I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3453 

To provide community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups with 

funding to partner with small and mid-sized restaurants to expand meal 

access and delivery for low-income and vulnerable populations during, 

and through 1 year following the end of, a pandemic or public health 

emergency. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2021 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ (for herself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, 

Ms. SCANLON, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. CASE, and Mr. LOWENTHAL) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To provide community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups with funding to partner with small and midsized restaurants to expand meal access and delivery 

for low-income and vulnerable populations during, and 

through 1 year following the end of, a pandemic or 

public health emergency. 

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 ‘‘Anti-Hunger Pandemic 

5 Recovery Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 (1) VULNERABLE POPULATION.—The term 

3 ‘‘vulnerable population’’ means any person who is a 

4 member of the target population, is a low income in5 dividual, or receives a means-tested benefit as de6 fined under this Act. 

7 (2) GRAB-AND-GO MEAL.—The term ‘‘grab-and8 go meals’’ refers to pre-packaged, ready to eat food 

9 that has been prepared and cooked no greater than 

10 8 hours prior to being sealed or enclosed in a con11 tainer. 

12 (3) TARGET POPULATION.—The term ‘‘target 

13 population’’ includes an individual who (or family 

14 that)— 

15 (A) earns an income below 200 percent of 

16 the Federal poverty line; 

17 (B) suffers from food insecurity; 

18 (C) is homeless; 

19 (D) receives (or recently received) assist20 ance under a State program funded under part 

21 A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 

22 U.S.C. et seq.), relating to temporary assistance 

23 to needy families; or 

24 (E) is eligible for benefits under any nutri25 tion assistance or anti-poverty program. 


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1 (4) COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT FEEDING

2 AND ANTI-HUNGER GROUP.—The term ‘‘community3 based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group’’ 

4 means an anti-hunger organization, food bank, food 

5 pantry, soup kitchen, food rescue group, or commu6 nity food security organization that is described in 

7 section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 

8 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of 

9 such Code. 

10 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

11 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

12 (6) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘low13 income individual’’ means, with respect to any cal14 endar year, any individual who lives in a household 

15 that has a gross income that does not exceed 300 

16 percent of the poverty line, as defined in section 

17 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 

18 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)). 

19 (7) HOMELESS.—The term ‘‘homeless’’ has the 

20 meaning given such term in subtitle B of title VII 

21 of the McKinney-Vento Act and the Housing and 

22 Urban Development (HUD) definition in section 103 

23 of subtitle I of the McKinney-Vento Act. 

24 (8) CRISIS HOUSING.—The term ‘‘crisis hous25 ing’’ means a supervised publicly or privately operVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Jul 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3453.IH H3453

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1 ated shelter designated to provide temporary living 

2 arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for 

3 by Federal, State, or local government programs for 

4 low-income individuals or by charitable organiza5 tions, congregate shelters, and transitional housing). 

6 (9) MEANS-TESTED BENEFIT.—The term 

7 ‘‘means-tested benefit’’ means a mandatory spending 

8 program of the Federal Government for which, as 

9 determined by the Secretary, eligibility for the pro10 gram’s benefits, or the amount of such benefits, is 

11 determined on the basis of income or resources of 

12 the individual or family seeking the benefit. 

13 (10) DEPENDENT.—The term ‘‘dependent’’ has 

14 the meaning given such term in section 152 of the 

15 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, except that the term 

16 also includes an individual who is not a citizen or 

17 national of the United States if such individual 

18 would otherwise be considered a dependent pursuant 

19 to such section if such individual were a citizen or 

20 national of the United States. 

21 (11) DISASTER DECLARATION.—The term ‘‘dis22 aster declaration’’ means— 

23 (A) an emergency involving Federal pri24 mary responsibility determined to exist by the 

25 President under section 501(b) of the Robert T. 


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1 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist2 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(b)); 

3 (B) a national emergency declared by the 

4 President under the National Emergencies Act 

5 (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); 

6 (C) an emergency declared by a Federal 

7 official with respect to coronavirus (as defined 

8 in section 506 of the Coronavirus Preparedness 

9 and Response Supplemental Appropriations 

10 Act, 2020 (Public Law 116–123)); 

11 (D) a public health emergency declared by 

12 the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

13 pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 

14 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247(d)) with respect to 

15 COVID–19 or any other coronavirus with pan16 demic potential; or 

17 (E) the instance a Governor requests a 

18 major disaster declaration under the Robert T. 

19 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist20 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 

21 (12) TEMPORARY COMMUNITY NEED.—The 

22 term ‘‘temporary community need’’ means prepared 

23 meals during the time period under which a disaster 

24 declaration is provided. Such community need shall 


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1 terminate 3 years after the termination of such dec2 laration. 

3 (13) PANDEMIC.—The term ‘‘pandemic’’ means 

4 a communicable disease for which the Federal Gov5 ernment has issued a travel alert or travel warning. 

6 SEC. 3. ANTI-HUNGER PANDEMIC RECOVERY FUND. 

7 (a) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

8 to address temporary community needs under this section, 

9 a community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger 

10 group shall submit to the Secretary an application that 

11 contains a description of how the applicant proposes to 

12 use the grant funds to implement the components of the 

13 temporary grant program listed in subsection (b). The ap14 plication shall be submitted in such form, at such time, 

15 and containing such other information as the Secretary 

16 may require. 

17 (b) ANTI-HUNGER PANDEMIC RECOVERY GRANT

18 PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—An application for a grant 

19 under this section shall contain an assurance that the ap20 plicant will expand the capacity of community-based non21 profit feeding and anti-hunger groups and schools to meet 

22 the needs of children, families, and vulnerable populations 

23 in a pandemic by— 

24 (1) contracting with small and mid-sized busi25 ness restaurants or small and mid-sized food conVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Jul 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3453.IH H3453

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1 tractors that are small business concerns as defined 

2 in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

3 632) for— 

4 (A) preparing, cooking, and storing grab5 and-go meals; 

6 (B) serving meals to vulnerable popu7 lations or make them available for pick up, or 

8 distributed in high poverty areas designated by 

9 State and local agencies; 

10 (C) bolstering food security for children, 

11 dependents, families, and the elderly in rural 

12 and hard to reach communities; 

13 (D) bolstering food security for depend14 ents, target populations, and families in crisis 

15 housing; and 

16 (E) improving the nutrition of vulnerable 

17 populations. 

18 (c) CRITERIA.—In evaluating an application of a 

19 community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group 

20 to receive a grant, the Secretary shall consider criteria as 

21 the Secretary determines appropriate. 

22 (d) GRANT ADMINISTRATION.— 

23 (1) AMOUNT.—A grant awarded under this sec24 tion may not exceed $500,000. 

25 (2) RENEWALS.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

2 renew a grant awarded under this section with 

3 respect to an eligible entity if the entity— 

4 (i) submits to the Secretary an appli5 cation for renewal at such time, in such 

6 manner, and containing such information 

7 as the Secretary may require; and 

8 (ii) demonstrates in such application 

9 that— 

10 (I) grant, contract, or cooperative 

11 agreement funds made available to the 

12 entity were used in a manner required 

13 under the most recently approved ap14 plication of the entity under this sec15 tion; and 

16 (II) the entity has made progress 

17 in achieving the objectives of the ini18 tial application approved for the entity 

19 under this section. 

20 (B) DURATION.—A grant shall be eligible 

21 for renewal so long as a disaster declaration is 

22 active on the date of the renewal application. 

23 (e) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT, REQUIRE24 MENT.—A grant, contract, or cooperative agreement made 

25 under this Act shall be expended to supplement, and not 


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1 supplant, the expenditures of the eligible entity involved 

2 and the value of in-kind contributions. 

3 (f) ADMINISTRATION OF GRANTS.—Grants made 

4 under this section shall be administered through the Na5 tional Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

6 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro8 priated to carry out this section ‘‘$2,000,000,000 for fiscal 

9 year 2022. 

10 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Funds appropriated under sub11 section (a) shall remain available until expended. 

12 SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

13 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit a com14 munity-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group 

15 from receiving a grant under this Act for any vulnerable 

16 population otherwise served by such group with other Fed17 eral funds. 

18 SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 

19 (a) BEST PRACTICES.—Not later than 180 days after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

21 develop and publish a report on the best practices for com22 munity-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups to 

23 do business with the Department of Agriculture, including 

24 how to register with the Federal system of award manage25 ment (SAM), how to obtain and validate a Federal Data 


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1 Universal Number System (DUNS), and how to apply for 

2 a grant under section 3. Such report shall be available 

3 for public review and inspection on the public websites of 

4 the Department of Agriculture. 

5 (b) GRANTEES.—Not later than 3 years after the 

6 date of the enactment of this Act, an eligible entity that 

7 receives a grant under this Act shall submit to the Sec8 retary a report that contains an evaluation of the results 

9 of the activities, including financial expenditures, made 

10 during such fiscal year to carry out the program for which 

11 such grant is received and any other data the Secretary 

12 determines to be necessary for an evaluation of the bene13 fits of the grants awarded under this Act. 

14 (c) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later 

15 than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

16 the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agri17 culture of the House of Representatives a report describ18 ing— 

19 (1) each grant application received under this 

20 Act; 

21 (2) any grants awarded under this Act, includ22 ing— 

23 (A) the name and location of the eligible 

24 entity; 

25 (B) the total amount of the grant; 


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1 (C) the date on which the grant was 

2 awarded; and 

3 (D) information from reports received 

4 under subsection (b); and 

5 (3) any other data the Secretary determines to 

6 be necessary for an evaluation of benefits of the 

7 grants awarded under this Act. 

Æ 


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