Food Deserts Act

Summary

Food Deserts Act This bill establishes a Department of Agriculture program to provide grants to states for revolving funds to support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities. An underserved community is a community that has (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger, a high rate of food insecurity, or a high poverty rate. States must use the funds to make loans to support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for opening a store (excluding new construction), or supporting or purchasing an existing store. States may only make loans for grocery stores that meet requirements related to emphasizing unprocessed, healthful foods; providing staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables; having a plan to keep the foods in stock; charging affordable prices at or below market values; meeting specified matching requirements using nonfederal funds; and being qualified to operate a store or having partnerships with organizations that provide technical assistance. States must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria related to hiring workers from the underserved community, providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet, sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens, and demonstrating existing supply chain relationships in the grocery industry. 

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 10 November 2022

   Introduced

   Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 10 November 2022

   Introduced

   Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (E1121-1122)

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 10 November 2022

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 10 November 2022

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

5. 29 November 2022

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in House · 10 November 2022 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 10 November 2022

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 10 November 2022

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 10 November 2022

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] · D · Sponsor
• Sheila Jackson Lee · D · Sponsor
• Donald Payne · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] · D · Sponsor
• TIM RYAN · D · Sponsor
• Mark Takano · D · Sponsor
• Bennie Thompson · D · Sponsor
• Barbara Lee · D · Cosponsor
• Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick · D · Cosponsor
• · hsag00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Food Deserts Act
• related to ← Food Deserts Act of 2020