[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 194 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8736-S8737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN:
  S. 2016. A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, and the Child Nutrition 
Act of 1966 to increase access to healthy food for families, to amend 
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and the Farm Security 
and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to increase access to credit for small 
and new farmers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, over the last 10 months, I have been 
working with a diverse group of people in my State on ways to get 
healthier food and more local agricultural products to consumers 
throughout the country. Our group included folks from every part of the 
State, from gleaners to cattle ranchers to pear growers. Today, I am 
introducing legislation based on my discussions with that agricultural 
advisory group. What we came up with is a series of proposals that I 
believe will create agricultural jobs, increase access to healthy 
locally grown fruits and vegetables and reduce paperwork for small 
farmers while improving access to Federal loans.
  This legislation, the Fresh Regional Eating for Schools and Health 
Act, or FRESH, will provide healthier choices for recipients of Federal 
programs, push the U.S. Department of Agriculture's, USDA's, technology 
agenda forward, increase flexibility for State and local stakeholders, 
and provide better tools for small and beginning farmers.
  For too long, the Federal Government has pushed one size fits all 
solutions when it comes to nutrition and school lunches. That is why 
this bill allows States to put forward innovative approaches to 
increase nutrition outcomes for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
Program, SNAP, beneficiaries. Let me make it clear: under this waiver, 
no benefits will be reduced, and eligibility requirements will not be 
changed. But States will be allowed to provide incentives for eating 
healthy for SNAP recipients, and help those folks meet the nutritional 
guidelines the Federal Government has put out.
  Another area where flexibility is needed is in the school lunch 
program. Right now, over $1 billion goes to Oregon schools to purchase 
food for school lunches from a USDA commodity warehouse. Meanwhile, I 
have heard time and time again from school lunch administrators in 
Oregon that they would prefer to use that money locally to purchase the 
healthy fruits and vegetables that are so plentiful in our State. This 
bill would give them the flexibility to use half of what they now get 
from USDA to buy local agriculture products. This approach not only 
enables schools to buy healthier food for their students but also helps 
keep that money in their local economy and support the family farmers 
down the road.
  This bill also moves USDA nutrition programs into the 21st century 
when it comes to technology. It would push USDA to allow using 
smartphones and tablet technology to accept SNAP benefits, just as they 
can accept debit and credit cards today. This will open up access for 
SNAP beneficiaries to roadside food stands and farmers markets, and 
encourage innovation within the agency. SNAP recipients would also be 
allowed to use online grocery stores to purchase foods--a hugely 
helpful option for busy moms or elderly folks for whom a grocery store 
is just too hard to get to. For the WIC program, state agencies will be 
allowed to use technologies like videoconferencing to keep costs low 
when it comes to training and certification, particularly for stores in 
rural areas.
  Folks will also get a better sense of how the over $70 billion a year 
taxpayers fund SNAP with is being spent if this bill passes. It 
requires companies that take in over $1 million a year from the SNAP 
program to provide the Federal Government with a receipt of just what 
they have provided.
  For small farmers, this bill suspends the 15-year limit for farmers 
to use FSA-guaranteed operating loans and the 7-year limit for them to 
use FSA direct operating loans. By suspending these time limits 
indefinitely, farmers will have more access to these critical capital 
tools. It includes creation of a streamlined micro-loan program that 
will allow small farmers who just need a quick loan to repair their 
truck or buy some feed to borrow up to $5,000 on an expedited basis and 
with reduced paperwork.
  For beginning farmers, this legislation provides an alternative to 
the requirement that they need three years of farm management 
experience to get direct loans to buy farm lands. Instead, it allows 
the completion of college degrees related to business and agriculture 
to be considered a substitute for hands-on experience. For example, 
Horticulture or Agricultural Business Management degrees would be 
acceptable as an alternative. This will give young folks more 
opportunities to get the capital needed to start a farm.
  I am really proud of the efforts the Oregonians on my agricultural 
advisory committee made in helping provide common sense solutions for 
nutrition and farming programs. I want to thank them for helping to 
create these

[[Page S8737]]

proposals, and I am going to work hard with my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle as we move to the next farm bill to include these ideas.
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