H.R. 6697

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6697 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6697

To amend the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to provide 
additional agricultural products for distribution by emergency feeding 
organizations; and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 12, 2025

Ms. Schrier (for herself, Mr. Van Drew, and Ms. Bonamici) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to provide 
additional agricultural products for distribution by emergency feeding 
organizations; 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 ``Expanding Access To Healthy Foods 
from Local Farmers Act'' or the ``EAT Healthy Foods from Local Farmers 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.

(a) Purchase of Priority Agricultural Products.--Section 203D of 
the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7507) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) by inserting ``or that State agencies 
purchase using funds made available under subsection (d),'' 
after ``distribution,'',
(2) in subsection (b) by inserting ``or purchased'' after 
``donated'',
(3) by striking subsection (c),
(4) in subsection (d)--
(A) by striking ``(d)'' and inserting ``(c)'', and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A) by striking 
``subparagraphs (B) and (C)'' and inserting 
``subparagraph (B)'',
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B), and
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
subparagraph (B), and
(5) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Projects for States To Purchase Certain Commodities From 
Eligible Entities.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Project.--The term `project' means the 
purchase of priority agricultural products from 
eligible entities, and the distribution of those 
products to needy persons through emergency feeding 
organizations under subsection (a).
``(B) Priority agricultural product.--The term 
`priority agricultural product' means a fruit, 
vegetable, dairy, meat, seafood, grain, poultry, or 
other commodity food product, available for sale by 
eligible entities and that States determine to be 
appropriate for distribution through emergency feeding 
organizations and culturally or religiously relevant to 
the local communities that will distribute the 
products.
``(C) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
means any of the following small businesses that is a 
grower, packer, processor, distributor, food-hub, or a 
cooperative, and that--
``(i) is--
``(I) underserved, including women-
owned or veteran-owned; or
``(II) composed of, or sources 
agricultural products from, beginning 
farmers, or small or mid-sized farms 
that are structured as family farms;
``(ii) can deliver the priority 
agricultural products to emergency feeding 
organizations selected by the State as being 
most in need of the products; and
``(iii) that is committed to serving 
communities in need and forging strong 
relationships with emergency feeding 
organizations, public agencies, and Tribal 
governments through a project, as determined by 
the State.
``(2) Federal funding for projects.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (C) and 
paragraph (4), using funds made available under 
paragraph (5), the Secretary may provide funds to 
States to pay for the costs of carrying out a project.
``(B) Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
issue guidance to States--
``(i) to carry out this section;
``(ii) to inform States of their 
allocations under paragraph (3);
``(iii) to encourage States to partner with 
a wide range of emergency feeding organizations 
to reach communities in need, including those 
disproportionately impacted by food insecurity; 
and
``(iv) to inform States of public reporting 
requirements and minimum project performance 
standards, as developed by the Secretary.
``(C) Allocation.--
``(i) Eligibility for allocation.--The 
Secretary shall allocate funds made available 
under paragraph (5) based on the formula in 
effect under section 214(a), among States that 
submit a State plan of operation for a project 
that includes--
``(I) a list of eligible entities 
and emergency feeding organizations in 
the State that will operate the project 
in partnership with the State agency;
``(II) at the option of the State, 
a list of priority agricultural 
products located in the State that are 
available for purchase and transport to 
emergency feeding organizations to 
identify which foods may be included in 
the project;
``(III) a time line of when the 
project will begin operating; and
``(IV) a plan to comply with the 
standards set out in subparagraph 
(B)(iv).
``(ii) Reallocation.--If the Secretary 
determines that a State will not expend all the 
funds allocated to the State under clause (i), 
the Secretary shall reallocate the unexpended 
funds to other eligible States.
``(iii) Report.--Each State that receives 
funds allocated under this subparagraph shall 
submit to the Secretary financial reports on a 
regular basis describing the use of the funds.
``(3) Project purposes.--A State may only use Federal funds 
received under paragraph (2) for a project the purposes of 
which are--
``(A) to maintain and improve food and agricultural 
supply chain resiliency;
``(B) to provide food to individuals in need; and
``(C) to build relationships between the State, 
eligible entities and emergency feeding organizations 
through the purchase of food.
``(4) Cooperative agreements.--
``(A) In general.--A State agency that carries out 
a project using Federal funds received under this 
subsection may enter into cooperative agreements with 
State agencies of other States under section 203B(d) to 
maximize the use of commodities purchased under the 
project.
``(B) Submission.--Not later than 15 days after 
entering into a cooperative agreement under clause (i), 
a State agency shall submit such agreement to the 
Secretary.
``(5) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
the Secretary to carry out this subsection $200,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to remain available 
until the end of the respective subsequent fiscal year.
``(6) Reporting.--Not later than 4 years after the 
effective date of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committee of Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 
the Senate a report containing--
``(A) an evaluation of the effectiveness of this 
subsection in providing nutritious food to individuals 
in need, improving agricultural supply chain 
resiliency, and expanding economic opportunity for 
eligible entities; and
``(B) recommendations for the implementation of 
this subsection to improve nutrition outcomes.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 202A(b)(5) of the Emergency Food 
Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7503(b)(5)) is amended by striking 
``donated commodities received under section 203D(d)'' and inserting 
``commodities donated under subsection (c), or purchased under 
subsection (d), of section 203D''.

SEC. 3. INTRADEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION.

(a) Working Group.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall create a 
cross-agency working group within the office of the Secretary to work 
with relevant agencies and organizations of the Department of 
Agriculture and with stakeholders to review and reconsider how all 
Department procurement of priority agricultural products can be 
directed to support a wider range of agricultural producers and 
agricultural product distributors in a manner that meets the 
Department's overarching goals of nutrition security, greater access to 
culturally or religiously relevant foods for individuals and 
households, resilient local and regional food systems, rural job 
creation, and reversal of the concentration of the ownership of the 
resources for the production and distribution of agricultural products.
(b) Annual Report.--The working group established under subsection 
(a) shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate, an annual report describing the working group's 
accomplishments, suggestions, and recommendations for administrative 
actions and proposed legislation relating to the activities of such 
group under such subsection.
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