[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 975 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 975

     Recognizing the potential for a national fresh food financing 
    initiative to provide an effective and economically sustainable 
     solution to the problem of limited access to healthy foods in 
 underserved urban, suburban, and rural low-income communities, while 
   also improving health and stimulating local economic development.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2009

    Ms. Schwartz (for herself, Mr. Holden, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Meek of 
Florida, Mr. Pastor of Arizona, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Gerlach, Mr. Hastings 
of Florida, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Lee 
 of California, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Meeks of New 
 York, Mr. Platts, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Rangel, Ms. Matsui, Ms. Chu, Mrs. 
Dahlkemper, Mr. Honda, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Sutton, Ms. Castor of 
Florida, Ms. Watson, Mr. Inslee, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Cardoza, 
Mr. Hinchey, and Ms. Woolsey) submitted the following resolution; which 
              was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Recognizing the potential for a national fresh food financing 
    initiative to provide an effective and economically sustainable 
     solution to the problem of limited access to healthy foods in 
 underserved urban, suburban, and rural low-income communities, while 
   also improving health and stimulating local economic development.

Whereas the Nation faces an obesity epidemic in which 30.5 percent of children 
        ages 10 through 17 are overweight or obese;
Whereas the obesity epidemic contributes to increasing rates of chronic illness, 
        including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer;
Whereas the obesity epidemic cost the country $147 billion in medical expenses 
        in 2008, and this cost is expected to rise in the future;
Whereas the Department of Agriculture conservatively estimates that more than 23 
        million Americans live in low-income communities and do not have access 
        to a supermarket or large grocery store within one mile of their home;
Whereas more than 70 studies show that access to healthy food is particularly a 
        problem in many low-income urban and rural communities and minority 
        communities, and studies have shown that better access to healthy food 
        in low-income and minority communities is linked to lower levels of 
        obesity and better health outcomes;
Whereas children from low-income families are twice as likely to be overweight 
        as those from higher income families, and African-American and Hispanic 
        children are more likely than Caucasian children to be obese;
Whereas studies show that when healthy foods are available, people will increase 
        their consumption of fruits and vegetables;
Whereas leading public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control 
        and Prevention, the American Heart Association, the Institute of 
        Medicine, and the American Public Health Association, agree that 
        providing improved access to supermarkets and large grocery stores is 
        needed to improve public health and prevent obesity;
Whereas developing high quality fresh food retail outlets creates jobs, expands 
        markets for farmers in the United States, and supports economic vitality 
        in underserved communities;
Whereas an innovative State-initiated public-private partnership, the 
        Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, is supporting 70 new or 
        improved supermarkets, grocery stores, and farmers' markets in 
        underserved urban and rural communities, leveraging a $30 million State 
        grant to generate $165 million in private investment, creating or 
        retaining more than 4,800 part- and full-time jobs, and increasing 
        access to healthy food for more than 400,000 residents;
Whereas a single 57,000-square-foot new store financed by the Pennsylvania 
        initiative and located in a low-income neighborhood in Philadelphia 
        created 370 jobs for area residents and generated $540,910 of local tax 
        revenue in one year;
Whereas the Pennsylvania initiative has been nationally recognized as an 
        innovative model by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
        National Conference of State Legislatures, Harvard's Kennedy School of 
        Government, and the National Governors Association;
Whereas the State of New York has recently announced a comprehensive effort to 
        increase the number of fresh food markets in underserved communities, 
        including a $10 million State investment to create the Healthy Foods, 
        Healthy Communities Initiative, which will provide grants and loans to 
        eligible food markets across the State;
Whereas States across the country, including Illinois, Louisiana, and New 
        Jersey, have recognized the problem of food access in many low-income 
        communities and are working to create financing programs to encourage 
        supermarkets, grocery stores, and other fresh food markets to locate in 
        these underserved communities; and
Whereas a national fresh food financing initiative would provide communities 
        across the United States with critical one-time loan and grant financing 
        to help fresh food retailers overcome initial barriers to entry into 
        underserved, low-income communities, and would support renovation and 
        expansion of existing stores so they can provide the healthy foods that 
        communities want and need: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
potential for a national fresh food financing initiative--
            (1) to provide an effective and economically sustainable 
        solution to the problem of limited access to healthy foods in 
        underserved urban, suburban, and rural low-income communities; 
        and
            (2) to help reduce health disparities and improve the 
        health of families and children, create jobs, and stimulate 
        local economic development in low-income communities.
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