II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3970 

To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 

promote an American agriculture first agenda and establish the position 

of Domestic Agriculture Supply Chain Administrator in the Office of 

the Secretary of Agriculture to connect United States farmers with 

foodbanks, grocers, and nonprofit food distributors during periods of 

food scarcity, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 16, 2020 

Mrs. LOEFFLER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization 

Act of 1994 to promote an American agriculture first 

agenda and establish the position of Domestic Agriculture Supply Chain Administrator in the Office of the 

Secretary of Agriculture to connect United States farmers with foodbanks, grocers, and nonprofit food distributors during periods of food scarcity, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Farmers, 

3 Food Banks, and Families Act of 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DOMESTIC AGRICULTURE SUPPLY CHAIN ADMINIS5 TRATOR. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Department of 

7 Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by in8 serting after section 216 (7 U.S.C. 6916) the following: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 217. DOMESTIC AGRICULTURE SUPPLY CHAIN ADMIN10 ISTRATOR. 

11 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall establish 

12 in the Office of the Secretary a position of Domestic Agri13 culture Supply Chain Administrator (referred to in this 

14 section as the ‘Administrator’). 

15 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Administrator shall— 

16 ‘‘(1) carry out activities in the interest of as17 sisting farmers in entering the products of the farm18 ers into the domestic market; 

19 ‘‘(2) act as a liaison between— 

20 ‘‘(A) farmers; and 

21 ‘‘(B) food banks, schools, grocers, res22 taurants, and other food distribution entities 

23 partnered with the Department or other non24 profit organizations; and 

25 ‘‘(3)(A) identify barriers, either regulatory or 

26 legal, that prevent or inhibit farmers from entering 


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1 the products of the farmers into the domestic mar2 ket through food distribution networks or other enti3 ties; and 

4 ‘‘(B) make recommendations to the Secretary 

5 regarding the means by which to remove the barriers 

6 identified under subparagraph (A). 

7 ‘‘(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Administrator 

8 shall be— 

9 ‘‘(1) to promote the domestic supply chain; and 

10 ‘‘(2) to connect farmers that have excess agri11 cultural products, whether perishable or nonperish12 able, with an appropriate food distribution organiza13 tion that is in need of certain agricultural products. 

14 ‘‘(d) TEAM.—The Administrator shall oversee a team 

15 composed of— 

16 ‘‘(1) a regulatory reform officer; 

17 ‘‘(2) an agricultural marketing expert; and 

18 ‘‘(3) individuals with private sector experience 

19 in the food distribution network. 

20 ‘‘(e) COLLABORATION.—The Administrator shall con21 vene representatives of appropriate Federal advisory com22 mittees of the Agricultural Marketing Service, Federal 

23 agencies, and members of the private sector to advise the 

24 Administrator in carrying out the duties described in sub25 section (b). 


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1 ‘‘(f) EXISTING POSITION.—To the extent practicable, 

2 the Administrator shall be an additional role of an existing 

3 position, and not a new position, within the Office of the 

4 Secretary.’’. 

5 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 

6 the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 

7 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end 

8 the following: 

9 ‘‘(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry 

10 out the amendments made to this title by the Amer11 ican Farmers, Food Banks, and Families Act of 

12 2020’’. 

13 (c) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Subtitle A of the De14 partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is 

15 amended by redesignating section 225 (7 U.S.C. 6925) as 

16 section 224A. 

17 SEC. 3. CATALOGUE TO CONNECT FARMERS AND FOOD DIS18 TRIBUTION ORGANIZATIONS. 

19 The Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with 

20 private sector entities, shall establish a catalogue or data 

21 resource that is capable of recording— 

22 (1) farms that have excess agricultural prod23 ucts; and 


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1 (2) food distribution organizations that are in 

2 need of certain agricultural products. 

Æ 


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