Food Stamp and Commodity Distribution Amendments of 1985

Food Stamp and Commodity Distribution Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to change the four-person thrifty food plan adult age range of from 20 to 54 years old to 20 to 50 years old.

Includes as income all educational assistance used for purposes other than tuition or mandatory fees.

States that assistance provided to a third party on behalf of a household by a State or local government, including Federal or federally-assisted payments, shall be included as income. Exempts medical, child care, energy, housing, or emergency assistance.

States that direct payments to energy suppliers under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act shall not be counted in determining a household's excess shelter deduction.

Lowers the minimum food stamp program work registration age from 18 years old to 16 years old. Makes mandatory certain State program job search requirements which are currently optional. Gives a State the option of extending work requirements to currently exempt caretakers of three-year old to six-year old children.

Repeals the student work requirement exemption.

Establishes a nationwide community work experience program. Sets forth program provisions.

Authorizes the disclosure of certain required food stamp information kept by retail stores to State agencies administering the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

States that State agencies shall administer the work registration and job search services.

Imposes a civil penalty on the transferor of a disqualified retail food store. Prohibits any new owner from accepting food stamps until such penalty has been paid. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to sue in district court to collect such penalty.

States that State agencies shall be liable for interest on claims established by the Secretary under such Act.

Permits a stay of action in a wholesaler-retailer disqualification or penalty action only if the appellant presents a strong showing that he or she is likely to prevail on the case's merits.

Replaces the existing administrative cost-sharing provisions with an administrative grant based on previous administrative costs. Sets the maximum amount for FY 1986 and provides for inflation increases in subsequent fiscal years.

Establishes grants for work requirement programs. Authorizes FY 1986 through 1989 appropriations.

Authorizes food stamp program appropriations for FY 1986 through 1989.

Revises the Puerto Rico block grant program to: (1) make permanent the existing temporary (through September 30, 1985) suspension of the non-cash program requirement; (2) repeal the provision requiring Puerto Rico to pay 50 percent of administrative costs; (3) change the due date for the annual plan from July 1 to April 1; and (4) repeal the requirement of a single administering agency.

Permits States to elect to operate a low-income nutrition assistance program in lieu of the food stamp program.

Requires participants in the Indian reservation food distribution program to furnish the administering State agency with their social security numbers.

Amends the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 to include benefits under such Act as income for food stamp purposes.

Amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to: (1) extend commodity distribution program authority through FY 1989; (2) extend commodity supplemental food program authority through FY 1989; and (3) prohibit the authorization of any new commodity supplemental food program in an area with an existing WIC program.