Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3453 | Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. (D-NY)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Act of 2021
This bill authorizes the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to award grants to community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups to partner with small and mid-sized restaurants or food contractors to expand meal access and food security to meet the needs of children, families, and vulnerable populations during a pandemic such as COVID-19.
Grants awarded may not exceed $500,000.

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, and through 1 year following the end of, a pandemic or public 
                           health emergency.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Act of 
2021''.

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 individual, or receives a means-
        tested benefit as defined 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 container.
            (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) assistance 
                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 nutrition 
                assistance or anti-poverty program.
            (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 community 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 calendar 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 housing'' means a 
        supervised publicly or privately operated 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 organizations, 
        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 program'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 ``disaster 
        declaration'' means--
                    (A) an emergency involving Federal primary 
                responsibility determined to exist by the President 
                under section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
                Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                5191(b));
                    (B) a national emergency declared by the President 
                under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 
                seq.);
                    (C) an emergency declared by a Federal official 
                with respect to coronavirus (as defined in section 506 
                of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response 
                Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-
                123));
                    (D) a public health emergency declared by the 
                Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to 
                section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
                247(d)) with respect to COVID-19 or any other 
                coronavirus with pandemic potential; or
                    (E) the instance a Governor requests a major 
                disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford 
                Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                5121 et seq.).
            (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 3 years after the termination of such 
        declaration.
            (13) Pandemic.--The term ``pandemic'' means a communicable 
        disease for which the Federal Government has issued a travel 
        alert or travel warning.

SEC. 3. ANTI-HUNGER PANDEMIC RECOVERY 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 application shall 
be submitted in such form, at such time, and containing such other 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (b) Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Grant Program Components.--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 children, families, and vulnerable populations in a pandemic by--
            (1) contracting with small and mid-sized business 
        restaurants or small and mid-sized food contractors 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 populations 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 dependents, 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.
    (d) Grant Administration.--
            (1) Amount.--A grant awarded under this section 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 application 
                        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 
                                application of the entity under this 
                                section; and
                                    (II) the entity has made progress 
                                in achieving the objectives of the 
                                initial application approved for the 
                                entity under this section.
                    (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, Requirement.--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.
    (f) Administration of Grants.--Grants made under this section shall 
be administered through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this section ``$2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.
    (b) Availability.--Funds appropriated under subsection (a) shall 
remain available until expended.

SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit a community-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 Federal funds.

SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Best Practices.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and publish a report 
on the best practices for community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-
hunger groups to do business with the Department of Agriculture, 
including how to register with the Federal system of award management 
(SAM), how to obtain and validate a Federal Data Universal Number 
System (DUNS), and how to apply for a grant under section 3. Such 
report shall be available for public review and inspection on the 
public websites of the Department of Agriculture.
    (b) Grantees.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, an eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this Act shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains an 
evaluation of the results of the activities, including financial 
expenditures, made during such fiscal year to carry out the program for 
which such grant is received and any other data the Secretary 
determines to be necessary for an evaluation of the benefits of the 
grants awarded under this Act.
    (c) Annual Reports to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report 
describing--
            (1) each grant application received under this Act;
            (2) any grants awarded under this Act, including--
                    (A) the name and location of the eligible entity;
                    (B) the total amount of the grant;
                    (C) the date on which the grant was awarded; and
                    (D) information from reports received under 
                subsection (b); and
            (3) any other data the Secretary determines to be necessary 
        for an evaluation of benefits of the grants awarded under this 
        Act.
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