I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3905 

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants for the establishment of veterans gardens that are operated by veterans and designed 

to produce food that can be sold to individuals, schools, and restaurants. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2012 

Mr. BACA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants 

for the establishment of veterans gardens that are operated by veterans and designed to produce food that can 

be sold to individuals, schools, and restaurants. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Gardens Em5 ployment and Opportunity Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS 

7 GARDENS. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) According to the Department of Labor, vet2 eran unemployment has increased to more than 

3 twice the national average, with disabled veteran un4 employment being even higher. 

5 (2) Nearly 70 percent of all farmers in the 

6 United States are over the age of 55, while only four 

7 percent are under the age of 35. 

8 (3) It is estimated that the United States will 

9 need at least one million new farmers in the next 

10 decade to meet the agricultural demands of the 

11 United States. 

12 (4) Programs that train returning veterans with 

13 farming and gardening skills have proven effective at 

14 providing employment opportunities for veterans, 

15 while also enabling many veterans to become suc16 cessful, sustainable farmers. 

17 (b) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 

18 award grants to eligible entities for the establishment of 

19 gardens that are fully operated by veterans and are de20 signed to produce food that can be sold to individuals, 

21 schools, and restaurants through farmers markets or oth22 erwise. 

23 (c) ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this section, an 

24 eligible entity is a nonprofit organization, corporation, or 

25 group of veterans that submits an application containing 


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1 such information and assurances as the Secretary of Agri2 culture may require. 

3 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec4 tion, the Secretary of Agriculture, after consultation with 

5 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall give priority to 

6 eligible entities seeking to establish a garden— 

7 (1) in a location that is on the grounds of a De8 partment of Veterans Affairs medical facility; or 

9 (2) at another location that the Secretary of 

10 Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of 

11 Veterans Affairs, determines is convenient for the 

12 transportation of patients of a Department of Vet13 erans Affairs medical facility from such facility to 

14 the proposed garden at such location for purposes of 

15 operating or tending such garden. 

16 (e) MATCHING FUNDS.—As a condition of receiving 

17 a grant under this section, the Secretary of Agriculture 

18 shall require the recipient of the grant to provide funds 

19 or in-kind support from non-Federal sources in an amount 

20 that is at least equal to the amount provided by the Fed21 eral Government. 

22 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

24 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016. 

Æ 


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