodity Supplemental Food Program for the Elderly.

Amends the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988 to set forth the National Gleaning Clearinghouse Act of 1990. Establishes a National Gleaning Clearinghouse to share information on available, unused food that could be distributed through the emergency feeding network.

Title IX: Effective Dates - Sets forth the effective dates of provisions of this Act.