Grants to improve outreach and enrollment for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(a)

Outreach and Enrollment Grants; National Campaign

(1)

In general

From the amounts appropriated under subsection (g), subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of Agriculture shall award grants to eligible entities during the period of fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to conduct outreach, enrollment, and renewal assistance efforts that are designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible individuals and families under the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. (2)

Ten percent set aside for national enrollment campaign

An amount equal to 10 percent of such amounts shall be used by the Secretary for expenditures during such period to carry out a national enrollment campaign in accordance with subsection (h). (b)

Priority for Award of Grants

(1)

In general

In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that— (A)propose to target geographic areas with high rates of— (i)eligible but unenrolled individuals; or (ii)racial and ethnic minorities, including those proposals that address cultural and linguistic barriers to enrollment;

who are not participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program; or

(B)propose to target— (i)households containing elderly or disabled individuals to expand access to nutrition; (ii)families with children with special coordination with both the special supplemental nutrition assistance program for women, infants, and children (WIC) and the school nutrition program to ensure seamlessness; (iii)homeless populations, including both sheltered and nonsheltered families and individuals; (iv)persons applying for or receiving unemployment benefits; (v)families with physically or mentally disabled children in the household (including families whose children receive Medicaid under a State plan waiver); (vi)special attention to working families with children in the household who attend day care programs; (vii)recipients or applicants seeking or receiving training for employment or advancement to reduce or eliminate dependency; or (viii)applicants and recipients of disability benefits from government agencies; (C)encourage supplemental nutrition assistance program enrollees participation in nutrition education programs; or (D)provide case management assistance through the application process; and (2)

Outreach

Submit the most demonstrable evidence required under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c). (c)

Application

An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under subsection (a) shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form and manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Such application shall include— (1)evidence demonstrating that the entity includes members who have access to, and credibility with, ethnic or low-income populations in the communities in which activities funded under the grant are to be conducted; (2)evidence demonstrating that the entity has the ability to address barriers to enrollment, including a lack of knowledge of eligibility criteria, stigma concerns, or other barriers to applying for and receiving governmental food assistance and nutrition education; (3)specific quality or outcomes performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of activities funded by a grant awarded under this section; and (4)an assurance that the eligible entity shall— (A)conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of such activities against the performance measures; (B)cooperate with the collection and reporting of enrollment data and other information in order for the Secretary to conduct such assessments; (C)in the case of an eligible entity that is not the State or a State agency, provide the State with enrollment data and other information as necessary for the State to make necessary projections of eligible individuals and families; and (D)provide an assessment of legislative and administrative barriers to increasing eligible enrollment and recommendations for improvement. (d)

Dissemination of enrollment data and information determined from effectiveness assessments; annual report

The Secretary shall— (1)make publicly available the enrollment data and information collected and reported in accordance with subsection (c)(4)(B); (2)make publicly available and provide to the grantee the approval rate for applications submitted by the targeted population (whether geographic and or demographic in nature) and specifically those applications submitted through the grantee; and (3)submit an annual report to Congress on the outreach and enrollment activities conducted with funds appropriated under this section.

This report shall also contain a compiling of the assessments required under subsection (c)(4)(D) along with the Secretary’s findings and legislative suggestions to maximize eligible enrollment.

(e)

No Match Required for Any Eligible Entity Awarded a Grant

No eligible entity awarded a grant under subsection (a) shall be required to provide any matching funds as a condition for receiving the grant. (f)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Eligible entity

The term eligible entity means any of the following: (A)A State with an approved supplemental nutrition assistance plan under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. (B)A local government or State agency. (C)An Indian tribe or tribal consortium, a tribal organization, an urban Indian organization receiving funds under title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.), or an Indian Health Service provider. (D)A Federal health safety net organization. (E)A national, State, local, or community-based public or nonprofit private organization, including organizations that use community health workers or community-based doula programs. (F)A faith-based organization or consortum, to the extent that a grant awarded to such an entity is consistent with the requirements of section 1955 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–65) relating to a grant award to nongovernmental entities. (2)

Federal health safety net organization

The term Federal health safety net organization means— (A)a federally qualified health center (as defined in section 1905(l)(2)(B)) of the Social Security Act; (B)a hospital defined as a disproportionate share hospital for purposes of section 1923 of the Social Security Act; (C)a covered entity described in section 340B(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256b(a)(4)); and (D)any other entity or consortium that serves children under a federally funded program, including the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), Head Start and Early Head Start programs under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9801 et seq.), the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, and an elementary or secondary school. (3)

Indians; indian tribe; tribal organization; urban indian organization

The terms Indian, Indian tribe, tribal organization, and urban Indian organization have the meanings given such terms in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603). (4)

Community health worker

The term community health worker means an individual who promotes health or nutrition within the community in which the individual resides— (A)by serving as a liaison between communities and health care agencies; (B)by providing guidance and social assistance to community residents; (C)by enhancing community residents’ ability to effectively communicate with health care providers; (D)by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health or nutrition education; (E)by advocating for individual and community health or nutrition needs; and (F)by providing referral and followup services. (5)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. (g)

Authorization

There is authorized $100,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2010 through 2014, for the purpose of awarding grants under this section. (h)

National enrollment campaign

From the amounts made available under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall develop and implement a national enrollment campaign to improve the eligible enrollment of underserved populations in the supplemental nutrition assistance program. Such campaign may include— (1)the establishment of partnerships with the Secretary and other Federal agencies that are conducting similar national efforts that would contain significant overlapping of target populations; (2)the integration of this program and other Department of Agriculture efforts to increase supplemental nutrition assistance program enrollment percentage; (3)increased financial and technical support for enrollment hotlines maintained by the Secretary to ensure that all States participate in such hotlines; (4)the development of special outreach materials for Native Americans or for individuals with limited English proficiency; and (5)such other outreach initiatives as the Secretary determines would increase public awareness of the supplemental nutrition assistance program.