Food Bank Access to Farm Fresh Produce Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-3605
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2020-05-05
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-05
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Food Bank Access to Farm Fresh Produce Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to provide specialty crop block grants to each of the 20 states that have produced the highest quantity of specialty crops during the most recent three-year period to fund certain state food banks and food access networks.</p> <p>The grants may only be used to (1) procure and distribute specialty crops; (2) purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire vehicles, including refrigerated vehicles, or other equipment to carry out activities related to procurement and distribution of specialty crops; (3) pay for the cost of additional personnel; (4) pay for travel relating to procurement of specialty crops; and (5) pay for preparation, storage, and transportation of specialty crops, including delivery to end-consumers.</p> <p>Each grant provided to a state shall be not less than $100 million.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3605 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 5, 2020 Mrs. Gillibrand introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide specialty crop block grants to fund State food banks and food access networks.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Food Bank Access to Farm Fresh Produce Act of 2020 . 2. Grants for State food banks and food access networks Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 ( 7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108–465 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (D), and (F), respectively, and indenting appropriately; (B) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by striking and at the end; (C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated) the following: (E) by assisting State food banks and food access networks in accordance with paragraph (2); and ; (D) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking Using the funds and inserting the following: (1) In general Using the funds ; and (E) by adding at the end the following: (2) Grants for food banks and food access networks (A) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of the Food Bank Access to Farm Fresh Produce Act of 2020 , the Secretary shall make grants under paragraph (1) to States in accordance with subparagraph (B) to disburse funds in the form of grants to eligible entities described in subparagraph (C). (B) Grants to States To carry out subparagraph (A), notwithstanding subsections (d) through (g), the Secretary shall award a grant to the State department of agriculture in each of the 20 States that have produced the highest quantity of specialty crops during the most recent 3-year period. (C) Eligible entities described The eligible entities referred to in subparagraph (A) are State food banks and food access networks that— (i) the applicable State department of agriculture determines are qualified to receive a grant under that subparagraph; and (ii) purchase specialty crops directly from farmers in the State and not— (I) through packers, repackers, shippers, or brokers; or (II) at terminal markets. (D) Use of funds A grant received by an eligible entity under subparagraph (A) may be used only— (i) to procure and distribute specialty crops; (ii) to purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire vehicles, including refrigerated vehicles, or other equipment to carry out activities related to procurement and distribution of specialty crops; (iii) to pay for the cost of additional personnel; (iv) to pay for travel relating to procurement of specialty crops; and (v) to pay for preparation, storage, and transportation of specialty crops, including delivery to end-consumers. ; (2) in subsection (c)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting appropriately; (B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking Notwithstanding subsection (b), and inserting the following: (1) In general Notwithstanding subsection (b), and except as provided in paragraph (2), ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (2) Grants for food banks and food access networks Notwithstanding subsection (b), the amount of a grant received by a State under subsection (a)(2) shall be not less than $100,000,000. ; and (3) in subsection (l)— (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting except for grants made under subsection (a)(2), before using— ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (3) Emergency funding for grants for food banks and food access networks (A) In general Out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary $8,000,000,000 to award grants under subsection (a)(2), to remain available until expended. (B) Receipt and acceptance The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to award grants under subsection (a)(2) the amount transferred under subparagraph (A), without further appropriation. (C) Emergency designation (i) In general The amounts provided by this paragraph are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 ( 2 U.S.C. 933(g) ). (ii) Designation in Senate In the Senate, this paragraph is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018. .