[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3143. Mr. MARSHALL (for himself and Mr. Warnock) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle C of title VI, add the following:
SEC. 629. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE COUPONS TO JUNIOR ENLISTED
MEMBERS TO PURCHASE FOOD AT COMMISSARIES.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) members of the Armed Forces and their families deserve
access to affordable and healthy food options, including
during their duty day;
(2) there has been increased awareness about the challenges
members and their families face in accessing affordable and
healthy food options;
(3) those challenges have been especially acute for
unaccompanied junior enlisted members who live in government-
provided quarters on military installations; and
(4) the Department of Defense should explore a variety of
proposals for expanding the accessibility of healthy and
affordable food options to members, especially members who
live in unaccompanied housing on military installations.
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense may conduct a
pilot program to assess the efficacy of providing junior
enlisted members of the Armed Forces a monthly coupon for use
in procuring food at commissaries.
(2) Selection of installations.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may conduct the pilot
program authorized by paragraph (1) at 2 military
installations.
(B) Considerations.--In selecting installations for the
pilot program authorized by paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall consider installations with--
(i) large numbers of enlisted members who live in
unaccompanied housing;
(ii) the largest ratios of enlisted members to commissioned
officers;
(iii) unaccompanied housing that provides access to
functioning kitchens that residents may use to prepare meals;
(iv) commissaries that are experimenting with or expanding
their selection of nutritious and minimally processed ready-
made and easy-to-make food options;
(v) low rates of attendance at dining facilities;
(vi) low customer satisfaction ratings for dining
facilities, including installations with complaints about
dining facilities submitted through the Interactive Customer
Evaluation system of the Department of Defense; and
(vii) commissaries located within easily accessible
distances from unaccompanied housing.
(3) Coupons.--
(A) Amount.--The Secretary may determine the amount of the
coupons to be provided under the pilot program authorized by
paragraph (1).
(B) Use.--
(i) In general.--A coupon provided under the pilot program
authorized by paragraph (1) may be used only to purchase food
at commissaries.
(ii) Exclusions.--A coupon provided under the pilot program
authorized by paragraph (1) may not be used--
(I) to purchase alcoholic beverages or tobacco; or
(II) to pay any deposit fee in excess of the amount of the
State fee reimbursement (if any) required to purchase any
food or food product contained in a returnable bottle or can,
without regard to whether the fee is included in the shelf
price posted for the food or food product.
(C) Supplement to other food assistance.--A coupon provided
to a member under the pilot program authorized by paragraph
(1) shall be supplement and not supplant--
(i) the basic allowance for subsistence under section 402
of title 37, United States Code; and
(ii) any program to provide meals or rations in kind for
which the member is eligible.
(4) Duration of pilot program.--The pilot program
authorized by paragraph (1) shall terminate not later than
one year after the pilot program commences.
(5) Report required.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the
termination under paragraph (4) of the pilot program
authorized by paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report
detailing the results of the pilot program.
(B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph (A)
shall include an assessment of the following:
(i) The use of coupons by members who received coupons
under the pilot program.
(ii) The satisfaction of and feedback from such members
relating to the coupons.
(iii) The impact of providing the coupons on--
(I) the rates at which such members used commissaries; and
(II) the rates at which such members used dining facilities
on their installations.
(iv) Historical rates of use of dining facilities on
installations and historical customer satisfaction metrics
for such facilities, including the number of complaints with
respect to such facilities submitted through the Interactive
Customer Evaluation system of the Department of Defense.
(v) The efficacy of the pilot program in--
(I) reducing food insecurity rates among junior enlisted
members;
(II) increasing the availability of nutritious food options
for such members at commissaries; and
(III) increasing the availability of nutritious food
options for such members generally, including such members
living in unaccompanied housing.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Coupon.--The term ``coupon'' means a voucher or
monetary benefit for a member of the Armed Forces that may be
used only at a commissary for the purchase of food.
(2) Food.--The term ``food'' means any food or food product
intended for home consumption, including a ready-made food
item.
______