1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Local Food for Healthy Families Act of 2013”.
Local Food for Healthy Families Act of 2013
A BILL
To provide for the establishment of the Local Food for Healthy Families Program.
2. Local Food for Healthy Families Program
Establishment of program— The Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the Secretary unless the context specifies otherwise) shall establish the Local Food for Healthy Families Program for the purpose of making grants to certain entities to carry out projects to provide incentives to low-income families receiving supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables.
Administrative costs— Not more than 10 percent of the funds made available to carry out this Act for a fiscal year may be used by the Secretary to administer, evaluate, and monitor this Act for such fiscal year.
Advisory committee— The Secretary shall convene an advisory committee composed of representatives of organizations that have prior experience implementing local fruit and vegetable incentive programs to advise him on the design of the Local Food for Healthy Families Program.
3. Eligible entities
Applications— Subject to subsection (b), to be eligible to receive a grant to carry out a project under this Act, the following entities may submit to the Secretary an application that contains such information and assurances, at such time and in such form, as the Secretary may require by rule:
Private nonprofit entities.
Agricultural cooperatives.
Producer networks or associations.
Community health organizations.
Public benefit corporations.
Economic development cooperatives.
Farmers’ markets.
Community supported agriculture programs.
Buying clubs.
Retail food stores that participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
State, local, or tribal agencies.
Required assurance— An application submitted under subsection (a) shall include an assurance that the applicant will impose on recipients of incentives under this Act the same terms and conditions that apply to purchases made by individuals using supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.
4. Priority
In making grants under section 2, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—
are located in underserved communities,
provide locally produced fruits and vegetables,
maximize the share of funds used for direct incentives to participants,
use direct-to-consumer sales marketing,
demonstrate a track record of designing and implementing successful nutrition incentive programs that connect low-income consumers and agricultural producers,
develop innovative linkages between for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and
address other criteria as established by the Secretary.
5. Matching funds requirement
Federal share of costs— Not more than 50 percent of the cost of any project for which a grant is made under section 2 may be paid with Federal funds.
Non-Federal share of costs— An eligible entity that applies for a grant under section 2 shall agree to provide not less than 50 percent of the cost of the project for which application is submitted from non-Federal sources, except that—
an eligible entity that is a nonprofit entity may value in cash or in-kind (fairly evaluated) its share of the cost of such project, and
an eligible entity that is a for-profit entity may value only in cash (and may not include services of an employee, including salaries paid or expenses covered by the employer) its share of the cost of such project.
6. Independent evaluations
The Secretary shall provide for an independent evaluation of each project for which a grant is made under this Act. Such evaluation shall—
measure the impact of such project on—
improving the nutrition and health status of families that participate in projects carried out under this Act, and
increasing the quantity of fruits and vegetables purchased by such families, and
use rigorous methodologies capable of producing scientifically valid information regarding the effectiveness of such project.
7. Technical assistance and related information
Technical assistance— In carrying out this Act, the Secretary may provide technical assistance regarding the operation of the Local Food for Healthy Families Program to entities that request such information.
Sharing information— The Secretary may provide for sharing of information concerning the operation of the Local Food for Healthy Families Program, the operation of projects carried out under such program, and the issues arising from such program and such projects, with and among—
governmental, for-profit, and nonprofit groups, and the public through publications, conferences, and other appropriate forums, and
researchers, practitioners, and other interested persons.
8. Treatment of funds
In general— The value of any incentive provided under this Act to a participating family shall not be considered income or resources for any purpose under any Federal, State, or local law.
No limitation on benefits— A grant made available under this Act shall not be used to carry out any project that limits the use of benefits provided under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or any other Federal nutrition law.
Household allotment— Incentives provided under this Act to families that receive supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits shall not—
be considered to be part of such benefits; or
be used in the collection or disposition of claims under section 13 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2022).
9. Appropriation of funds
Out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to carry out the Local Food for Healthy Families Program $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2018.