Title: Food Security for All Veterans Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Food Security for All Veterans Act
This bill establishes the Office of Food Security within the Department of Veterans Affairs to, among other duties, provide information to veterans concerning the eligibility requirements for federal nutrition assistance programs and develop policies to identify and treat veterans experiencing food insecurity.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8888 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8888

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 
of Veterans Affairs an Office of Food Security, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 19, 2022

 Mrs. Peltola introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 
of Veterans Affairs an Office of Food Security, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Food Security for All Veterans 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF FOOD 
              SECURITY.

    Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section (and conforming the table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
``Sec. 325. Office of Food Security
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department an office to be 
known as the `Office of Food Security'. There is at the head of the 
Office a Director, which shall be a career position.
    ``(b) Responsibilities.--(1) The Director of the Office of Food 
Security shall carry out the following responsibilities:
            ``(A) To provide information to veterans concerning the 
        availability of, and eligibility requirements for Federal 
        nutrition assistance programs.
            ``(B) To collaborate with other program offices of the 
        Department, including the Homeless Programs Office and the 
        Office of Tribal Government Relations, to develop and implement 
        policies and procedures to identify and treat veterans at-risk 
        or experiencing food insecurity.
            ``(C) To collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and 
        the Secretary of Defense on food insecurity among veterans, 
        including by collaborating with the Secretaries to develop 
        materials related to food insecurity for the Transition 
        Assistance Program curriculum and other transition-related 
        resources.
            ``(D) To develop and provide training, including training 
        that may count towards continuing education or licensure 
        requirements, for social workers, dietitians, chaplains, and 
        other clinicians on how to assist veterans with enrollment in 
        Federal nutrition assistance programs, including the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program and the special 
        supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children 
        established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
        (42 U.S.C. 1786).
            ``(E) To issue guidance to Department medical centers on 
        how to collaborate with their State and local offices 
        administering the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
    ``(2) In carrying out the responsibilities under paragraph (1), the 
Director shall consult with and provide technical assistance to the 
heads of other Federal departments and agencies, including the 
Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of the 
Interior, and Department of Labor.
    ``(c) Annual Report on Food Insecurity.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House 
of Representatives an annual report on veteran food insecurity. Each 
such report shall include data on the following:
            ``(1) The socioeconomic and racial characteristics of 
        veterans experiencing food insecurity, disaggregated by State 
        in which the veteran is located, racial or ethnic group, 
        gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
            ``(2) Native American veterans experiencing food 
        insecurity.
            ``(3) Specific interventions for veterans who screen 
        positive for food insecurity.
            ``(4) Eligibility screenings for participation in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program completed by 
        personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            ``(5) The number of applications for participation in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program completed with 
        assistance from personnel of the Department.
            ``(6) Changes, as a result of participation in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program, in the number of 
        food insecure veteran households.
            ``(7) Coordination efforts between State agencies and 
        Department facilities located in that State regarding outreach 
        to veterans to participate in the supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The terms `Native American' and `Native American 
        veteran' have the meanings given those terms in section 3765 of 
        this title.
            ``(2) The terms `State agency' and `supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program' have the meanings given those terms in 
        section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
        2012).''.
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