[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2378 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2378

   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

                             March 29, 2023

 Ms. Kaptur (for herself and Mr. Evans) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to 
   the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 2023''.

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 Senior 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. The 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 the WIC 
        Farmers' Market Nutrition Program has fallen by over $6,000,000 
        and never rebounded.
            (8) The WIC 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 WIC 
        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 the Farmers' Market 
        Nutrition Programs to support seniors and 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;
            (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. AUTHORIZATION AND ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
              FOR SENIORS FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM.

    (a) 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''.
    (b) Additional Authorization of Appropriations To Expand 
Participation in the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.--
            (1) 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--
                    (A) for fiscal year 2024, an increase to 
                $60,000,000;
                    (B) for fiscal year 2025, an increase to 
                $70,000,000; and
                    (C) for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2028, 
                and increase to $100,000,000.
            (2) 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:
                    (A) Program eligibility income limit shall increase 
                to 200 percent of the Federal poverty guideline.
                    (B) The minimum individual benefit shall be 
                increased to $35.
                    (C) The maximum individual benefit limit shall be 
                removed.

SEC. 4. MINIMUM INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT INCREASE UNDER THE 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 
        ``2028''.

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 2024 through 2029.

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 serving economically 
depressed or food desert areas hall be given priority to receive grants 
under this section. The Secretary shall make grants to food banks in 5 
urban ZIP Codes (as designated by the Census Bureau), 5 suburban ZIP 
Codes (as designated by the Census Bureau), and 5 rural ZIP Codes (as 
designated by the Census Bureau) distributed as follows:
            (1) 3 of such grants in each ZIP Code selected under 
        paragraph (1) shall be awarded to food banks in each Census 
        Bureau Region of the United States; and
            (2) 3 of such grants among 3 of such ZIP Codes selected by 
        the Secretary.
    (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 $7,500,000 for 
fiscal years of 2024 and 2025. The amount of a grant under this section 
shall be $500,000 per grant as to operate 15 separate pilot program 
grant locations in total.

SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    Not later than 180 days after effective date of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to--
            (1) the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on 
        Education and the Workforce, of the House of Representatives; 
        and
            (2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 
        and the Committee on Aging, of the Senate,
a report that contains a review of the effect of this Act on local 
procurement of food, local farmers, who or what groups or entities are 
procuring the food, and the communities involved.

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

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