I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4185 
To amend the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to provide additional 
agricultural products for distribution by emergency feeding organizations; 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2023 
Ms. SCHRIER (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, and Ms. DELBENE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to 
provide additional agricultural products for distribution 
by emergency feeding organizations; and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expanding Access To 
Healthy Foods from Local Farmers Act’’ or the ‘‘EAT 
Healthy Foods from Local Farmers Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS. 
(a) PURCHASE OF PRIORITY AGRICULTURAL PROD-
UCTS.—Section 203D of the Emergency Food Assistance 
Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7507) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by inserting ‘‘or that State 
agencies purchase using funds made available under 
subsection (d),’’ after ‘‘distribution,’’, 
(2) in subsection (b) by inserting ‘‘or pur-
chased’’ after ‘‘donated’’, 
(3) by striking subsection (c), 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘(c)’’, 
and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A) by striking 
‘‘subparagraphs (B) and (C)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘subparagraph (B)’’, 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B), and 
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(C) as subparagraph (B), and 
(5) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) PROJECTS FOR STATES TO PURCHASE CERTAIN 
COMMODITIES FROM ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
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‘‘(A) PROJECT.—The term ‘project’ means 
the purchase of priority agricultural products 
from eligible entities, and the distribution of 
those products to needy persons through emer-
gency feeding organizations under subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(B) 
PRIORITY
AGRICULTURAL
PROD-
UCT.—The term ‘priority agricultural product’ 
means a fruit, vegetable, dairy, meat, seafood, 
grain, poultry, or other commodity food prod-
uct, available for sale by eligible entities and 
that States determine to be appropriate for dis-
tribution through emergency feeding organiza-
tions and culturally or religiously relevant to 
the local communities that will distribute the 
products. 
‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligi-
ble entity’ means any of the following small 
businesses that is a grower, packer, processor, 
distributor, food-hub, or a cooperative, and 
that— 
‘‘(i) is— 
‘‘(I) 
underserved, 
including 
women-owned or veteran-owned; or 
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‘‘(II) composed of, or sources ag-
ricultural products from, beginning 
farmers, or small or mid-sized farms 
that are structured as family farms; 
‘‘(ii) can deliver the priority agricul-
tural products to emergency feeding orga-
nizations selected by the State as being 
most in need of the products; and 
‘‘(iii) that is committed to serving 
communities in need and forging strong re-
lationships with emergency feeding organi-
zations, public agencies, and Tribal govern-
ments through a project, as determined by 
the State. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL FUNDING FOR PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (C) and paragraph (4), using funds made 
available under paragraph (5), the Secretary 
may provide funds to States to pay for the costs 
of carrying out a project. 
‘‘(B) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall issue guidance to States— 
‘‘(i) to carry out this section; 
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‘‘(ii) to inform States of their alloca-
tions under paragraph (3); 
‘‘(iii) to encourage States to partner 
with a wide range of emergency feeding or-
ganizations to reach communities in need, 
including those disproportionately impacted 
by food insecurity; and 
‘‘(iv) to inform States of public re-
porting requirements and minimum project 
performance standards, as developed by 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) ALLOCATION.— 
‘‘(i) ELIGIBILITY FOR ALLOCATION.— 
The Secretary shall allocate funds made 
available under paragraph (5) based on the 
formula in effect under section 214(a), 
among States that submit a State plan of 
operation for a project that includes— 
‘‘(I) a list of eligible entities and 
emergency feeding organizations in 
the State that will operate the project 
in partnership with the State agency; 
‘‘(II) at the option of the State, 
a list of priority agricultural products 
located in the State that are available 
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for purchase and transport to emer-
gency feeding organizations to identify 
which foods may be included in the 
project; 
‘‘(III) a time line of when the 
project will begin operating; and 
‘‘(IV) a plan to comply with the 
standards set out in subparagraph 
(B)(iv). 
‘‘(ii) REALLOCATION.—If the Sec-
retary determines that a State will not ex-
pend all the funds allocated to the State 
under clause (i), the Secretary shall reallo-
cate the unexpended funds to other eligible 
States. 
‘‘(iii) REPORT.—Each State that re-
ceives funds allocated under this subpara-
graph shall submit to the Secretary finan-
cial reports on a regular basis describing 
the use of the funds. 
‘‘(3) PROJECT PURPOSES.—A State may only 
use Federal funds received under paragraph (2) for 
a project the purposes of which are— 
‘‘(A) to maintain and improve food and ag-
ricultural supply chain resiliency; 
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‘‘(B) to provide food to individuals in need; 
and 
‘‘(C) to build relationships between the 
State, eligible entities and emergency feeding 
organizations through the purchase of food. 
‘‘(4) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A State agency that 
carries out a project using Federal funds re-
ceived under this subsection may enter into co-
operative agreements with State agencies of 
other States under section 203B(d) to maximize 
the use of commodities purchased under the 
project. 
‘‘(B) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 15 
days after entering into a cooperative agree-
ment under clause (i), a State agency shall sub-
mit such agreement to the Secretary. 
‘‘(5) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Secretary to carry out this sub-
section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 
through 2028, to remain available until the end of 
the respective subsequent fiscal year. 
‘‘(6) REPORTING.—Not later than 4 years after 
the effective date of this subsection, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee of Agriculture of the 
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House of Representatives and the Committee on Ag-
riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 
report containing— 
‘‘(A) an evaluation of the effectiveness of 
this subsection in providing nutritious food to 
individuals in need, improving agricultural sup-
ply chain resiliency, and expanding economic 
opportunity for eligible entities; and 
‘‘(B) recommendations for the implementa-
tion of this subsection to improve nutrition out-
comes.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 202A(b)(5) 
of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 
7503(b)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘donated commodities 
received under section 203D(d)’’ and inserting ‘‘commod-
ities donated under subsection (c), or purchased under 
subsection (d), of section 203D’’. 
SEC. 3. INTRADEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION. 
(a) WORKING GROUP.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall create a cross-agency working group within the office 
of the Secretary to work with relevant agencies and orga-
nizations of the Department of Agriculture and with 
stakeholders to review and reconsider how all Department 
procurement of priority agricultural products can be di-
rected to support a wider range of agricultural producers 
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and agricultural product distributors in a manner that 
meets the Department’s overarching goals of nutrition se-
curity, greater access to culturally or religiously relevant 
foods for individuals and households, resilient local and 
regional food systems, rural job creation, and reversal of 
the concentration of the ownership of the resources for 
the production and distribution of agricultural products. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.—The working group estab-
lished under subsection (a) shall submit to the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
Senate, an annual report describing the working group’s 
accomplishments, suggestions, and recommendations for 
administrative actions and proposed legislation relating to 
the activities of such group under such subsection. 
Æ 
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