Community Meals Fund

Vulnerable population— The term vulnerable population means any person who is a member of the target population, is a low income individual, or receives a means-tested benefit as defined under this Act.

Grab-and-go meal— The term grab-and-go meals refers to pre-packaged, ready to eat food that has been prepared and cooked no greater than 8 hours prior to being sealed or enclosed in a container.

Target population— The term target population includes an individual who (or family that)—

Community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group— The term community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group means an anti-hunger organization, food bank, food pantry, soup kitchen, food rescue group, or community food security organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

Low-income individual— The term low-income individual means, with respect to any calendar year, any individual who lives in a household that has a gross income that does not exceed 300 percent of the poverty line, as defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)).

Homeless— The term homeless has the meaning given such term in subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Act and the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition in section 103 of subtitle I of the McKinney-Vento Act.

Crisis housing— The term crisis housing means a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, and transitional housing).

Means-tested benefit— The term means-tested benefit means a mandatory spending program of the Federal Government for which, as determined by the Secretary, eligibility for the program’s benefits, or the amount of such benefits, is determined on the basis of income or resources of the individual or family seeking the benefit.

Dependent— The term dependent has the meaning given such term in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, except that the term also includes an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States if such individual would otherwise be considered a dependent pursuant to such section if such individual were a citizen or national of the United States.

Disaster declaration— The term disaster declaration means the instance a Governor requests a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

Temporary community need— The term temporary community need means prepared meals during the time period under which a disaster declaration is provided. Such community need shall terminate 30 days after the termination of such declaration.

Pandemic— The term pandemic means a communicable disease for which the Federal Government has issued a travel alert or travel warning.

Application— To be eligible to receive a grant to address temporary community needs under this section, a community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group shall submit to the Secretary an application that contains a description of how the applicant proposes to use the grant funds to implement the components of the temporary grant program listed in subsection (b). The application shall be submitted in such form, at such time, and containing such other information as the Secretary may require.

Community meals grant program components— An application for a grant under this section shall contain an assurance that the applicant will expand the capacity of community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups and schools to meet the needs of children, families, and vulnerable populations in a pandemic by—

Criteria— In evaluating an application of a community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group to receive a grant, the Secretary shall consider criteria as the Secretary determines appropriate.

Supplement, not supplant, requirement— A grant, contract, or cooperative agreement made under this Act shall be expended to supplement, and not supplant, the expenditures of the eligible entity involved and the value of in-kind contributions.

In general— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 during the 1-year period beginning on May 1, 2020.

Availability— Funds authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.

Grantee report to Congress— Not later than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year for which a grantee receives a grant under this Act, such grantee shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains an evaluation of the results of the activities, including financial expenditures, made during such fiscal year to carry out the program for which such grant is received.

Annual reports to congress— Not later than January 1 following the end of fiscal year for which funds are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the progress of the programs carried out with grants made for such fiscal year.