[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1265 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  1st Session
                                S. 1265

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make temporary assistance 
available to support community food security projects designed to meet 
  the food needs of low-income people, increase the self-reliance of 
    communities in providing for their own food needs, and promote 
comprehensive, inclusive, and future-oriented solutions to local food, 
         farm, and nutrition problems, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 21 (legislative day, September 5), 1995

 Mr. Leahy (for himself and Mr. Harkin) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make temporary assistance 
available to support community food security projects designed to meet 
  the food needs of low-income people, increase the self-reliance of 
    communities in providing for their own food needs, and promote 
comprehensive, inclusive, and future-oriented solutions to local food, 
         farm, and nutrition problems, 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 the ``Community Food Security Act of 
1995''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY PROJECTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community food security project.--The term ``community 
        food security project'' means a community-based project that--
                    (A) is designed to--
                            (i) meet the food needs of low-income 
                        people;
                            (ii) increase the self-reliance of 
                        communities in providing for their own food 
                        needs; and
                            (iii) promote comprehensive, inclusive, and 
                        future-oriented solutions to local food, farm, 
                        and nutrition problems; and
                    (B) requires a one-time infusion of Federal 
                assistance to become self-sustaining.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        entity that has experience in the area of--
                    (A) community food work, including the development 
                of new markets in low-income communities for 
                agricultural producers, particularly small- and medium-
                sized farms; or
                    (B) job training and business development 
                activities for food-related businesses in low-income 
                communities.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Authorization.--The Secretary may make grants to assist 
eligible entities in establishing and carrying out community food 
security projects.
    (c) Applications.--An eligible entity may submit to the Secretary 
an application, in such form and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require, that--
            (1) demonstrates competency in implementing a community 
        food security project;
            (2) demonstrates fiscal accountability;
            (3) contains an agreement that the entity will collect data 
        and prepare reports and other documentation, as required by the 
        Secretary; and
            (4) demonstrates that the entity is willing to participate 
        in a continuing assessment of regional food security and to 
        share information with researchers, practitioners, and other 
        interested parties.
    (d) Preference for Certain Projects.--In selecting community food 
security projects to be supported by grants under subsection (b), the 
Secretary shall give preference to projects designed--
            (1) to develop linkages between 2 or more sectors of the 
        food system;
            (2) to support the development of entrepreneurial solutions 
        to local food problems;
            (3) to develop innovative linkages between the for-profit 
        and nonprofit food sectors; or
            (4) to encourage long-term planning activities and 
        multisystem, interagency approaches.
    (e) Matching Funds.--
            (1) Requirements.--The Federal share of the cost of 
        establishing or carrying out a community food security project 
        that receives assistance under subsection (b) may not exceed 50 
        percent of the cost during the term of the grant.
            (2) Calculation.--The non-Federal share of the cost of 
        carrying out a community food security project may be provided 
        through a payment in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, 
        including facilities, equipment, or services from private, 
        State, or local sources.
    (f) Single Grant.--A community food security project may be 
supported by only a single grant under subsection (b), for a term of 
not to exceed 3 years.
    (g) Technical Assistance and Related Information.--The Secretary 
shall--
            (1) provide technical assistance regarding community food 
        security projects, processes, and development to entities 
        seeking such assistance;
            (2) provide for the sharing of information about community 
        food security projects and issues among and between government 
        agencies, private for-profit and nonprofit groups, and the 
        public through publications, conferences, and other appropriate 
        form; and
            (3) participate in assessments of regional food security 
        and share information with researchers, practitioners, and 
        other interested parties.
    (h) Evaluation and Report.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) provide for the evaluation of community food security 
        projects supported using funds under this section; and
            (2) not later than January 30, 2000, submit to Congress a 
        report on the results of the evaluation.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $4,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
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