[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8707 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8707

   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

                            August 12, 2022

  Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. 
 Ryan, and Ms. Brown of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the 
   Committee on Education and Labor, 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 2022''.

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 Seniors 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. 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 farmers' 
        market nutrition programs has fallen by over $6,000,000 and 
        never rebounded.
            (8) The 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 
        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 farmers' market 
        nutrition programs to support seniors, 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; and
            (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. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS TO EXPAND 
              PARTICIPATION IN THE SENIORS FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) 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--
            (1) for fiscal year 2022, an increase to $60,000,000;
            (2) for fiscal year 2023, an increase to $70,000,000; and
            (3) for each of the fiscal years 2024 through 2028, and 
        increase to $100,000,000.
    (b) 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:
            (1) Program eligibility income limit shall increase to 200 
        percent of the Federal poverty guideline.
            (2) The minimum individual benefit shall be increased to 
        $35.
            (3) The maximum individual benefit shall be increased to 
        $80.

SEC. 4. MINIMUM INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT INCREASE UNDER 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 
        ``2025''.

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 2022 through 2027.

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 in economically 
depressed or food dessert areas shall be given priority to receive 
grants under this section.
    (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 $250,000 for 
the fiscal years of 2022 and 2023.

SEC. 7. 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''.

SEC. 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    Not later than 180 days after effective date of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall submit a report to the Congress that 
contains a review of the effect of this Act on local procurement of 
food, local farmers, and the communities involved.

SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect 120 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
                                 <all>