I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8707 
To provide increased financial assistance for farmers markets and farmers’ 
market nutrition programs, to increase local agricultural production 
through food bank in-house production and local farmer contracting, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 12, 2022 
Ms. KAPTUR (for herself, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. RYAN, 
and Ms. BROWN of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide increased financial assistance for farmers markets 
and farmers’ market nutrition programs, to increase local 
agricultural production through food bank in-house pro-
duction and local farmer contracting, 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 ‘‘Farmers Market and Food 
Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2022’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Food insecurity, epidemic levels of obesity, 
hypertension, diabetes, and youth osteoporosis are 
caused by improper nutrition yielded by lack of nu-
tritious, reliable, and locally available healthy food 
options. 
(2) The American Diabetes Association esti-
mated a 41-percent increase in costs of diagnosed 
diabetes from 2007 ($174,000,000,000) to 2012 
($245,000,000,000) with most of these costs (62 
percent) coming from senior health programs such 
as Medicare and Medicaid. 
(3) Since sequestration in 2008, there has been 
no funding increase for the Seniors Farmers’ Market 
Nutrition Program. 
(4) From 2008 to 2020, the moderate at home 
food cost for a family of 2 (aged 51–70 years old) 
increased by an average of $70 a month. Seniors 
Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program funding has 
not kept pace with such inflation. 
(5) According to the Department of Agri-
culture, Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Pro-
gram has a total program funding backlog of 
$20,065,021 and a season benefit level backlog of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
$16,120,741 across all participating States, terri-
tories, and Native American Tribes. 
(6) Roughly 1 in 10 United States senior citi-
zens (about 5,146,000) are forced to live well below 
the Federal poverty level, and the Seniors Farmers’ 
Market Nutrition Program is only able to reach 
about 725,000 due to inadequate funding. 
(7) Since sequestration in 2008, funding for 
farmers’ market nutrition programs has fallen by 
over $6,000,000 and never rebounded. 
(8) The farmers’ market nutrition program is a 
vital safeguard for the nearly 1 in 7 children who 
will be born into poverty in the United States and 
will be at nutritional risk. 
(9) According to the Department of Agri-
culture, the farmers’ market nutrition program has 
a total program and seasonal benefit funding back-
log of $6,198,432 across all participating States, 
territories, and Native American Tribes. 
(10) In the United States, food banks will pro-
vide meals to 1 in 7 people. 
(11) Many food banks share special relation-
ships with local farmers who often donate their 
crops to food banks. The partnership allows for 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
more efficient and sustainable procurement for food 
banks. 
(12) Assisting food banks to grow their own 
food will aid local procurement and allow food banks 
to serve as farming resources to their communities, 
especially to those who are food insecure. 
(13) The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 
specifically required looking at ways to incorporate 
local goods to reduce food waste. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to increase and enhance funding for farm-
ers’ market nutrition programs to support seniors, 
food insecure families, and to increase market capac-
ity for local farmers; 
(2) to provide funding assistance for the expan-
sion and construction of farmers markets in both 
rural and urban food desert areas; and 
(3) to increase local food production through 
partnership with food banks by local farmer con-
tracting and funding assistance to food banks to 
grow necessary produce through traditional or con-
trolled environment agricultural farming. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
TO EXPAND PARTICIPATION IN THE SENIORS 
FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM. 
(a) INCREASED AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—To expand and address season benefit level and 
total backlogs of the Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition 
Program, there is authorized to be appropriated— 
(1) for fiscal year 2022, an increase to 
$60,000,000; 
(2) for fiscal year 2023, an increase to 
$70,000,000; and 
(3) for each of the fiscal years 2024 through 
2028, and increase to $100,000,000. 
(b) BENEFIT ENHANCEMENT.—For the purpose of 
expanding access to the Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutri-
tion Program, funds appropriated under subsection (a) 
shall be used for the following purposes: 
(1) Program eligibility income limit shall in-
crease to 200 percent of the Federal poverty guide-
line. 
(2) The minimum individual benefit shall be in-
creased to $35. 
(3) The maximum individual benefit shall be in-
creased to $80. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 4. MINIMUM INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT INCREASE UNDER 
WIC FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 17(m) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1786(m)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘paragraph (10)’’ both places it 
appears and inserting ‘‘paragraph (9)’’; 
(2) in paragraph (5)(C)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘$10’’ and inserting 
‘‘$35’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘$30’’ and inserting 
‘‘$60’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (9)(A), by striking ‘‘2015’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2025’’. 
SEC. 5. INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING FOR FARMERS MAR-
KETS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
make loans, loan guarantees, and grants to public agencies 
and nonprofit organizations for— 
(1) the construction of new farmers markets; or 
(2) the improvement or rehabilitation of exist-
ing farmers markets, including by adding or improv-
ing payment technologies used in such farmers mar-
kets. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a loan, 
loan guarantee, or grant under subsection (a) with respect 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
to a farmers market the public agency or nonprofit organi-
zation involved shall— 
(1) demonstrate financial need as determined 
by the Secretary; and 
(2) commit to reserving at least 50 percent of 
the floor area of the farmers market for the sale of 
products that are produced locally, as determined by 
the Secretary, by farmers, ranchers, or aquaculture, 
mariculture, or fisheries operators, or by associa-
tions of farmers, ranchers, or such operators. 
(c) COST SHARING.— 
(1) GRANTS.—The amount of a grant under 
this section shall not exceed 25 percent of the cost 
of the activity for which the grant is made. 
(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The combined amount 
of a grant made and loan made or guaranteed under 
this section shall not exceed 80 percent of the cost 
of the activity for which the grant or loan is made 
or guaranteed. 
(d) INTEREST RATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A loan made by the Sec-
retary under subsection (a) shall bear interest at the 
rate equivalent to the rate of interest charged on 
Treasury securities of comparable maturity on the 
date the loan is approved. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(2) DURATION.—The interest rate referred to 
in paragraph (1) with respect to a loan referred to 
in such paragraph shall remain in effect for the term 
of the loan. 
(e) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Cred-
it Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry 
out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2027. 
SEC. 6. PILOT PROGRAM FOR FOOD BANKS AND LOCAL 
FARMER CONTRACTING FOR LOCAL PRO-
CUREMENT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall establish a pilot grant program in which food banks 
may voluntarily contract with their local farmers for them 
to grow produce for food bank programs to promote local 
procurement of produce. Food banks in economically de-
pressed or food dessert areas shall be given priority to re-
ceive grants under this section. 
(b) METHODS.—Under contracts made by food banks 
with grants received under subsection (a), local farmers 
may grow produce through traditional or controlled envi-
ronmental agriculture farming. 
(c) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Cred-
it Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
out this section $250,000 for the fiscal years of 2022 and 
2023. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR SEN-
IORS FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 4402(a) of the Farm Security and Rural In-
vestment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007(a)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2028’’. 
SEC. 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 
Not later than 180 days after effective date of this 
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit a report to 
the Congress that contains a review of the effect of this 
Act on local procurement of food, local farmers, and the 
communities involved. 
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall take effect 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:25 Oct 25, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H8707.IH
H8707
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS