[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4909 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4909

To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to improve diet quality and 
              nutrition security, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2023

  Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to improve diet quality and 
              nutrition security, 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 the ``SNAP Nutrition Security Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY.

    (a) Declaration of Policy.--Section 2 of the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
``Congress recognizes that the supplemental nutrition assistance 
program established under this Act reduces food insecurity for tens of 
millions of households, yet more than 10,000,000 households still 
suffer from food insecurity, according to the Department of 
Agriculture. Congress also recognizes that, according to the Department 
of Agriculture, approximately half of all adults in the United States 
(117,000,000 people) have 1 or more preventable chronic diseases, many 
of which are related to poor quality eating patterns. Accordingly, it 
is the policy of Congress that the Department of Agriculture should 
administer the supplemental nutrition assistance program in a manner 
that will further reduce food insecurity, increase nutrition security, 
and improve the diet quality for low-income people in the United 
States, especially children. Food programs administered by the 
Department of Agriculture should simultaneously combat food 
insufficiency and diet-related chronic diseases, including obesity, 
diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer, which cause immense 
suffering, significantly increase already high health care spending, 
increase poverty, and undermine military readiness.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (h) through (k), (l), (m), 
        and (n) through (v) as subsections (i) through (l), (n), (o), 
        and (q) through (y), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following:
    ``(h) Diet Quality.--The term `diet quality' means the extent to 
which a set of foods aligns with key recommendations of the most recent 
Dietary Guidelines for Americans published under section 301 of the 
National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 (7 
U.S.C. 5341).'';
            (3) by inserting after subsection (l) (as so redesignated) 
        the following:
    ``(m) Food Security.--The term `food security' means access by all 
people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.''; and
            (4) by inserting after subsection (o) (as so redesignated) 
        the following:
    ``(p) Nutrition Security.--The term `nutrition security' means 
consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, affordable foods 
essential to optimal health and well-being.''.
    (c) Data Collection and Sharing.--Section 9 of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2018) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(k) Store-Level Data Collection and Sharing.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall collect the data 
        described in paragraph (2) from a sufficient number of retail 
        food stores approved for participation in the supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program that utilize an integrated 
        electronic cash register system to enable the Secretary to 
        provide State- and nationally-representative data in the 
        reports required under section 31.
            ``(2) Data described.--The data referred to in paragraph 
        (1) is store-level point-of-sale data that identifies the 
        specific food items acquired at a retail food store by eligible 
        households using benefits.
            ``(3) Paperwork reduction act.--Chapter 35 of title 44, 
        United States Code (commonly known as the `Paperwork Reduction 
        Act'), shall not apply to this subsection.''.
    (d) State Reports Under Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention 
Grant Program.--Section 28(c)(9) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2036a(c)(8)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) a description of actions taken by the State 
                to enhance the food security and nutrition security of 
                participants in the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                program; and
                    ``(F) recommendations, if applicable, regarding 
                administering the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                program in a manner that would enhance food security 
                and nutrition security in the State.''.
    (e) Food and Nutrition Security.--The Food and Nutrition Act of 
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 31. FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY REPORT; FOOD SALES REPORT.

    ``(a) Food and Nutrition Security Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, 
        Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report on food 
        security and nutrition security in the United States.
            ``(2) Contents.--A report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    ``(A) an analysis of the food security, nutrition 
                security, and diet quality of participants and 
                nonparticipants in the supplemental nutrition 
                assistance program;
                    ``(B)(i) a summary of changes made to the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program in the year 
                covered by the report that are intended to improve food 
                security, nutrition security, and diet quality; and
                    ``(ii) an analysis of the impact and effectiveness 
                of those changes on food security, nutrition security, 
                and diet quality; and
                    ``(C) recommendations for additional authority to 
                the Secretary to improve food security, nutrition 
                security, and diet quality for participants in the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program.
    ``(b) Food Sales Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than September 30, 2025, and 
        at least once every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary shall 
        submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
        Representatives, and make publicly available on the website of 
        the Department of Agriculture, a report on food sales in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program, including an 
        analysis of the specific food items acquired with benefits by 
        eligible households.
            ``(2) Data.--A report under paragraph (1) shall use store-
        level data collected pursuant to section 9(k).
            ``(3) Privacy.--For each report under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall aggregate or deidentify data in a manner 
        sufficient to ensure that the identity of participants or 
        retailers associated with the data cannot be ascertained.''.
                                 <all>