[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3453 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3453
To provide community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups
with funding to partner with small and mid-sized restaurants to expand
meal access and delivery for low-income and vulnerable populations
during, and through 1 year following the end of, a pandemic or public
health emergency.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2021
Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Barragan,
Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Case, and Mr. Lowenthal)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups
with funding to partner with small and mid-sized restaurants to expand
meal access and delivery for low-income and vulnerable populations
during, and through 1 year following the end of, a pandemic or public
health emergency.
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 ``Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(1) Vulnerable population.--The term ``vulnerable
population'' means any person who is a member of the target
population, is a low income individual, or receives a means-
tested benefit as defined under this Act.
(2) Grab-and-go meal.--The term ``grab-and-go meals''
refers to pre-packaged, ready to eat food that has been
prepared and cooked no greater than 8 hours prior to being
sealed or enclosed in a container.
(3) Target population.--The term ``target population''
includes an individual who (or family that)--
(A) earns an income below 200 percent of the
Federal poverty line;
(B) suffers from food insecurity;
(C) is homeless;
(D) receives (or recently received) assistance
under a State program funded under part A of title IV
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. et seq.),
relating to temporary assistance to needy families; or
(E) is eligible for benefits under any nutrition
assistance or anti-poverty program.
(4) Community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger
group.--The term ``community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-
hunger group'' means an anti-hunger organization, food bank,
food pantry, soup kitchen, food rescue group, or community food
security organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under
section 501(a) of such Code.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(6) Low-income individual.--The term ``low-income
individual'' means, with respect to any calendar year, any
individual who lives in a household that has a gross income
that does not exceed 300 percent of the poverty line, as
defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant
Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)).
(7) Homeless.--The term ``homeless'' has the meaning given
such term in subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Act
and the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition in
section 103 of subtitle I of the McKinney-Vento Act.
(8) Crisis housing.--The term ``crisis housing'' means a
supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to
provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and
motels paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs
for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations,
congregate shelters, and transitional housing).
(9) Means-tested benefit.--The term ``means-tested
benefit'' means a mandatory spending program of the Federal
Government for which, as determined by the Secretary,
eligibility for the program's benefits, or the amount of such
benefits, is determined on the basis of income or resources of
the individual or family seeking the benefit.
(10) Dependent.--The term ``dependent'' has the meaning
given such term in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, except that the term also includes an individual who is
not a citizen or national of the United States if such
individual would otherwise be considered a dependent pursuant
to such section if such individual were a citizen or national
of the United States.
(11) Disaster declaration.--The term ``disaster
declaration'' means--
(A) an emergency involving Federal primary
responsibility determined to exist by the President
under section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5191(b));
(B) a national emergency declared by the President
under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et
seq.);
(C) an emergency declared by a Federal official
with respect to coronavirus (as defined in section 506
of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-
123));
(D) a public health emergency declared by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to
section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
247(d)) with respect to COVID-19 or any other
coronavirus with pandemic potential; or
(E) the instance a Governor requests a major
disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5121 et seq.).
(12) Temporary community need.--The term ``temporary
community need'' means prepared meals during the time period
under which a disaster declaration is provided. Such community
need shall terminate 3 years after the termination of such
declaration.
(13) Pandemic.--The term ``pandemic'' means a communicable
disease for which the Federal Government has issued a travel
alert or travel warning.
SEC. 3. ANTI-HUNGER PANDEMIC RECOVERY FUND.
(a) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant to address
temporary community needs under this section, a community-based
nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group shall submit to the Secretary
an application that contains a description of how the applicant
proposes to use the grant funds to implement the components of the
temporary grant program listed in subsection (b). The application shall
be submitted in such form, at such time, and containing such other
information as the Secretary may require.
(b) Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Grant Program Components.--An
application for a grant under this section shall contain an assurance
that the applicant will expand the capacity of community-based
nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups and schools to meet the needs
of children, families, and vulnerable populations in a pandemic by--
(1) contracting with small and mid-sized business
restaurants or small and mid-sized food contractors that are
small business concerns as defined in section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) for--
(A) preparing, cooking, and storing grab-and-go
meals;
(B) serving meals to vulnerable populations or make
them available for pick up, or distributed in high
poverty areas designated by State and local agencies;
(C) bolstering food security for children,
dependents, families, and the elderly in rural and hard
to reach communities;
(D) bolstering food security for dependents, target
populations, and families in crisis housing; and
(E) improving the nutrition of vulnerable
populations.
(c) Criteria.--In evaluating an application of a community-based
nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group to receive a grant, the
Secretary shall consider criteria as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(d) Grant Administration.--
(1) Amount.--A grant awarded under this section may not
exceed $500,000.
(2) Renewals.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may renew a grant
awarded under this section with respect to an eligible
entity if the entity--
(i) submits to the Secretary an application
for renewal at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary
may require; and
(ii) demonstrates in such application
that--
(I) grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement funds made available to the
entity were used in a manner required
under the most recently approved
application of the entity under this
section; and
(II) the entity has made progress
in achieving the objectives of the
initial application approved for the
entity under this section.
(B) Duration.--A grant shall be eligible for
renewal so long as a disaster declaration is active on
the date of the renewal application.
(e) Supplement, Not Supplant, Requirement.--A grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement made under this Act shall be expended to
supplement, and not supplant, the expenditures of the eligible entity
involved and the value of in-kind contributions.
(f) Administration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall
be administered through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section ``$2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.
(b) Availability.--Funds appropriated under subsection (a) shall
remain available until expended.
SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit a community-based
nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group from receiving a grant under
this Act for any vulnerable population otherwise served by such group
with other Federal funds.
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Best Practices.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and publish a report
on the best practices for community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-
hunger groups to do business with the Department of Agriculture,
including how to register with the Federal system of award management
(SAM), how to obtain and validate a Federal Data Universal Number
System (DUNS), and how to apply for a grant under section 3. Such
report shall be available for public review and inspection on the
public websites of the Department of Agriculture.
(b) Grantees.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, an eligible entity that receives a grant under
this Act shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains an
evaluation of the results of the activities, including financial
expenditures, made during such fiscal year to carry out the program for
which such grant is received and any other data the Secretary
determines to be necessary for an evaluation of the benefits of the
grants awarded under this Act.
(c) Annual Reports to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report
describing--
(1) each grant application received under this Act;
(2) any grants awarded under this Act, including--
(A) the name and location of the eligible entity;
(B) the total amount of the grant;
(C) the date on which the grant was awarded; and
(D) information from reports received under
subsection (b); and
(3) any other data the Secretary determines to be necessary
for an evaluation of benefits of the grants awarded under this
Act.
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