I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6477 
To include lead poisoning prevention and mitigation education as a purpose 
of the education and obesity prevention program carried out under the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2018 
Ms. MOORE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To include lead poisoning prevention and mitigation edu-
cation as a purpose of the education and obesity preven-
tion program carried out under the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘SNAP-Ed Fights Lead 
Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The nutrition education and obesity preven-
tion program carried out under section 28 of the 
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 as amended by this 
Act (in this Act referred to as SNAP-Ed) is de-
signed to improve the likelihood that individuals eli-
gible to participate in the supplemental nutrition as-
sistance program (popularly known as SNAP) will 
make healthy food choices within a limited budget 
and choose physically active lifestyles while sup-
porting the role of SNAP in addressing food insecu-
rity among low-income Americans. 
(2) Federal SNAP-Ed guidance encourages 
States to target their SNAP-Ed efforts to women 
and then children in households that participate in 
SNAP. 
(3) The Secretary of Agriculture encourages 
States to develop SNAP-Ed policies and activities 
that address the highest priority nutrition problems 
and needs of the target audience. 
(4) Given its target audience, SNAP-Ed can 
play a role in reaching and mitigating the con-
sequence of elevated blood lead levels in children who 
remain at the greatest risk for lead poisoning by 
educating individuals on a healthy diet that can help 
combat lead exposure. 
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(5) According to the Department of Agri-
culture, foods rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C 
have been shown to help limit the absorption of lead 
by the body. Research indicates that the body ab-
sorbs lead faster when the stomach is empty. 
(6) As part of its response to the lead crisis in 
Flint, Michigan, the Department of Agriculture pro-
moted nutrition education messages through Federal 
nutrition program providers, community-based part-
ner organizations and farmers’ markets on impor-
tant foods to consume to mitigate lead absorption. 
However, more can be done to use SNAP-Ed to help 
children and their families who are affected by lead 
poisoning. 
(7) In 2014 the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention estimated that 535,000 children in 
the United States had blood lead levels at or above 
5 micrograms per deciliter which is the measure 
used to identify children with blood lead levels that 
are much higher than most children’s levels. Of 
these, 150,000 had levels at or greater than 10 
micrograms per deciliter. Low-income and minority 
children make up a disproportionate number of these 
cases. 
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(8) It is critical that the Federal Government 
continue to promote the use of SNAP-Ed funding 
for activities that increase education about and ac-
cess to foods rich in nutrients key to combatting 
lead exposure. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—Section 28(b) of the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036a(b)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘The Secretary shall ensure that such program includes 
messaging and education about the foods that can reduce 
the impact of elevated blood lead levels in children, espe-
cially in areas where the health risk to children is high-
est.’’. 
(b) STATE NUTRITION EDUCATION PLAN.—Section 
28(c)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2036a(c)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by amending clause (i) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(i) present valid and data-driven 
needs assessments of the nutrition, phys-
ical activity, and obesity prevention needs 
of the target population;’’; 
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(B) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(C) in clause (iii) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; 
(D) redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as 
clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; 
(E) by inserting after clause (i) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(ii) identify the use of funding for 
evidence-based State or local projects that 
meet those needs;’’; 
(F) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) demonstrate and follow evidence- 
based strategies for effective nutrition edu-
cation and obesity prevention; 
‘‘(vi) include a comprehensive state-
wide community needs assessment, pursu-
ant to Federal guidelines that include pub-
lic comments, to ensure funded activities 
have the greatest impact on the targeted 
populations; and 
‘‘(vii) to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, ensure that funds received under 
this section are expended and targeted to 
provide nutrition education and obesity 
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prevention services in areas in the State in 
proportion to the population of eligible in-
dividuals residing in such areas.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) APPROVAL
OF
NUTRITION
EDU-
CATION STATE PLAN.—After conducting a thor-
ough review of the State nutrition education 
plan, the Secretary shall have exclusive author-
ity to approve or disapprove such plan if it sat-
isfies the requirements of this paragraph. The 
Secretary shall approve such plan only if the 
Secretary determines that implementation of 
such plan will— 
‘‘(i) advance the Federal purposes of 
SNAP-Ed to help targeted populations 
make healthy food choices, mitigate lead 
poisoning, and promote physical activity; 
‘‘(ii) a substantial likelihood of achiev-
ing program objectives; 
‘‘(iii) require the funded projects to be 
age-appropriate, 
culturally 
appropriate, 
and linguistically appropriate for the target 
population; 
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‘‘(iv) satisfactorily measure, monitor, 
and evaluate the effectiveness of authorized 
projects; 
‘‘(v) use funds received to carry out 
such plan (and associated funds) to direct 
nutrition education and obesity prevention 
services to serve areas in the State that 
have the highest concentration of eligible 
individuals; and 
‘‘(vi) effectively provide nutrition edu-
cation and obesity prevention services 
through projects identified based on a 
thorough statewide community needs as-
sessment that involves public and stake-
holder feedback and that identifies areas 
and populations in the State with the 
greatest need for interventions. 
‘‘(E) TRANSPARENCY.—Not later than 15 
days after the Secretary approves a nutrition 
education State plan (or a modification of such 
plan), the Secretary shall publish the approved 
plan (or the approved modification of the ap-
proved plan), including the date of approval, on 
the website of the Department of Agriculture.’’. 
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(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Section 28(c) of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036a(c)) is amended— 
(1) in the heading by inserting ‘‘, LEAD MITI-
GATION,’’ and after ‘‘SERVICES’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3)(A)(iii) by inserting ‘‘in-
cluding to address elevated blood lead levels in chil-
dren’’ before the period at the end. 
SEC. 4. REPORT BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL. 
Not later than 90 days after the effective date of this 
section, the Comptroller General shall begin to conduct an 
assessment of how each of the States allocates funds re-
ceived for projects under section 28 of the Food and Nu-
trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036a) and the extent to 
which such funds are currently used for lead mitigation 
activities. Such assessment shall include an evaluation 
of— 
(1) whether the State allocation of such funds 
to local projects aligns with geographic areas with 
the highest populations of low-income individuals 
and households that participate in SNAP; 
(2) whether there is a substantial likelihood 
that the SNAP-Ed objectives of the State SNAP-Ed 
plan will be achieved with funds received for SNAP- 
Ed; 
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE OF AMENDMENTS.—Section 3 
shall take effect on October 1, 2020. 
Æ 
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