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151 records in US in 2019
United States · United States Congress · 23 August 2019
Funding Local Assistance and Recovery Efforts Act or the FLARE Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to make retroactive payments to states and local governments under the emergency watershed protection program for work that is done after a project is approved, but before funds are dispersed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2019
This bill requires the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman to create a website compiling small entity compliance guides and contact information for individuals who can assist small entities with each guide.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2019
This bill requires the conveyance of a land exchange involving Coconino National Forest in Arizona. Specifically, the bill requires the independent appraisal of 13.3 acres of land within the Coconino National Forest, 43 acres of nonfederal land in Arizona, and an easement for the full maintenance and use of Forest Service Road 9201D from its junction with Forest Service Road 0618 (commonly known as Beaver Creek). Based on the appraisal of such lands and easement, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), on behalf of the University of Arizona Experiment Station, may identify a portion of the nonfederal land that (1) is equal in value to the federal land, and (2) shall be offered in exchange for the federal land. Upon identification of the portion of the nonfederal land to be offered in the exchange, the ABOR may submit an offer to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to convey all right, title, and interest of the ABOR in and to the offered portion. On receiving an offer, USDA shall accept it and convey to the ABOR all U.S. interest in and to the federal land and easement.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
This concurrent resolution recognizes the valuable historic and continued contributions of the Food and Nutrition Service and its employees to the nutrition, health, and well-being of the people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
Broadband Internet for Small Ports Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture, when distributing funds for broadband deployment, to give priority to projects for small ports and projects on cropland or ranchland. In addition, a recipient of such rural broadband buildout funding must provide certain geolocation information as a condition of receiving the funds.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
This bill revises eligibility requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to require certain household assets (e.g., available cash, stock, savings bonds, mutual funds) to be considered when making a categorical eligibility determination for SNAP benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
Wise Investment in Children Act of 2019 or the WIC Act of 2019 This bill expands eligibility for children to receive benefits under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Specifically, the bill allows states to extend eligibility for the program until the period that ends on the earlier of the sixth birthday of a child or when the child enters kindergarten; extends the certification period under the program for infants to two years, instead of the current one year; and authorizes states to increase the certification time under the program for breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women to two years postpartum.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Sustainable Agriculture Research Act This bill revises the goals of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). Specifically, the bill expands the goals to require AGARDA to enhance the role of agriculture in innovative voluntary resilience solutions in the United States through the development of agricultural technologies that address (1) the impact of extreme weather on crop production, (2) the expansion of the potential for long-term carbon storage through agriculture, (3) increased economic and practical feasibility for renewable and sustainable energy on farms and in the agriculture industry, and (4) increased adoption of voluntary conservation practices that sequester carbon and build on-farm climate resilience.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Study on Improving Lands Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to (1) direct a study on the state of soil health on federal lands that determines impacts such as grazing, wildfire, recreation, and invasive species; and (2) create a database of the information collected during the study.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Food Date Labeling Act of 2019 This bill addresses food waste by establishing requirements to standardize the quality date and discard date labels on food packaging.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act of 2019 This bill adds requirements regarding the availability of training that the Department of Agriculture provides under current law for local food service personnel in schools. The training must be scheduled during regular, paid working hours; provided at no cost to food service personnel; offered in-person whenever appropriate; and incorporate hands-on training techniques. If the training is scheduled outside of working hours, food service personnel must be informed about the necessity of scheduling the program, consulted to schedule the program, and compensated for attending the program. Personnel may not be penalized for failing to attend a program outside of working hours.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
This resolution designates September 25, 2019, as National Lobster Day and encourages the observance of the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Fostering Opportunities for Resources and Education Spending through Timber Sales Act of 2019 or the FORESTS Act of 2019 This bill extends through FY2020 payments under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 and directs the Department of Agriculture to designate an area of each national forest for production of material to provide revenue for such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Food Date Labeling Act of 2019 This bill addresses food waste by establishing requirements to standardize the quality date and discard date labels on food packaging.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Food for Thought Act of 2019 This bill directs the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to implement a pilot program to award grants to community colleges so they may provide free meals, including snacks, to eligible students. The FNS must provide grants to community colleges that reflect varying (1) student body size; (2) full-time student enrollment; (3) geographic location, including urban, rural, or suburban campuses; (4) minority serving institutions; and (5) residential character, including race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The FNS may give priority to community colleges (1) with prepared food infrastructure, or those that can identify outside sources of support to help develop such infrastructure; (2) that serve more than 300 students who are eligible for Federal Pell Grants; or (3) that are located within proximity of a school in a high poverty area that receives special assistance payments under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Reforming Disaster Recovery Act This bill addresses housing assistance in disaster recovery areas. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must establish the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilient Communities. The office's duties shall include (1) developing policy to build community resiliency and restore housing, (2) leading certain HUD disaster recovery activities, and (3) providing periodic disaster mitigation and recovery training to HUD staff. In addition, HUD must award grants under the Community Development Block Grant program for government entities to provide disaster relief, increase long-term resilience to natural hazards, and provide housing assistance to distressed areas after a declared major disaster. HUD and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must collect certain information during the course of a disaster recovery and make such information public. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must analyze and report on the allocation of disaster-related housing benefits administered by FEMA, HUD, and the Department of Agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive the matching requirement for certain grants under the specialty crop research initiative. Specifically, USDA may waive the requirement if (1) the research conducted using grant funds will benefit a specific specialty crop and is likely to be applicable to agricultural commodities generally, or the grant involves scientifically important research; and (2) the recipient of the grant is unable to satisfy the matching funds requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act This bill establishes a student loan forgiveness program for certain farmers or ranchers. Specifically, it requires the Department of Education to cancel the balance of interest and principal due on a borrower's Federal Direct Loans after such borrower makes 120 monthly loan payments under a specified repayment plan while employed full-time at a qualified farm or ranch.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019 This bill sets forth provisions regarding development of geothermal, solar, or wind energy on public lands. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish priority areas on covered land (i.e., public land administered by Interior and not excluded under law from the development of geothermal, solar, or wind energy) for geothermal, solar, or wind energy projects. Other areas shall also be considered for the development of renewable energy projects under this bill, consistent with the principles of multiple use. Interior shall establish a program to improve federal permit coordination with respect to renewable energy projects carried out on covered land. Interior and the Department of Agriculture shall seek to issue permits that in total authorize the production of at least 25 gigawatts of electricity from geothermal, solar, or wind energy projects by the end of 2025. The bill provides for the disposition of revenues from the development of wind or solar energy on covered land. The bill establishes the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to make funds available to federal, state, and tribal agencies for distribution in regions in which renewable energy projects are located on federal land for (1) restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitat and corridors for affected species and water resources in areas affected by geothermal, solar, or wind energy development; and (2) preserving and improving recreational access to federal land and water in an affected region.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
College Student Hunger Act of 2019 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
Infants Need Food And Nutrition Today Act or the INFANT Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to allow infant food combinations and dinners to be served under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
College Student Hunger Act of 2019 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2019
Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with other specified agencies and departments, to develop, publish, and submit to Congress a national One Health Framework for coordinated federal activities under the One Health Program, which encourages collaborative efforts to help better prevent, prepare for, and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks. The framework must (1) describe existing efforts and contain recommendations for building upon and complementing the activities of federal entities; and (2) establish specified goals, including advancing the scientific understanding of the connections among human, animal, and environmental health.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2019
Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2019 This bill requires a foreign manufacturer of products imported into the United States to establish a registered agent in the United States to accept service of process for regulatory proceedings or civil actions. Specifically, the bill requires specified agencies to implement regulations requiring a foreign manufacturer or producer to establish a registered agent who is authorized to accept process on behalf of the manufacturer or producer. The agent must be located in a state with substantial connection to the import, distribution, or sale of the product and, by registering an agent, the manufacturer or producer consents to the personal jurisdiction of the courts of that state. Additionally, the Department of Commerce must establish, maintain, and make publicly available a registry of such agents. The Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration must also jointly report on whether to require a foreign producer of imported food to register such an agent.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2019
Agricultural Guest Worker Reform Initiative Act of 2019 or the AGRI Act of 2019 This bill revises provisions related to H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) visas, including to eliminate certain requirements to hire U.S. workers, expand the program to include dairy and ranch workers, and shift administrative responsibilities from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill establishes a trust fund to be used to (1) administer and enforce the program, (2) collect a portion of guest worker wages to be paid upon a worker's return to the worker's country of origin, and (3) provide emergency medical services for guest workers. The bill eliminates a requirement that, during the first half of the time period of a guest worker contract, certain employers must hire any qualified U.S. employee who applies to perform the job the guest worker was hired to perform. Furthermore, an employer shall not be required to pay a guest worker a wage higher than the highest of federal, state, or local minimum wage rates. The bill places limitations on when guest workers may receive civil legal assistance for low-income individuals. Employer-provided housing shall be governed generally by USDA regulations, where currently such housing must meet applicable federal, state, or local standards. Employers shall not have to provide housing to workers who can reasonably return to their permanent residence within the same day. An employer may file a civil action to recover transportation costs from a guest worker who absconds from a contract.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2019
Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2019 This bill allows energy tax credits through 2021 for investments in (1) qualified biogas property, or (2) qualified manure resource recovery property. The bill also permits new clean renewable energy bonds to be used for such properties. "Qualified biogas property" comprises a system that (1) uses anaerobic digesters or other specified processes to convert biomass into a gas which is at least 52% methane, and (2) captures the gas for use as a fuel. The term includes property that cleans and conditions the gas for use as a fuel. "Qualified manure resource recovery property" comprises a system that uses specified processes to recover the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from a non-treated digestate or animal manure by reducing or separating at least 50% of the nutrients, excluding any reductions during the incineration, storage, composting, or field application of the non-treated digestate or animal manure. The term also includes certain processing equipment. The Department of the Treasury must enter into an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a study of biogas and report to Congress on the study.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Saving Workers by Eliminating Economic Tampering Act or the SWEET Act This bill eliminates certain Department of Agriculture (USDA) sugar subsidy programs. Specifically, the bill eliminates (1) the price support loan program available to processors of domestically grown sugarcane and sugar beets, (2) the sugar marketing allotments and tariff-rate quotas that limit the quantities of domestically produced sugar that processors may sell and the sugar that may be imported under lower tariff rates, and (3) the feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy producers which operates to avoid loan forfeitures to the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation by requiring USDA to purchase surplus sugar from domestic processors for resale to bioenergy producers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign 240 new agricultural specialists until the total number of specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. The CBP may also hire, train, and assign support staff to assist the specialists and specified levels of agricultural canine teams. In calculating the number of specialists needed at each port of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP must (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current commercial forecasts, and other relevant information.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Land Grant and Acequia Traditional Use Recognition and Consultation Act This bill requires coordination between the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of the Interior, and the governing bodies of certain community land grants in New Mexico made by Spain or Mexico to individuals, groups, and communities to promote the settlement of the southwestern United States (land grant-mercedes). Specifically, the bill directs USDA and Interior, before adopting, amending, or revising a management plan for, or before conducting an action for which an environmental impact statement is required on, federal land that contains a portion of a qualified land grant-merced, or federal land adjacent to or nearby such a land grant-merced, to provide for notice and an opportunity for comment for the governing body of the land grant-merced and the relevant state agency that serves as a liaison between the land grant-merced and the federal government, hold at least two meetings with the governing body, and notify the governing body before each public meeting. The bill establishes a process for determining and recognizing historical-traditional use boundaries of qualified land grant-mercedes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
Hemp for Victory Act of 2019 This bill requires various federal agencies to research and provide guidance on a wide-range of potential uses for hemp. Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a grant program for land-grant colleges or universities to conduct research on establishing hemp as a domestic agricultural commodity; the Department of Health and Human Services to study the presence of pathogens in hemp-based and hemp-blended products and the impact of that presence on the health and safety of consumers; the Small Business Administration to develop a guidance manual for persons who seek to start up a small business concern in the hemp industry; the Department of Defense to report on the procurement of items for which a hemp-based or hemp-blended product may be substituted; the Department of Labor to report on the application of provisions of federal law to ensure the health and safety of individuals working in the hemp industry; the Environmental Protection Agency to study the effects of cultivating hemp within agriculture; the Department of Housing and Urban Development to study the use of hemp as it relates to affordable and sustainable housing; and the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of the use of hemp extracts and isolates, including cannabidiol, by veterans diagnosed with certain illnesses and injuries.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2019
Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2019 This bill provides assistance to rural, multifamily rental-housing projects and tenants. Specifically, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must implement a program for the preservation and revitalization of such housing projects financed with USDA loans. As part of this program, USDA may restructure existing housing loans by, for example, reducing or eliminating interest and deferring loan payments. Further, USDA must annually provide, to owners of properties with loans that will mature within four years, written notice explaining the options to restructure such loans. USDA must also provide, to households in properties with loans that will mature within two years, written notice of actions that may happen upon the loan's maturity and information on how to protect their right to reside in federally assisted housing. Additionally, USDA may provide technical assistance grants to qualified nonprofit organizations and public housing agencies to help borrowers acquire multifamily rental-housing properties in areas where there is a risk of loss of affordable housing. Further, USDA may provide rural housing vouchers for low-income households (including those not receiving rental assistance) residing in certain properties financed with or insured by USDA loans. USDA must also establish an advisory committee to assist in preserving such properties and implementing a specified plan to preserve their affordability for low-income families. The bill also extends existing housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to victims who receive housing voucher assistance. (These protections include a protection against eviction on the basis of being a victim of domestic violence.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Farm to School Act of 2019 This bill modifies and expands the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Farm to School Program. The program currently provides grants and technical assistance to schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools. Among other things, the bill reauthorizes the program through FY2025; permits USDA to provide land-grant colleges and universities with grants, research, evaluation, and technical assistance under the program; expands the purposes for grants awarded under the program to include implementing educational activities relating to agriculture, nutrition, or food; requires USDA to provide technical assistance, research, and information to increase awareness of and participation in farm to school programs among agricultural producers, including beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers; directs USDA to seek to improve local food procurement and distribution options for agricultural producers and eligible institutions; authorizes USDA to fund projects that include innovative approaches to aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution; establishes new limitations on the amount and duration of grants; and limits funds that may be used for administrative costs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Farm to School Act of 2019 This bill modifies and expands the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Farm to School Program. The program currently provides grants and technical assistance to schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools. Among other things, the bill reauthorizes the program through FY2025; permits USDA to provide land-grant colleges and universities with grants, research, evaluation, and technical assistance under the program; expands the purposes for grants awarded under the program to include implementing educational activities relating to agriculture, nutrition, or food; requires USDA to provide technical assistance, research, and information to increase awareness of and participation in farm to school programs among agricultural producers, including beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers; directs USDA to seek to improve local food procurement and distribution options for agricultural producers and eligible institutions; authorizes USDA to fund projects that include innovative approaches to aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution; establishes new limitations on the amount and duration of grants; and limits funds that may be used for administrative costs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
Safe Food Act of 2019 This bill establishes the Food Safety Administration (FSA) as an independent agency to administer and enforce food safety laws. The functions of specified federal agencies that relate to the administration or enforcement of food safety laws are transferred to the FSA. The FSA is directed to promulgate regulations to protect the food supply from contamination; implement federal food safety inspection, labeling, enforcement, and research efforts to protect the public health; develop consistent and science-based standards for safe food; prioritize federal food safety efforts and deployment of resources to achieve the greatest benefit in reducing foodborne illness; administer a national food safety program based on an analysis of the hazards associated with different foods and the processing of different foods; require that all food and feed facilities register before operation or importation of food, feed, or ingredients; establish an accreditation system for foreign governments seeking to certify food for importation to the United States; establish requirements for tracing food and animals from point of origin to retail sale; establish and administer a food safety technology program to foster innovations with the potential to improve food safety; maintain or access an active surveillance system of food and epidemiological evidence; establish a sampling system to monitor contaminants in food; rank categories of food based on their health hazard; establish a national public education campaign on food safety; and conduct research relating to food safety. This bill includes provisions regarding prohibited acts, recall authority, penalties for violations of food safety laws, whistle-blower protection, and civil actions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill revises and sets forth provisions related to recreation areas and special recreation permits issued by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for individual or group use of federal recreational lands and waters. The bill makes permanent certain authorizations, including regarding such permits and the fees charged for them. Interior and USDA shall evaluate the special recreation permitting process and identify opportunities for eliminating duplicative processes, reducing costs, and decreasing processing times; establish categorical exclusions from environmental review requirements for special recreation permits if it would reduce processing times or costs without significantly affecting the human environment; authorize the issuance of temporary permits for new or additional recreational uses of federal lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management; allow online payment of certain federal passes and fees; develop initiatives to promote private-sector volunteer opportunities; and establish an interagency trail management plan. Permittees issued a special recreation permit may voluntarily and temporarily return one or more of their service days. The bill sets forth requirements for review by USDA of the renewal or adjustment of the allocations for the use of a special recreation permit. Interior and USDA may enter into agreements with states to allow the purchase of federal and state recreation passes in the same transaction. The bill establishes a National Recreation Area System.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill revises and sets forth provisions related to recreation areas and special recreation permits issued by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for individual or group use of federal recreational lands and waters. The bill makes permanent certain authorizations, including regarding such permits and the fees charged for them. Interior and USDA shall evaluate the special recreation permitting process and identify opportunities for eliminating duplicative processes, reducing costs, and decreasing processing times; establish categorical exclusions from environmental review requirements for special recreation permits if it would reduce processing times or costs without significantly affecting the human environment; authorize the issuance of temporary permits for new or additional recreational uses of federal lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management; allow online payment of certain federal passes and fees; develop initiatives to promote private-sector volunteer opportunities; and establish an interagency trail management plan. Permittees issued a special recreation permit may voluntarily and temporarily return one or more of their service days. The bill sets forth requirements for review by USDA of the renewal or adjustment of the allocations for the use of a special recreation permit. Interior and USDA may enter into agreements with states to allow the purchase of federal and state recreation passes in the same transaction. The bill establishes a National Recreation Area System.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to make permanent, and expand to at least 15 states, the program to provide more flexibility for states participating in the National School Lunch Program to purchase domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables. The bill also provides additional mandatory funding for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to make permanent, and expand to at least 15 states, the program to provide more flexibility for states participating in the National School Lunch Program to purchase domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables. The bill also provides additional mandatory funding for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
School Food Modernization Act This bill provides for loan guarantees and grants to support healthy meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs), school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities to finance infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases to facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school meal programs. USDA must also award competitive matching grants to assist LEAs, school food authorities, and tribal organizations in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. USDA must give preference under both programs to applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment, and shall establish fees for the loan guarantee program. In addition, USDA must award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to (1) meet or exceed nutrition standards under the school meal programs, and (2) improve the efficacy and efficiency of the school meal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
School Food Modernization Act of 2019 This bill provides for loan guarantees and grants to support healthy meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs), school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities to finance infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases to facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school meal programs. USDA must also award competitive matching grants to assist LEAs, school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. USDA must give preference under both programs to applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment, and shall establish fees for the loan guarantee program. In addition, USDA must award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to (1) meet or exceed nutrition standards under the school meal programs, and (2) improve the efficacy and efficiency of the school meal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety of 2019 or the CARE Act of 2019 This bill revises labor provisions for protecting child workers, including those employed in agriculture, and increases the civil penalties for violations of such provisions and imposes new criminal penalties for violations resulting in the death or serious injury or illness of a child worker. Specifically, the bill revises the definition of oppressive child labor to prohibit the employment of children under 14 years of age and imposes new employer reporting requirements for work-related injuries or deaths of agricultural employees under the age of 18. The Department of Labor must analyze, collect, and report on data concerning children under the age of 18 who are employed in agriculture and each work-related injury, illness, or death of any such child. Labor must also revise regulations to prohibit the employment of a child under the age of 18 as a pesticide handler.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 201 9 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in order to give children access to food during the summer months to (1) reduce or eliminate children's food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status. An "eligible household" is a household that includes one or more children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs. The amount on each summer EBT card is set at $150 per child in 2020, with adjustments thereafter reflecting changes in reimbursement rates for school meals under the school lunch program. If children are enrolled to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs, they must be enrolled in this program without further application. Summer EBT cards may be used only to purchase food from retail food stores that have been approved for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program).
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 201 9 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in order to give children access to food during the summer months to (1) reduce or eliminate children's food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status. An "eligible household" is a household that includes one or more children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs. The amount on each summer EBT card is set at $150 per child in 2020, with adjustments thereafter reflecting changes in reimbursement rates for school meals under the school lunch program. If children are enrolled to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs, they must be enrolled in this program without further application. Summer EBT cards may be used only to purchase food from retail food stores that have been approved for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program).
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act of 2019 This bill revises the Summer Food Service Program to direct the Department of Agriculture to establish electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and off-site consumption as two alternative delivery options for certain children through schools and service institutions in the program. These options shall be available to a child only if (1) the child lives in a rural area or outside of an area in which poor economic conditions exist, and (2) the child is eligible for a free or reduced price lunch and breakfast. In the case of off-site consumption, the option is also available if the summer program is available to the child at a congregate feeding site but (1) the site is closed due to extreme weather conditions, (2) violence or other public safety concerns in the area prevent the child from traveling safely to the site, (3) the site is open not more than four days a week, or (4) the site provides only one meal per day. A state may not operate the EBT card option and the off-site consumption option simultaneously in the same area. Each state desiring to participate in the summer food service program shall include in its annual management and administration plan the state's plans for using one or both of these alternative delivery options.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019
No Shame at School Act of 2019 This bill establishes requirements for the treatment of a child who is participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program and owes unpaid school meal fees.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019
Summer Meals Act of 201 9 This bill revises provisions related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which provides meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session. The bill redefines areas in which poor economic conditions exist , where the SFSP may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs. The bill reimburses service institutions (other than school food authorities) for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar. USDA must award competitive grants to service institutions to increase participation in the summer food service program for children who lack the ability to access a congregate feeding site through (1) innovative approaches to limited transportation, (2) mobile meal trucks, and (3) any other method or approach that does not require children to access a congregate feeding site. Service institutions that are participating in the summer food service program for children may serve up to three meals, or two meals and one snack, during each day of operation. Currently, this option is reserved for camps and service institutions that serve meals primarily to migrant children.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019
No Shame at School Act of 2019 This bill establishes requirements for the treatment of a child who is participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program and owes unpaid school meal fees.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019
Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with other specified agencies and departments, to develop, publish, and submit to Congress a national One Health Framework for coordinated federal activities under the One Health Program, which encourages collaborative efforts to help better prevent, prepare for, and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks. The framework must (1) describe existing efforts and contain recommendations for building upon and complementing the activities of federal entities; and (2) establish specified goals, including advancing the scientific understanding of the connections among human, animal, and environmental health.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
Paperwork Reduction for Farmers and H-2A Modernization Act This bill expands the H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) visa program to cover additional types of labor, makes various changes to the program, and provides a safe harbor for errors in nonimmigrant worker visa applications in certain instances. The bill makes H-2A visas available to an alien providing temporary labor that falls within the federal government classification categories for (1) grounds maintenance workers; (2) farming, fishing, and forestry occupations; or (3) forest, conservation, and logging workers. The bill authorizes joint employers to file a joint petition for an H-2A alien. The bill allows (1) employers seeking to rehire an H-2A worker to submit a simplified petition, and (2) employers seeking to hire H-2A workers for different time periods during a fiscal year to submit a single petition for such workers. The Department of Labor shall establish an electronic filing and appeals system for H-2A petitions. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shall communicate electronically with an H-2A employer when USCIS requests evidence from the employer, if the employer asks to do so. An employer who uses a third-party service to apply for a nonimmigrant worker visa shall not be civilly or criminally liable for errors in the application if the employer reasonably believed that the application was accurate and complied with statutory requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
Paperwork Reduction for Farmers and H-2A Modernization Act This bill expands the H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) visa program to cover additional types of labor, makes various changes to the program, and provides a safe harbor for errors in nonimmigrant worker visa applications in certain instances. The bill makes H-2A visas available to an alien providing temporary labor that falls within the federal government classification categories for (1) grounds maintenance workers; (2) farming, fishing, and forestry occupations; or (3) forest, conservation, and logging workers. The bill authorizes joint employers to file a joint petition for an H-2A alien. The bill allows (1) employers seeking to rehire an H-2A worker to submit a simplified petition, and (2) employers seeking to hire H-2A workers for different time periods during a fiscal year to submit a single petition for such workers. The Department of Labor shall establish an electronic filing and appeals system for H-2A petitions. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shall communicate electronically with an H-2A employer when USCIS requests evidence from the employer, if the employer asks to do so. An employer who uses a third-party service to apply for a nonimmigrant worker visa shall not be civilly or criminally liable for errors in the application if the employer reasonably believed that the application was accurate and complied with statutory requirements.