I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4084 

To amend the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to establish a 

Community Gardens Pilot Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2014 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MORAN, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. WILSON

of Florida, Mr. SERRANO, and Mr. CONNOLLY) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to 

establish a Community Gardens Pilot Program, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community Gardening 

5 and Nutrition Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) A community garden improves the quality 

2 of life, encourages self-reliance, produces highly nu3 tritious food, reduces family food budgets, and cre4 ates opportunities for recreation, social interaction, 

5 exercise, education, and economic development for 

6 people participating in the garden. 

7 (2) The creation of community gardens has 

8 been an effective approach to cleaning up and main9 taining abandoned vacant lots. 

10 (3) Many community gardens donate fresh 

11 fruits and vegetables to local food pantries, coopera12 tives, and homeless members of the community, and 

13 provide for a source of fresh fruits and vegetables 

14 for participants of the gardens. 

15 (4) An August 2013 report by the Union of 

16 Concerned Scientists entitled ‘‘The $11 Trillion Re17 ward’’ concluded that if Americans were to eat 2.5 

18 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit daily, as rec19 ommended by Federal dietary guidelines, nearly 

20 130,000 deaths could be prevented and $17 billion 

21 could be saved in medical costs. 

22 (5) The Department of Health and Human 

23 Services recommends eating more dark green vegeta24 bles, legumes, and fruits; and eating fewer refined 

25 grains, less fat, and fewer calories. 


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1 (6) A 2010 review of the Nutritional Implica2 tions of Farmers’ Markets and Community Gardens 

3 published by the Journal of the American Dietetic 

4 Association found that community gardens promote 

5 healthy behaviors. 

6 (7) A 2011 pilot study entitled ‘‘LA Sprouts’’ 

7 published by the Journal of the American Dietetic 

8 Association found that teaching gardening and nu9 trition improved the dietary intakes of children and 

10 reduced childhood obesity. 

11 SEC. 3. COMMUNITY GARDEN PILOT PROGRAM. 

12 (a) PURPOSE.—Section 103(a) of the Domestic Vol13 unteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4953(a)) is amend14 ed— 

15 (1) in paragraph (12) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

16 end; 

17 (2) in paragraph (13) by striking the period 

18 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

19 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(14) in establishing initiatives that address the 

21 health and nutrition of individuals in low-income and 

22 underserved communities, including by— 

23 ‘‘(A) creating new community gardens and 

24 supporting and expanding existing community 

25 gardens; 


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1 ‘‘(B) recruiting local community members 

2 to actively engage in community gardens and 

3 gardening projects; 

4 ‘‘(C) transforming vacant places into com5 munity garden plots; 

6 ‘‘(D) increasing access for community 

7 members to healthy foods and local foods while 

8 also encouraging community members to stay 

9 active; 

10 ‘‘(E) expanding anti-poverty efforts by 

11 teaching basic nutrition and self-reliance 

12 through community gardening programs; and 

13 ‘‘(F) developing initiatives that increase 

14 access to healthy, locally grown foods for the 

15 community at large.’’. 

16 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Part A of title I of such Act 

17 (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

18 the following: 

19 ‘‘SEC. 110. COMMUNITY GARDEN PILOT PROGRAM. 

20 ‘‘(a) The Director shall establish a Community Gar21 den Pilot Program for the purpose of carrying out the 

22 work described under section 103(a)(14). In conducting 

23 the Program, the Director shall carry out no less than 40 

24 projects. 


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1 ‘‘(b) In carrying out the Program established under 

2 subsection (a), the Director shall give priority to— 

3 ‘‘(1) volunteers with experience in health, nutri4 tion, and gardening; 

5 ‘‘(2) projects located in varied geographic re6 gions; and 

7 ‘‘(3) selecting a balance of urban and rural 

8 projects.’’. 

9 (c) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 501(a) of such Act 

10 (42 U.S.C. 5081(a)) is amended by— 

11 (1) redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 

12 (4); and 

13 (2) inserting after paragraph (2) the following: 

14 ‘‘(3) COMMUNITY GARDEN PILOT PROGRAM.— 

15 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

16 section 110 of part A of title I $4,000,000 for fiscal 

17 year 2014 and such sums shall remain available 

18 until expended.’’. 

19 (d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

20 in section 1(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 4950) is amended 

21 by adding after the item relating to section 109 the fol22 lowing new item: 

‘‘Sec. 110. Community Garden Pilot Program.’’. 

23 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

24 Not later than 90 days after the completion of the 

25 Community Garden Pilot Program established under secVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:15 Feb 26, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4084.IH H4084

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1 tion 110(a) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 

2 (42 U.S.C. 4951(a)), the Assistant Director appointed 

3 pursuant to section 194(d)(1)(A) of the National and 

4 Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

5 12651e(d)(1)(A)), shall submit to Congress a report con6 taining— 

7 (1) a description of the projects and volunteer 

8 placements under the Program; 

9 (2) results and analysis of completed projects 

10 under the Program; and 

11 (3) any recommendations for continuation of 

12 the Program. 

Æ 


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