[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2378 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2378
To provide increased financial assistance for farmers markets and
farmers market nutrition programs, to increase local agricultural
production through food bank in-house production and local farmer
contracting; and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 29, 2023
Ms. Kaptur (for herself and Mr. Evans) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to
the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide increased financial assistance for farmers markets and
farmers market nutrition programs, to increase local agricultural
production through food bank in-house production and local farmer
contracting; and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ``Farmers' Market and Food Bank Local
Revitalization Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Food insecurity, epidemic levels of obesity,
hypertension, diabetes, and youth osteoporosis are caused by
improper nutrition yielded by lack of nutritious, reliable, and
locally available healthy food options.
(2) The American Diabetes Association estimated a 41-
percent increase in costs of diagnosed diabetes from 2007
($174,000,000,000) to 2012 ($245,000,000,000) with most of
these costs (62 percent) coming from senior health programs
such as Medicare and Medicaid.
(3) Since sequestration in 2008, there has been no funding
increase for the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.
(4) From 2008 to 2020, the moderate at home food cost for a
family of 2 (aged 51-70 years old) increased by an average of
$70 a month. The Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
funding has not kept pace with such inflation.
(5) According to the Department of Agriculture, Seniors
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program has a total program funding
backlog of $20,065,021 and a season benefit level backlog of
$16,120,741 across all participating States, territories, and
Native American Tribes.
(6) Roughly 1 in 10 United States senior citizens (about
5,146,000) are forced to live well below the Federal poverty
level, and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is
only able to reach about 725,000 due to inadequate funding.
(7) Since sequestration in 2008, funding for the WIC
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program has fallen by over $6,000,000
and never rebounded.
(8) The WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is a vital
safeguard for the nearly 1 in 7 children who will be born into
poverty in the United States and will be at nutritional risk.
(9) According to the Department of Agriculture, the WIC
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program has a total program and
seasonal benefit funding backlog of $6,198,432 across all
participating States, territories, and Native American Tribes.
(10) In the United States, food banks will provide meals to
1 in 7 people.
(11) Many food banks share special relationships with local
farmers who often donate their crops to food banks. The
partnership allows for more efficient and sustainable
procurement for food banks.
(12) Assisting food banks to grow their own food will aid
local procurement and allow food banks to serve as farming
resources to their communities, especially to those who are
food insecure.
(13) The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, specifically
required looking at ways to incorporate local goods to reduce
food waste.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to increase and enhance funding for the Farmers' Market
Nutrition Programs to support seniors and food insecure
families, and to increase market capacity for local farmers;
(2) to provide funding assistance for the expansion and
construction of farmers' markets in both rural and urban food
desert areas;
(3) to increase local food production through partnership
with food banks by local farmer contracting and funding
assistance to food banks to grow necessary produce through
traditional or controlled environment agricultural farming.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION AND ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
FOR SENIORS FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations for Seniors Farmers' Market
Nutrition Program.--Section 4402(a) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007(a)) is amended by striking
``2023'' and inserting ``2028''.
(b) Additional Authorization of Appropriations To Expand
Participation in the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.--
(1) Increased authorization of appropriations.--To expand
and address season benefit level and total backlogs of the
Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, there is authorized
to be appropriated--
(A) for fiscal year 2024, an increase to
$60,000,000;
(B) for fiscal year 2025, an increase to
$70,000,000; and
(C) for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2028,
and increase to $100,000,000.
(2) Benefit enhancement.--For the purpose of expanding
access to the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, funds
appropriated under subsection (a) shall be used for the
following purposes:
(A) Program eligibility income limit shall increase
to 200 percent of the Federal poverty guideline.
(B) The minimum individual benefit shall be
increased to $35.
(C) The maximum individual benefit limit shall be
removed.
SEC. 4. MINIMUM INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT INCREASE UNDER THE WIC FARMERS'
MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM.
Section 17(m) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C.
1786(m)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``paragraph (10)'' both places it appears
and inserting ``paragraph (9)'';
(2) in paragraph (5)(C)--
(A) by striking ``$10'' and inserting ``$35''; and
(B) by striking ``$30'' and inserting ``$60''; and
(3) in paragraph (9)(A), by striking ``2015'' and inserting
``2028''.
SEC. 5. INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING FOR FARMERS MARKETS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall make loans,
loan guarantees, and grants to public agencies and nonprofit
organizations for--
(1) the construction of new farmers' markets; or
(2) the improvement or rehabilitation of existing farmers'
markets, including by adding or improving payment technologies
used in such farmers' markets.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a loan, loan guarantee,
or grant under subsection (a) with respect to a farmers' market the
public agency or nonprofit organization involved shall--
(1) demonstrate financial need as determined by the
Secretary; and
(2) commit to reserving at least 50 percent of the floor
area of the farmers' market for the sale of products that are
produced locally, as determined by the Secretary, by farmers,
ranchers, or aquaculture, mariculture, or fisheries operators,
or by associations of farmers, ranchers, or such operators.
(c) Cost Sharing.--
(1) Grants.--The amount of a grant under this section shall
not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the activity for which the
grant is made.
(2) Maximum amount.--The combined amount of a grant made
and loan made or guaranteed under this section shall not exceed
80 percent of the cost of the activity for which the grant or
loan is made or guaranteed.
(d) Interest Rate.--
(1) In general.--A loan made by the Secretary under
subsection (a) shall bear interest at the rate equivalent to
the rate of interest charged on Treasury securities of
comparable maturity on the date the loan is approved.
(2) Duration.--The interest rate referred to in paragraph
(1) with respect to a loan referred to in such paragraph shall
remain in effect for the term of the loan.
(e) Funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the
Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $50,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.
SEC. 6. PILOT PROGRAM FOR FOOD BANKS AND LOCAL FARMER CONTRACTING FOR
LOCAL PROCUREMENT.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a
pilot grant program in which food banks may voluntarily contract with
their local farmers for them to grow produce for food bank programs to
promote local procurement of produce. Food banks serving economically
depressed or food desert areas hall be given priority to receive grants
under this section. The Secretary shall make grants to food banks in 5
urban ZIP Codes (as designated by the Census Bureau), 5 suburban ZIP
Codes (as designated by the Census Bureau), and 5 rural ZIP Codes (as
designated by the Census Bureau) distributed as follows:
(1) 3 of such grants in each ZIP Code selected under
paragraph (1) shall be awarded to food banks in each Census
Bureau Region of the United States; and
(2) 3 of such grants among 3 of such ZIP Codes selected by
the Secretary.
(b) Methods.--Under contracts made by food banks with grants
received under subsection (a), local farmers may grow produce through
traditional or controlled environmental agriculture farming.
(c) Funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the
Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $7,500,000 for
fiscal years of 2024 and 2025. The amount of a grant under this section
shall be $500,000 per grant as to operate 15 separate pilot program
grant locations in total.
SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
Not later than 180 days after effective date of this Act, the
Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to--
(1) the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on
Education and the Workforce, of the House of Representatives;
and
(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
and the Committee on Aging, of the Senate,
a report that contains a review of the effect of this Act on local
procurement of food, local farmers, who or what groups or entities are
procuring the food, and the communities involved.
SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect 120 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
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