[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 25, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5928-S5931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lugar, and Mr. 
        Smith):
  S. 1120. A bill to reduce hunger in the United States by half by 
2010, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, nearly a decade ago, at the 1996 World 
Food Summit, the United States joined 185 other countries in a 
commitment to cut the number of undernourished people in the world in 
half by 2015. In 2000, as part of the Healthy People 2010 initiative, 
the U.S. government set another, more ambitious goal--to cut U.S. food 
insecurity in half from the 1995 level by 2010.
  These are laudable and achievable goals. But our actions as a Nation 
have not kept pace with our words. Hunger and food insecurity have 
increased in this country each year since 1999. According to Household 
Food Security in the United States, 2003, the most recent report on 
hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. from the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 36.3 million people--including nearly 13.3 million 
children--lived in households that experienced hunger or the risk of 
hunger in 2003. This represents more than one in ten households in the 
United States (11.2 percent) and is an increase of 1.4 million, from 
34.9 million in 2002.
  In his remarks to delegates at the first World Food Congress in 1963, 
President John F. Kennedy said, ``We have the means, we have the 
capacity

[[Page S5929]]

to eliminate hunger from the face of the earth in our lifetime. We only 
need the will.''
  Forty-two years later, we still need the will, especially the 
political will.
  In June 2004, the National Anti-Hunger Organization (NAHO), which is 
comprised of the 13 national organizations that are working to end 
widespread hunger in our country, released A Blueprint to End Hunger. 
It is a roadmap setting forth a strategy for government, schools and 
community organizations, nonprofit groups, businesses, and individuals 
to solve the problem of hunger. The report recommends that Federal food 
programs continue as the centerpiece of our strategy to end hunger. It 
also urges us, the Federal Government, to invest in and strengthen the 
national nutrition safety net and increase outreach and awareness of 
the importance of preventing hunger and improving nutrition.
  We know that Federal nutrition programs work. WIC, food stamps, the 
school breakfast and lunch programs, and other federal nutrition 
programs are reaching record numbers of Americans today, and making 
their lives better. But we're not reaching enough people. There are 
still too many parents in this country who skip meals because there is 
not enough money in the family food budget for them and their children 
to eat every night. There are still too many babies and toddlers in 
America who are not getting the nutrition their minds and bodies need 
to develop to their fullest potential. There are too many seniors, and 
children, who go to bed hungry. In the richest Nation in the history of 
the world, that's unacceptable.
  Today, in an effort to stir the political will and rekindle our 
commitment to achieve the goal of ending hunger, I am introducing the 
Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005 with Senators Smith, Lugar, and 
Lincoln. This bill builds on the recommendations made by NAHO and is 
designed to put our nation back on track toward the goal of cutting 
domestic food insecurity and hunger in half by 2010. It contains a 
sense of the Congress reaffirming our commitment to the 2010 goal and 
establishing a new goal: the elimination of hunger in the United States 
by 2015. This sense of Congress also urges the preservation of the 
entitlement nature of food programs and the protection of federal 
nutrition programs from funding cuts that reduce benefit levels or the 
number of eligible participants.
  The Hunger-Free Communities Act also increases the resources 
available to local groups across the country working to eliminate 
hunger in their communities. Each day, thousands of community-based 
groups and millions of volunteers work on the front lines of the battle 
against hunger. This bill establishes an anti-hunger grant program, the 
first of its kind, with an emphasis on assessing hunger in individual 
communities and promoting cooperation and collaboration among local 
anti-hunger groups. The grant program recognizes the vital role that 
community-based organizations already play in the fight against hunger 
and represents Congress' commitment to the public/private partnership 
necessary to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, food insecurity and 
hunger in this country.
  Hunger is not a partisan issue. During the 1960s and 1970s, under 
both Democratic and Republican Administrations, our country undertook 
initiatives and put in place programs that substantially reduced the 
number of people who struggle to feed their families in our nation. 
Unfortunately, this progress has not been sustained.
  We now have the opportunity to forge a new bipartisan partnership, 
committed to addressing hunger in the United States. Senators Smith, 
Dole, Lincoln, and I have created the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus 
with that goal in mind. Progress against hunger is possible, even with 
a war abroad and budget deficits at home. I thank my colleagues for 
their leadership on the Hunger Caucus and look forward to working with 
them, and other members of this body, as we consider the Hunger-Free 
Communities Act.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1120

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Hunger-
     Free Communities Act of 2005''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.

               TITLE I--NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO END HUNGER

Sec. 101. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 102. Data collection.
Sec. 103. Annual hunger report.

               TITLE II--STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY EFFORTS

Sec. 201. Hunger-free communities assessment grants.
Sec. 202. Hunger-free communities infrastructure grants.
Sec. 203. Training and technical assistance grants.
Sec. 204. Report.

               TITLE III--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

Sec. 301. Authorization of appropriations.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) food insecurity and hunger are growing problems in the 
     United States;
       (2) in 2003, more than 36,000,000 people, 13,000,000 of 
     whom were children, lived in households that were food 
     insecure, representing an increase of 5,200,000 people in 
     just 4 years;
       (3) over 9,600,000 people lived in households in which at 
     least 1 person experienced hunger;
       (4)(A) at the 1996 World Food Summit, the United States, 
     along with 185 other countries, pledged to reduce the number 
     of undernourished people by half by 2015;
       (B) as a result of this pledge, the Department of Health 
     and Human Services adopted the Healthy People 2010 goal to 
     cut food insecurity in half by 2010, and in doing so reduce 
     hunger;
       (5)(A) the Healthy People 2010 goal measures progress that 
     has been made since the 1996 World Food Summit and urges the 
     Federal Government to reduce food insecurity from the 1995 
     level of 12 percent to 6 percent;
       (B) in 1999, food insecurity decreased to 10.1 percent, and 
     hunger decreased to 3 percent, but no progress has been made 
     since 1999;
       (C) in 2003, food insecurity increased to 11.2 percent and 
     hunger increased to 3.5 percent, so that the United States 
     needs to reduce food insecurity by approximately 5 percentage 
     points in the next 5 years in order to reach the Healthy 
     People 2010 goal;
       (6) anti-hunger organizations in the United States have 
     encouraged Congress to achieve the commitment of the United 
     States to decrease food insecurity and hunger in half by 2010 
     and eliminating food insecurity and hunger by 2015;
       (7) anti-hunger organizations in the United States have 
     identified strategies to cut food insecurity and hunger in 
     half by 2010 and to eliminate food insecurity and hunger by 
     2015;
       (8)(A) national nutrition programs are among the fastest, 
     most direct ways to efficiently and effectively prevent 
     hunger, reduce food insecurity, and improve nutrition among 
     the populations targeted by a program;
       (B) the programs are responsible for the absence of 
     widespread hunger and malnutrition among the poorest people, 
     especially children, in the United States;
       (9)(A) although national nutrition programs are essential 
     in the fight against hunger, the programs fail to reach all 
     of the people eligible and entitled to their services;
       (B) according to the Department of Agriculture, only 
     approximately 56 percent of food-insecure households receive 
     assistance from at least 1 of the 3 largest national 
     nutrition programs, the food stamp program, the special 
     supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and 
     children (WIC), and the school lunch program;
       (C) the food stamp program reaches only about 54 percent of 
     the households that are eligible for benefits; and
       (D) free and reduced price school breakfasts are served to 
     about \1/2\ of the low-income children who get free or 
     reduced price lunches, and during the summer months, less 
     than 20 percent of the children who receive free and reduced 
     price school lunches are served meals;
       (10) in 2001, food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and 
     emergency shelters helped to feed more than 23,000,000 low-
     income people;
       (11) community-based organizations and charities can help--
       (A) play an important role in preventing and reducing 
     hunger;
       (B) measure community food security;
       (C) develop and implement plans for improving food 
     security;
       (D) educate community leaders about the problems of and 
     solutions to hunger;
       (E) ensure that local nutrition programs are implemented 
     effectively; and
       (F) improve the connection of food insecure people to anti-
     hunger programs;
       (12) according to the Department of Agriculture, in 2003, 
     hunger was 8 times as prevalent, and food insecurity was 
     nearly 6 times as prevalent, in households with incomes below 
     185 percent of the poverty line as in households with incomes 
     at or above 185 percent of the poverty line; and

[[Page S5930]]

       (13) in order to achieve the goal of reducing food 
     insecurity and hunger by \1/2\ by 2010, the United States 
     needs to--
       (A) ensure improved employment and income opportunities, 
     especially for less-skilled workers and single mothers with 
     children; and
       (B) reduce the strain that rising housing and health care 
     costs place on families with limited or stagnant incomes.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Domestic hunger goal.--The term ``domestic hunger 
     goal'' means--
       (A) the goal of reducing hunger in the United States to at 
     or below 2 percent by 2010; or
       (B) the goal of reducing food insecurity in the United 
     States to at or below 6 percent by 2010.
       (2) Emergency feeding organization.--The term ``emergency 
     feeding organization'' has the meaning given the term in 
     section 201A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 
     U.S.C. 7501).
       (3) Food security.--The term ``food security'' means the 
     state in which an individual has access to enough food for an 
     active, healthy life.
       (4) Hunger-free communities goal.--The term ``hunger-free 
     communities goal'' means any of the 14 goals described in the 
     H. Con. Res. 302 (102nd Congress).
       (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.

               TITLE I--NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO END HUNGER

     SEC. 101. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) Congress is committed to--
       (A) achieving domestic hunger goals;
       (B) achieving hunger-free communities goals; and
       (C) ending hunger by 2015;
       (2) Federal food and nutrition programs should receive 
     adequate funding to meet the requirements of the programs; 
     and
       (3) the entitlement nature of the child and adult care food 
     program, the food stamp program established by section 4 of 
     the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2013), the school 
     breakfast and lunch programs, and the summer food service 
     program should be preserved.

     SEC. 102. DATA COLLECTION.

       (a) In General.--The American Communities Survey, acting 
     under the authority of the Census Bureau pursuant to section 
     141 of title 13, United States Code, shall collect and submit 
     to the Secretary information relating to food security.
       (b) Compilation.--Not later than October 31 of each year, 
     the Secretary shall compile the information submitted under 
     subsection (a) to produce data on food security at the 
     Federal, State, and local levels.

     SEC. 103. ANNUAL HUNGER REPORT.

       (a) Study.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a study, and 
     annual updates of the study, of major matters relating to the 
     problem of hunger in the United States, as determined by the 
     Secretary.
       (2) Matters to be assessed.--The matters to be assessed by 
     the Secretary shall include--
       (A) the information compiled under section 102(b);
       (B) measures carried out during the previous year by 
     Federal, State, and local governments to achieve domestic 
     hunger goals and hunger-free communities goals; and
       (C) measures that could be carried out by Federal, State, 
     and local governments to achieve domestic hunger goals and 
     hunger-free communities goals.
       (b) Recommendations.--The Secretary shall develop 
     recommendations on--
       (1) removing obstacles to achieving domestic hunger goals 
     and hunger-free communities goals; and
       (2) otherwise reducing domestic hunger.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the President and Congress a report that 
     contains--
       (1) a detailed statement of the results of the study, or 
     the most recent update to the study, conducted under 
     subsection (a); and
       (2) the most recent recommendations of the Secretary under 
     subsection (b).

               TITLE II--STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY EFFORTS

     SEC. 201. HUNGER-FREE COMMUNITIES COLLABORATIVE GRANTS.

       (a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the 
     term ``eligible entity'' means a public food program service 
     provider or a nonprofit organization, including but not 
     limited to an emergency feeding organization, that 
     demonstrates the organization has collaborated, or will 
     collaborate, with 1 or more local partner organizations to 
     achieve at least 1 hunger-free communities goal.
       (b) Program Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not more than 50 
     percent of any funds made available under title III to make 
     grants to eligible entities to pay the Federal share of the 
     costs of an activity described in subsection (d).
       (2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
     carrying out an activity under this section shall not exceed 
     80 percent.
       (3) Non-federal share.--
       (A) Calculation.--The non-Federal share of the cost of an 
     activity under this section may be provided in cash or in 
     kind, fairly evaluated, including facilities, equipment, or 
     services.
       (B) Sources.--Any entity may provide the non-Federal share 
     of the cost of an activity under this section through a State 
     government, a local government, or a private source.
       (c) Application.--
       (1) In general.--To receive a grant under this section, an 
     eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary 
     at the time and in the manner and accompanied by any 
     information the Secretary may require.
       (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall--
       (A) identify any activity described in subsection (d) that 
     the grant will be used to fund;
       (B) describe the means by which an activity identified 
     under subparagraph (A) will reduce hunger in the community of 
     the eligible entity;
       (C) list any partner organizations of the eligible entity 
     that will participate in an activity funded by the grant;
       (D) describe any agreement between a partner organization 
     and the eligible entity necessary to carry out an activity 
     funded by the grant; and
       (E) if an assessment described in subsection (d)(1) has 
     been performed, include--
       (i) a summary of that assessment; and
       (ii) information regarding the means by which the grant 
     will help reduce hunger in the community of the eligible 
     entity.
       (3) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that--
       (A) demonstrate in the application of the eligible entity 
     that the eligible entity makes collaborative efforts to 
     reduce hunger in the community of the eligible entity; and
       (B)(i) serve a predominantly rural and geographically 
     underserved area;
       (ii) serve communities in which the rates of food 
     insecurity, hunger, poverty, or unemployment are demonstrably 
     higher than national average rates;
       (iii) provide evidence of long-term efforts to reduce 
     hunger in the community;
       (iv) provide evidence of public support for the efforts of 
     the eligible entity; or
       (v) demonstrate in the application of the eligible entity a 
     commitment to achieving more than 1 hunger-free communities 
     goal.
       (d) Use of Funds.--
       (1) Assessment of hunger in the community.--
       (A) In general.--An eligible entity in a community that has 
     not performed an assessment described in subparagraph (B) may 
     use a grant received under this section to perform the 
     assessment for the community.
       (B) Assessment.--The assessment referred to in subparagraph 
     (A) shall include--
       (i) an analysis of the problem of hunger in the community 
     served by the eligible entity;
       (ii) an evaluation of any facility and any equipment used 
     to achieve a hunger-free communities goal in the community;
       (iii) an analysis of the effectiveness and extent of 
     service of existing nutrition programs and emergency feeding 
     organizations; and
       (iv) a plan to achieve any other hunger-free communities 
     goal in the community.
       (2) Activities.--An eligible entity in a community that has 
     submitted an assessment to the Secretary shall use a grant 
     received under this section for any fiscal year for 
     activities of the eligible entity, including--
       (A) meeting the immediate needs of people in the community 
     served by the eligible entity who experience hunger by--
       (i) distributing food;
       (ii) providing community outreach; or
       (iii) improving access to food as part of a comprehensive 
     service;
       (B) developing new resources and strategies to help reduce 
     hunger in the community;
       (C) establishing a program to achieve a hunger-free 
     communities goal in the community, including--
       (i) a program to prevent, monitor, and treat children in 
     the community experiencing hunger or poor nutrition; or
       (ii) a program to provide information to people in the 
     community on hunger, domestic hunger goals, and hunger-free 
     communities goals; and
       (D) establishing a program to provide food and nutrition 
     services as part of a coordinated community-based 
     comprehensive service.

     SEC. 202. HUNGER-FREE COMMUNITIES INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS.

       (a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the 
     term ``eligible entity'' means an emergency feeding 
     organization (as defined in section 201A(4) of the Emergency 
     Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7501(4))).
       (b) Program Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not more than 40 
     percent of any funds made available under title III to make 
     grants to eligible entities to pay the Federal share of the 
     costs of an activity described in subsection (d).
       (2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
     carrying out an activity under this section shall not exceed 
     80 percent.
       (c) Application.--
       (1) In general.--To receive a grant under this section, an 
     eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary 
     at the time and in the manner and accompanied by any 
     information the Secretary may require.
       (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall--

[[Page S5931]]

       (A) identify any activity described in subsection (d) that 
     the grant will be used to fund; and
       (B) describe the means by which an activity identified 
     under subparagraph (A) will reduce hunger in the community of 
     the eligible entity.
       (3) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities the 
     applications of which demonstrate 2 or more of the following:
       (A) The eligible entity serves a predominantly rural and 
     geographically underserved area.
       (B) The eligible entity serves a community in which the 
     rates of food insecurity, hunger, poverty, or unemployment 
     are demonstrably higher than national average rates.
       (C) The eligible entity serves a community that has carried 
     out long-term efforts to reduce hunger in the community.
       (D) The eligible entity serves a community that provides 
     public support for the efforts of the eligible entity.
       (E) The eligible entity is committed to achieving more than 
     1 hunger-free communities goal.
       (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity shall use a grant 
     received under this section for any fiscal year to carry out 
     activities of the eligible entity, including--
       (1) constructing, expanding, or repairing a facility or 
     equipment to support hunger relief agencies in the community;
       (2) assisting an emergency feeding organization in the 
     community in obtaining locally-produced produce and protein 
     products; and
       (3) assisting an emergency feeding organization in the 
     community to process and serve wild game.

     SEC. 203. HUNGER-FREE COMMUNITIES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL 
                   ASSISTANCE GRANTS.

       (a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the 
     term ``eligible entity'' means a national or regional 
     nonprofit organization that carries out an activity described 
     in subsection (d).
       (b) Program Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not more than 10 
     percent of any funds made available under title III to make 
     grants to eligible entities to pay the Federal share of the 
     costs of an activity described in subsection (d).
       (2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of 
     carrying out an activity under this section shall not exceed 
     80 percent.
       (c) Application.--
       (1) In general.--To receive a grant under this section, an 
     eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary 
     at the time and in the manner and accompanied by any 
     information the Secretary may require.
       (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall--
       (A) demonstrate that the eligible entity does not operate 
     for profit;
       (B) describe any national or regional training program 
     carried out by the eligible entity, including a description 
     of each region served by the eligible entity;
       (C) describe any national or regional technical assistance 
     provided by the eligible entity, including a description of 
     each region served by the eligible entity; and
       (D) describe the means by which each organization served by 
     the eligible entity--
       (i) works to achieve a domestic hunger goal;
       (ii) works to achieve a hunger-free communities goal; or
       (iii) used a grant received by the organization under 
     section 201 or 202.
       (3) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities the 
     applications of which demonstrate 2 or more of the following:
       (A) The eligible entity serves a predominantly rural and 
     geographically underserved area.
       (B) The eligible entity serves a region in which the rates 
     of food insecurity, hunger, poverty, or unemployment are 
     demonstrably higher than national average rates.
       (C) The eligible entity serves a region that has carried 
     out long-term efforts to reduce hunger in the region.
       (D) The eligible entity serves a region that provides 
     public support for the efforts of the eligible entity.
       (E) The eligible entity is committed to achieving more than 
     1 hunger-free communities goal.
       (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity shall use a grant 
     received under this section for any fiscal year to carry out 
     national or regional training and technical assistance for 
     organizations that--
       (1) work to achieve a domestic hunger goal;
       (2) work to achieve a hunger-free communities goal; or
       (3) receive a grant under section 201 or 202.

     SEC. 204. REPORT.

       Not later than September 30, 2011, the Secretary shall 
     submit to Congress a report describing--
       (1) each grant made under this title, including--
       (A) a description of any activity funded by such a grant; 
     and
       (B) the degree of success of each activity funded by such a 
     grant in achieving hunger-free communities goals; and
       (2) the degree of success of all activities funded by 
     grants under this title in achieving domestic hunger goals.

               TITLE III--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

     SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out title 
     II $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2011.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, while serving as a Congressmen from 
Texas in the 1980s, Mickey Leland said, ``I cannot get used to hunger 
and desperate poverty in our plentiful land. There is no reason for it, 
there is no excuse for it, and it is time that we as a nation put an 
end to it.''
  Over 15 years have passed since Mr. Leland delivered those powerful 
remarks, and we have yet to achieve his goal of ending hunger in 
America. In many respects, we have only slipped backwards. According to 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 36.3 million Americans, including 
13.3 million children, experienced hunger or food insecurity in 2003. 
These figures, startling on their own, have been increasing steadily 
since 1999. We need to reverse this trend.
  Mr. President, I rise today to pledge my commitment to this cause. 
Today, I am pleased to join Senators Durbin, Smith, and Lugar in 
introducing the Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005. This bill 
establishes a goal of ending hunger in America by 2015. The bill also 
supports preserving the entitlement framework of the federal food 
programs. Our federal food programs are vitally important to the 
millions of working Americans that are trying to make ends meet and the 
millions of children who need access to nutritious food.
  In addition, this bill commits our fullest efforts to protecting the 
discretionary food program from budget cuts that would prevent these 
programs from addressing identified need. Lastly, the bill provides 
needed resources to non-profit organizations that fight to reduce 
hunger every day. The grant programs this bill establishes will promote 
new partnerships and help build the infrastructure we believe is 
necessary to root out hunger in every corner of our nation.
  Almost a year ago, I joined Senators Smith, Durbin and Dole in 
founding the bipartisan Senate Hunger Caucus to address the growing 
problem of hunger in America and around the world. The Senate Hunger 
Caucus currently has 34 members and we are working together to raise 
awareness about these issues and help create solutions to the hunger 
problem.
  While there are many difficult problems we work to solve in Congress, 
hunger is a problem that has a solution. This bill is an example of our 
bipartisan effort to develop solutions to the hunger problem in 
America. I am proud to work with my colleagues to support ending hunger 
for the millions of Americans who find themselves without access to one 
of the most basic needs--nutritious food.
                                 ______