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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3108 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3108

 To require the President to call a White House Conference on Food and 
                               Nutrition.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2008

    Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mrs. Dole, and Mr. Kohl) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To require the President to call a White House Conference on Food and 
                               Nutrition.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``The White House Conference on Food 
and Nutrition''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Hunger and undernutrition are political conditions that 
        can be solved.
            (2) Access to healthy food and good nutrition should be a 
        fundamental right of all Americans.
            (3) Nearly 40 years have passed since the United States 
        convened a White House conference to comprehensively address 
        the issues of food, hunger, health, and nutrition in America.
            (4) More than 35,500,000 Americans live in households that 
        face a constant struggle against hunger, 12,600,000 of whom are 
        children and 5,000,000 of whom are seniors, the disabled, and 
        the critically ill.
            (5) The Government spends more than $55,000,000,000 every 
        year responding to the concurrent epidemics of hunger and 
        undernutrition, yet the number of Americans facing hunger 
        continues to grow and our Nation's nutritional health is 
        declining.
            (6) Conservative cost estimates show that the true cost of 
        hunger and illness related to undernutrition in America is at 
        least $90,000,000,000 a year, more than half of which is paid 
        by Medicare and Medicaid.
            (7) Appropriate food and nutrition can save the United 
        States billions of dollars in health care costs by preventing 
        or delaying the progression to late-stage disease for tens of 
        millions of Americans who live with chronic diseases, such as 
        diabetes, HIV, AIDS, and heart disease. The costs of the 
        effects and treatments of those diseases are significantly 
        exacerbated by hunger, food insecurity, and undernutrition.
            (8) A national discussion of the root causes of hunger, 
        food insecurity, and undernutrition, as well as identification 
        of solutions to these epidemics, can lead to action to 
        implement such solutions and to end hunger in America.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF THE CONFERENCE.

    (a) Authority To Call Conference.--Not later than December 31, 
2010, the President shall call the White House Conference on Food and 
Nutrition (in this Act referred to as the ``Conference'') to be 
convened not later than 18 months after the selection of the Policy 
Committee established in section 4, in order to make fundamental policy 
recommendations on ways to end hunger and to improve nutrition in the 
United States and to implement the purposes set forth in subsection 
(c).
    (b) Planning and Direction.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the 
Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ``Cochairs'') shall plan, 
conduct, and convene the Conference, in consultation with the Surgeon 
General.
    (c) Purposes of the Conference.--The purposes of the Conference are 
to--
            (1) identify viable solutions for ending hunger in the 
        United States;
            (2) review the current structure, scope, and effectiveness 
        of existing legislation and programs at the Federal, State, and 
        local levels that provide for the nutritional needs of food-
        insecure people living in the United States;
            (3) determine the extent to which current Federal, State, 
        and local programs that provide for the nutritional health of 
        Americans can better use available resources and ensure greater 
        coordination among such programs;
            (4) identify new ways to utilize the abundant agricultural 
        resources of the United States to meet the nutritional needs of 
        all Americans;
            (5) highlight emerging and innovative programs from the 
        public and private sectors, including community-based and 
        faith-based organizations that effectively address the 
        nutrition needs of vulnerable Americans and recommend such 
        programs as can be reasonably and cost-effectively replicated;
            (6) identify opportunities for effective partnerships 
        between the Government, industry, labor, healthcare, and the 
        nonprofit sectors to fight hunger in the United States;
            (7) explore the possibility of creating a Federal office 
        within the Department of Agriculture to oversee the Nation's 
        response to persistent and widespread hunger and food 
        insecurity, to include the oversight and coordination of all 
        Federal, State, and local antihunger programs;
            (8) bring public attention to the more than 35,500,000 
        people living in the United States that face a constant 
        struggle against hunger, food insecurity, and inadequate 
        nutrition;
            (9) illustrate the medical, developmental, and educational 
        impact of hunger, food insecurity, and inadequate nutrition, 
        and the potential savings to the United States health care 
        system, educational system, and other sectors when appropriate 
        food is available to the critically and chronically ill;
            (10) build understanding of the true cost of hunger in the 
        United States, to include lost wages, diminished stamina, 
        reduced capacity to learn, and the impact of despair; and
            (11) build understanding that the ever-burgeoning dual 
        epidemic of hunger and undernutrition is a matter of national 
        security.

SEC. 4. POLICY COMMITTEE; RELATED COMMITTEES.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than June 30, 2009, there is 
established a Policy Committee comprising of 17 members to be selected 
as follows:
            (1) Presidential appointees.--Nine members shall be 
        selected by the President and shall include--
                    (A) 3 members who are officers or employees of the 
                United States, including the Surgeon General; and
                    (B) 6 members with experience in addressing the 
                needs of food-insecure and undernourished people in the 
                United States.
            (2) House appointees.--
                    (A) Two members shall be selected by the Speaker of 
                the House of Representatives after consultation with 
                the chairperson of the Committee on Education and 
                Labor, the chairperson of the Committee on Ways and 
                Means, and the chairperson of the Committee on 
                Agriculture, of the House of Representatives.
                    (B) Two members shall be selected by the minority 
                leader of the House of Representatives, after 
                consultation with the ranking minority members of such 
                committees.
            (3) Senate appointees.--
                    (A) Two members shall be selected by the majority 
                leader of the Senate, after consultation with members 
                of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions, the Committee on Agriculture, and the 
                Committee on Finance, and the Appropriations 
                Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and 
                Related Agencies, of the Senate.
                    (B) Two members shall be selected by the minority 
                leader of the Senate, after consultation with members 
                of such committees.
    (b) Voting; Chairperson.--
            (1) The Policy Committee shall act by the vote of a 
        majority of the members present. A quorum of Committee members 
        shall not be required to conduct Committee business.
            (2) The Surgeon General shall serve as the chairperson of 
        the Policy Committee. The chairperson may vote only to break a 
        tie vote of the other members of the Policy Committee.
    (c) Duties of the Policy Committee.--The Policy Committee shall 
initially meet at the call of the Cochairs, not later than 30 days 
after the last member is selected under subsection (a). Subsequent 
meetings of the Policy Committee shall be held at the call of the 
chairperson. Through meetings, hearings, and working sessions, the 
Policy Committee shall--
            (1) make recommendations to the Cochairs to facilitate the 
        timely convening of the Conference;
            (2) submit to the Cochairs a proposed agenda for the 
        Conference not later than 90 days after the first meeting of 
        the Policy Committee;
            (3) make recommendations for the delegates of the 
        Conference;
            (4) establish the number of delegates to be selected under 
        section 5; and
            (5) establish an executive committee consisting of 3 
        members of the Policy Committee to work with delegates of the 
        Conference.

SEC. 5. CONFERENCE DELEGATES.

    To carry out the purposes of the Conference, the Cochairs shall 
bring together delegates representative of the spectrum of thought in 
the field of food and nutrition, without regard to political 
affiliation or past partisan activity, who shall include--
            (1) representatives of Federal, State, and local 
        governments;
            (2) professional people and laypeople who are working in 
        the field of food, health, nutrition, and economic security; 
        and
            (3) representatives of the general public who are affected 
        by hunger in the United States.

SEC. 6. CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Administration.--In administering this section, the Cochairs 
shall--
            (1) provide written notice to all members of the Policy 
        Committee of each meeting, hearing, or working session of such 
        Committee not later than 48 hours before the occurrence of such 
        meeting, hearing, or working session;
            (2) request the cooperation and assistance of the heads of 
        such other Federal departments and agencies as may be 
        appropriate, including the detailing of personnel;
            (3) make available for public comment a proposed agenda 
        prepared by the Policy Committee, which will reflect to the 
        greatest extent possible the major issues facing the field of 
        food and nutrition consistent with the purposes of the 
        Conference set forth in section 3(c);
            (4) prepare and make available background materials that 
        the Cochairs deem necessary for the use of delegates to the 
        Conference; and
            (5) employ such additional personnel as may be necessary to 
        carry out the provisions of this Act without regard to 
        provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
        appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to 
        chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title 
        relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.
    (b) Duties.--In carrying out the Cochairs's responsibilities and 
functions under this section, the Cochairs shall ensure that--
            (1) the proposed agenda prepared under subsection (a)(3) is 
        published in the Federal Register not later than 30 days after 
        such agenda is approved by the Policy Committee;
            (2) the personnel employed under subsection (a)(5) are 
        fairly balanced in terms of points of views represented and are 
        appointed without regard to political affiliation or previous 
        partisan activities;
            (3) the recommendations of the Conference are not 
        inappropriately influenced by any public official or by any 
        special interest, but instead are the result of the independent 
        and collective judgment of the delegates of the Conference; and
            (4) before the Conference is convened--
                    (A) current and adequate statistical data 
                (including decennial census data) and other information 
                on food and nutrition in the United States; and
                    (B) such information as may be necessary to 
                evaluate Federal programs and policies relating to food 
                and nutrition;
        which the Cochairs may obtain by making grants to or entering 
        into an agreement with, public agencies or nonprofit 
        organizations, are readily available in advance of the 
        Conference to the delegates.
    (c) Gifts.--The Cochairs may accept, on behalf of the United 
States, gifts (in cash or in kind, including voluntary and 
uncompensated services), which shall be available to carry out this 
Act. Gifts of cash shall be available in addition to amounts 
appropriated to carry out this title. Gifts may be earmarked by the 
donor or the executive committee for a specific purpose.
    (d) Records.--The Cochairs shall maintain records regarding--
            (1) the sources, amounts, and uses of gifts accepted under 
        subsection (c); and
            (2) the identity of each person receiving assistance to 
        carry out this Act, and the amount of such assistance received 
        by each such person.

SEC. 7. REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE.

    (a) Preliminary Report.--Not later than 100 days after the 
Conference adjourns, the Policy Committee shall prepare a preliminary 
report on the Conference which shall be published in the Federal 
Register and submitted to the chief executive officers of the States. 
The Policy Committee shall request that the chief executive officers of 
the States submit to the Policy Committee, not later than 45 days after 
receiving such report, their views and findings on such report.
    (b) Final Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date on which 
the Conference adjourns, the Policy Committee shall--
            (1) prepare a final report of the Conference which shall 
        include a compilation of the views and findings of the chief 
        executive officers of the States received under subsection (a); 
        and
            (2) publish in the Federal Register, and transmit to the 
        President and to Congress, the recommendations for the 
        administrative action and the legislation necessary to 
        implement the recommendations contained in such report.

SEC. 8. STATUS REPORTS.

    (a) Initial Status Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
on which the Conference adjourns, the Surgeon General shall--
            (1) prepare a status report documenting the implementation 
        of the recommendations contained in the final report described 
        in section 7(b)(1); and
            (2) publish in the Federal Register, and transmit to the 
        President and to Congress, such status report.
    (b) Subsequent Status Reports.--Not later than 5 years after the 
date on which the Conference adjourns, and every 5 years thereafter 
until all recommendations in the final report described in section 
7(b)(1) are achieved, the Comptroller General shall--
            (1) prepare a status report documenting the implementation 
        of the recommendations contained in such final report; and
            (2) publish in the Federal Register, and transmit to the 
        President and to Congress, such status report.

SEC. 9. DEFINITION OF STATE.

    For the purposes of this Act, the term ``State'' means any of the 
several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands of the United States, or 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorization.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this Act--
                    (A) such sums as may be necessary for the first 
                fiscal year in which the Policy Committee plans the 
                Conference and for the following fiscal year; and
                    (B) such sums as may be necessary for the fiscal 
                year in which the Conference is held.
            (2) Limitation.--Any new spending authority or new 
        authority to enter into contracts under this Act, and under 
        which the United States is obligated to make outlays, shall be 
        effective only to the extent, and in such amounts, as are 
        provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), funds 
        appropriated to carry out this Act and funds received as gifts 
        under section 6(c) shall remain available for obligation or 
        expenditure until the expiration of the 1-year period beginning 
        on the date the Conference adjourns.
            (2) Unobligated funds.--Except as provided in paragraph 
        (3), any such funds neither expended nor obligated before the 
        expiration of the 1-year period beginning on the date the 
        Conference adjourns shall be returned to the United States 
        Treasury.
            (3) Conference not convened.--If the Conference is not 
        convened before December 31, 2010, a trust fund shall be 
        established and such funds shall only be available for a future 
        Conference on Food and Nutrition.
                                 <all>
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