I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6586 
To authorize the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to assess 
the efficacy of providing junior enlisted members of the Armed Forces 
a monthly coupon for use in procuring food at commissaries. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2025 
Mr. PANETTA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot 
program to assess the efficacy of providing junior en-
listed members of the Armed Forces a monthly coupon 
for use in procuring food at commissaries. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) members of the Armed Forces and their 
families deserve access to affordable and healthy 
food options, including during their duty day; 
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(2) there has been increased awareness about 
the challenges members and their families face in ac-
cessing affordable and healthy food options; 
(3) those challenges have been especially acute 
for unaccompanied junior enlisted members who live 
in government-provided quarters on military installa-
tions; and 
(4) the Department of Defense should explore 
a variety of proposals for expanding the accessibility 
of healthy and affordable food options to members, 
especially members who live in unaccompanied hous-
ing on military installations. 
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE COUPONS TO JUNIOR 
ENLISTED MEMBERS TO PURCHASE FOOD AT 
COMMISSARIES. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Defense may 
conduct a pilot program to assess the efficacy of providing 
junior enlisted members of the Armed Forces a monthly 
coupon for use in procuring food at commissaries. 
(b) SELECTION OF INSTALLATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may conduct 
the pilot program authorized by subsection (a) at 2 
military installations. 
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(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In selecting installa-
tions for the pilot program authorized by subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall consider installations with— 
(A) large numbers of enlisted members 
who live in unaccompanied housing; 
(B) the largest ratios of enlisted members 
to commissioned officers; 
(C) unaccompanied housing that provides 
access to functioning kitchens that residents 
may use to prepare meals; 
(D) commissaries that are experimenting 
with or expanding their selection of nutritious 
and minimally processed ready-made and easy- 
to-make food options; 
(E) low rates of attendance at dining fa-
cilities; 
(F) low customer satisfaction ratings for 
dining facilities, including installations with 
complaints about dining facilities submitted 
through the Interactive Customer Evaluation 
system of the Department of Defense; and 
(G) commissaries located within easily ac-
cessible distances from unaccompanied housing. 
(c) COUPONS.— 
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(1) AMOUNT.—The Secretary may determine 
the amount of the coupons to be provided under the 
pilot program authorized by subsection (a). 
(2) USE
FOR
FOOD
AT
COMMISSARIES
RE-
QUIRED.—A coupon provided under the pilot pro-
gram authorized by subsection (a) may be used only 
to purchase food at commissaries. 
(3) PROHIBITED
USES.—A coupon provided 
under the pilot program authorized by subsection (a) 
may not be used to— 
(A) purchase alcoholic beverages or to-
bacco; or 
(B) pay any deposit fee in excess of the 
amount of the State fee reimbursement (if any) 
required to purchase any food or food product 
contained in a returnable bottle or can, without 
regard to whether the fee is included in the 
shelf price posted for the food or food product. 
(4) SUPPLEMENT
TO
OTHER
FOOD
ASSIST-
ANCE.—A coupon provided to a member under the 
pilot program authorized by subsection (a) shall sup-
plement and not supplant— 
(A) the basic allowance for subsistence 
under section 402 of title 37, United States 
Code; and 
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(B) any program to provide meals or ra-
tions in kind for which the member is eligible. 
(d) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro-
gram authorized by subsection (a) shall terminate not 
later than one year after the date on which the pilot pro-
gram commences. 
(e) REPORT REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the termination under subsection (d) of the pilot 
program authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary 
of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report detailing the results of the pilot 
program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include an assessment of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The use of coupons by members who 
received coupons under the pilot program. 
(B) The satisfaction of and feedback from 
such members relating to the coupons. 
(C) The impact of providing the coupons 
on— 
(i) the rates at which such members 
used commissaries; and 
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(ii) the rates at which such members 
used dining facilities on their installations. 
(D) Historical rates of use of dining facili-
ties on installations and historical customer sat-
isfaction metrics for such facilities, including 
the number of complaints with respect to such 
facilities submitted through the Interactive Cus-
tomer Evaluation system of the Department of 
Defense. 
(E) The efficacy of the pilot program in— 
(i) reducing food insecurity rates 
among junior enlisted members; 
(ii) increasing the availability of nutri-
tious food options for such members at 
commissaries; and 
(iii) increasing the availability of nu-
tritious food options for such members 
generally, including such members living in 
unaccompanied housing. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES.— 
The term ‘‘congressional defense committees’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of title 
10, United States Code. 
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(2) COUPON.—The term ‘‘coupon’’ means a 
voucher or monetary benefit for a member of the 
Armed Forces that may be used only at a com-
missary for the purchase of food. 
(3) FOOD.—The term ‘‘food’’ means any food 
or food product intended for home consumption, in-
cluding a ready-made food item. 
Æ 
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