119-hr5412

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5412 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5412

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants 
 to assist in the establishment and operation of healthy food 
 pharmacies, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 16, 2025

Mrs. Sykes (for herself, Ms. De La Cruz, and Ms. Bynum) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants 
 to assist in the establishment and operation of healthy food 
 pharmacies, 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 Farmacy Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDING.

 Congress finds that the goal of healthy food pharmacies (also known 
as ``food farmacies'') is to improve the health outcomes of their 
patrons by expanding access to nutritious foods and providing 
nutritional guidance.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR HEALTHY FOOD PHARMACIES.

 Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 320C. GRANTS FOR HEALTHY FOOD PHARMACIES.

 ``

    (a) Authority To Make Grants.--The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Agriculture, may make grants to eligible entities 
to assist in the establishment and operation of healthy food 
pharmacies.
 ``

    (b) Use of Grants.--A grant received by an eligible entity under 
this section shall be used for costs related to--
 ``

    (1) construction, conversion, or renovation of a healthy 
 food pharmacy;
 ``

    (2) the acquisition of equipment for a healthy food 
 pharmacy, including for a mobile food pharmacy;
 ``

    (3) staffing to operate a healthy food pharmacy and help 
 connect patients to other programs that support health outcomes 
 and combat food insecurity; and
 ``

    (4) the acquisition of food and materials necessary for 
 food distribution by a healthy food pharmacy.
 ``
            (c) Eligibility.--
 ``

    (1) Eligible entities.--The following entities shall be 
 eligible to receive a grant under this section:
 ``
        (A) A non-profit qualified health care provider.
 ``
        (B) A State or local government entity.
 ``
            (C) A Tribal organization.
 ``

    (2) Eligible healthy food pharmacies.--The Secretary may 
 make a grant under this section with respect to a healthy food 
 pharmacy if the healthy food pharmacy--
 ``
        (A) offers a range of services to its patrons, 
 including access to healthy foods and nutritional 
 guidance from a qualified health care professional;
 ``
        (B) is operated in a manner that prioritizes the 
 provision of services to communities that are low 
 income, rural, or facing food insecurity (as such terms 
 may be defined by the Secretary);
 ``
            (C) provides food and nutritional guidance free 
 of charge to individuals receiving benefits under 
 Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 
 Program; and
 ``
            (D) is operated in a manner that supports the 
 `Food is Medicine' initiative of the Department of 
 Health and Human Services.
 ``
            (d) Application.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--To receive a grant under this section, 
 an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application 
 at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
 as the Secretary may require.
 ``

    (2) Plan for continuation of grant activities.--As part 
 of such an application, the Secretary shall require an eligible 
 entity to submit a plan for continuing to carry out activities 
 described in subsection

    (b) after the eligible entity is no 
 longer receiving grant funds under this section, including a 
 plan to retain staff hired using the grant funds.
 ``

    (e) Partnerships.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section may carry out activities using the amounts of the grant in 
partnership with other organizations seeking to reduce food insecurity 
and improve health outcomes.
 ``

    (f) Limitation on Grant Amounts.--The Secretary may not award to 
an eligible entity more than $500,000 in grants under this section for 
a fiscal year.
 ``

    (g) Authority To Waive Certain Requirements.--The Secretary may 
waive requirements of title XI of the Social Security Act as may be 
necessary solely for the purposes of carrying out a program under this 
section.
 ``

    (h) Reporting Requirements.--
 ``

    (1) Reports to secretary.--The Secretary may make a grant 
 to an eligible entity under this section with respect to a 
 healthy food pharmacy only if the eligible entity agrees to 
 submit to the Secretary, on an annual basis for such period as 
 the Secretary may prescribe, a report on the effectiveness of 
 the activities funded with the amounts of the grant, including 
 a description of--
 ``
        (A) the number of patrons served by the healthy 
 food pharmacy;
 ``
        (B) the health needs of such patrons;
 ``
            (C) the repeated use of the healthy food pharmacy 
 by such patrons;
 ``
            (D) the reported health outcomes of such patrons;
 ``
        (E) the types of food acquired by such patrons 
 from the healthy food pharmacy; and
 ``
        (F) the assistance provided by the healthy food 
 pharmacy to connect such patrons with other programs 
 that address food insecurity and improve health 
 outcomes.
 ``

    (2) Reports to congress.--Not later than 2 years after 
 the date of enactment of this section, and biennially 
 thereafter during the term of the grant program under this 
 section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that 
 summarizes the reports received by the Secretary under 
 paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
            (i) === Definitions. ===
-In this Act:
 ``

    (1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an 
 entity described in subsection
            (c) (1) .
 ``

    (2) Healthy food pharmacy.--The term `healthy food 
 pharmacy' means an organization that provides to its patrons 
 services that include--
 ``
        (A) access to nutritious foods that are 
 representative of foods for a healthy diet, based on 
 the Dietary Guidelines of the Department of Agriculture 
 and guidance from the Secretary; and
 ``
        (B) nutritional guidance from a qualified health 
 care professional.
 ``

    (3) Qualified health care professional.--The term 
 `qualified health care professional' means--
 ``
        (A) a registered dietitian or nutrition 
 professional, as defined by 

section 1861
            (vv) (2) of the 
 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x
            (vv) (2) );
 ``
        (B) a physician, as defined by 

section 1861

    (r) of 
 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (r) ); and
 ``
            (C) a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse 
 specialist, physician assistant, or other professional, 
 as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
 ``

    (4) Qualified health care provider.--The term `qualified 
 health care provider' means--
 ``
        (A) a provider of services, as defined by 

section 1861

    (u) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
 1395x

    (u) );
 ``
        (B) a physician organization, as defined by 
 

section 411.351 of title 42, Code of Federal 
 Regulations (or successor regulations);
 ``
            (C) a rural health clinic, as defined by 

section 1861

    (aa)

    (2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
 1395x

    (aa)

    (2) );
 ``
            (D) a Federally qualified health center, as 
 defined by 

section 1887

    (aa)

    (4) of the Social Security 
 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (aa)

    (4) ); or
 ``
        (E) another provider, as determined appropriate 
 by the Secretary.
 ``

    (5) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
 of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant 
 Secretary for Health.
 ``

    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $10,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.''.
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