I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6384 
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 
a pandemic or public health emergency. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 24, 2020 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To provide community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hun-
ger groups with funding to partner with small and mid- 
sized restaurants to expand meal access and delivery 
for low-income and vulnerable populations during a pan-
demic or public health emergency. 
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 ‘‘Community Meals 
Fund’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
(1) VULNERABLE
POPULATION.—The term 
‘‘vulnerable population’’ means any person who is a 
member of the target population, is a low income in-
dividual, or receives a means-tested benefit as de-
fined under this Act. 
(2) GRAB-AND-GO MEAL.—The term ‘‘grab-and- 
go meals’’ refers to pre-packaged, ready to eat food 
that has been prepared and cooked no greater than 
8 hours prior to being sealed or enclosed in a con-
tainer. 
(3) TARGET POPULATION.—The term ‘‘target 
population’’ includes an individual who (or family 
that)— 
(A) earns an income below 200 percent of 
the Federal poverty line; 
(B) suffers from food insecurity; 
(C) is homeless; 
(D) receives (or recently received) assist-
ance under a State program funded under part 
A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. et seq.), relating to temporary assistance 
to needy families; or 
(E) is eligible for benefits under any nutri-
tion assistance or anti-poverty program. 
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(4) COMMUNITY-BASED
NONPROFIT
FEEDING 
AND ANTI-HUNGER GROUP.—The term ‘‘community- 
based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group’’ 
means an anti-hunger organization, food bank, food 
pantry, soup kitchen, food rescue group, or commu-
nity food security organization that is described in 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of 
such Code. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(6) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘low- 
income individual’’ means, with respect to any cal-
endar year, any individual who lives in a household 
that has a gross income that does not exceed 300 
percent of the poverty line, as defined in section 
673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 
(42 U.S.C. 9902(2)). 
(7) HOMELESS.—The term ‘‘homeless’’ has the 
meaning given such term in subtitle B of title VII 
of the McKinney-Vento Act and the Housing and 
Urban Development (HUD) definition in section 103 
of subtitle I of the McKinney-Vento Act. 
(8) CRISIS HOUSING.—The term ‘‘crisis hous-
ing’’ means a supervised publicly or privately oper-
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ated shelter designated to provide temporary living 
arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for 
by Federal, State, or local government programs for 
low-income individuals or by charitable organiza-
tions, congregate shelters, and transitional housing). 
(9) 
MEANS-TESTED
BENEFIT.—The 
term 
‘‘means-tested benefit’’ means a mandatory spending 
program of the Federal Government for which, as 
determined by the Secretary, eligibility for the pro-
gram’s benefits, or the amount of such benefits, is 
determined on the basis of income or resources of 
the individual or family seeking the benefit. 
(10) DEPENDENT.—The term ‘‘dependent’’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 152 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, except that the term 
also includes an individual who is not a citizen or 
national of the United States if such individual 
would otherwise be considered a dependent pursuant 
to such section if such individual were a citizen or 
national of the United States. 
(11) DISASTER DECLARATION.—The term ‘‘dis-
aster declaration’’ means the instance a Governor re-
quests a major disaster declaration under the Robert 
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 
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(12) TEMPORARY
COMMUNITY
NEED.—The 
term ‘‘temporary community need’’ means prepared 
meals during the time period under which a disaster 
declaration is provided. Such community need shall 
terminate 30 days after the termination of such dec-
laration. 
(13) PANDEMIC.—The term ‘‘pandemic’’ means 
a communicable disease for which the Federal Gov-
ernment has issued a travel alert or travel warning. 
SEC. 3. COMMUNITY MEALS FUND. 
(a) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
to address temporary community needs under this section, 
a community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger 
group shall submit to the Secretary an application that 
contains a description of how the applicant proposes to 
use the grant funds to implement the components of the 
temporary grant program listed in subsection (b). The ap-
plication shall be submitted in such form, at such time, 
and containing such other information as the Secretary 
may require. 
(b) COMMUNITY MEALS GRANT PROGRAM COMPO-
NENTS.—An application for a grant under this section 
shall contain an assurance that the applicant will expand 
the capacity of community-based nonprofit feeding and 
anti-hunger groups and schools to meet the needs of chil-
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dren, families, and vulnerable populations in a pandemic 
by— 
(1) contracting with small and mid-sized busi-
ness restaurants or small and mid-sized food con-
tractors that are small business concerns as defined 
in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
632) for— 
(A) preparing, cooking, and storing grab- 
and-go meals; 
(B) serving meals to vulnerable popu-
lations or make them available for pick up, or 
distributed in high poverty areas designated by 
State and local agencies; 
(C) bolstering food security for children, 
dependents, families, and the elderly in rural 
and hard to reach communities; 
(D) bolstering food security for depend-
ents, target populations, and families in crisis 
housing; and 
(E) improving the nutrition of vulnerable 
populations. 
(c) CRITERIA.—In evaluating an application of a 
community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group 
to receive a grant, the Secretary shall consider criteria as 
the Secretary determines appropriate. 
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(d) GRANT ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) AMOUNT.—A grant awarded under this sec-
tion may not exceed $500,000. 
(2) RENEWALS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
renew a grant awarded under this section with 
respect to an eligible entity if the entity— 
(i) submits to the Secretary an appli-
cation for renewal at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require; and 
(ii) demonstrates in such application 
that— 
(I) grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement funds made available to the 
entity were used in a manner required 
under the most recently approved ap-
plication of the entity under this sec-
tion; and 
(II) the entity has made progress 
in achieving the objectives of the ini-
tial application approved for the entity 
under this section. 
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(B) DURATION.—A grant shall be eligible 
for renewal so long as a disaster declaration is 
active on the date of the renewal application. 
(e) 
SUPPLEMENT, 
NOT
SUPPLANT, 
REQUIRE-
MENT.—A grant, contract, or cooperative agreement made 
under this Act shall be expended to supplement, and not 
supplant, the expenditures of the eligible entity involved 
and the value of in-kind contributions. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $20,000,000 during the 
1-year period beginning on May 1, 2020. 
(b) AVAILABILITY.—Funds authorized to be appro-
priated under subsection (a) shall remain available until 
expended. 
SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit a com-
munity-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group 
from receiving a grant under this Act for any vulnerable 
population otherwise served by such group with other Fed-
eral funds. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) GRANTEE REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year for which 
a grantee receives a grant under this Act, such grantee 
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shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains an 
evaluation of the results of the activities, including finan-
cial expenditures, made during such fiscal year to carry 
out the program for which such grant is received. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORTS
TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than January 1 following the end of fiscal year for which 
funds are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report describing the progress 
of the programs carried out with grants made for such 
fiscal year. 
Æ 
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