119-s2338

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2338 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2338

 To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish the 
 Strengthening Local Food Security Program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 17, 2025

 Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Justice) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish the 
 Strengthening Local Food Security Program, 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 ``Strengthening Local Food Security 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING LOCAL FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM.

 Subtitle A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 210B. STRENGTHENING LOCAL FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Collaborator.--The term `collaborator', with respect 
 to a project carried out under the Program, means an individual 
 or entity (including a private entity, a for-profit entity, and 
 a nonprofit entity) that--
 ``
        (A) is unaffiliated with the eligible unit of 
 government carrying out the project;
 ``
        (B) cooperates with respect to--
 ``
            (i) the application relating to the 
 project under subsection

    (e) ; and
 ``
            (ii) the conduct of the project; and
 ``
            (C) is not immediately connected to the 
 management of the project.
 ``

    (2) Covered producer.--The term `covered producer' means, 
 as determined by the Secretary--
 ``
        (A) a small or mid-sized fisher, farmer, or 
 rancher;
 ``
        (B) a beginning fisher, farmer, or rancher;
 ``
            (C) a veteran fisher, farmer, or rancher; and
 ``
            (D) an underserved fisher, farmer, or rancher.
 ``

    (3) Eligible unit of government.--The term `eligible unit 
 of government' means--
 ``
        (A) a State agency, commission, or department 
 that is responsible for agriculture, procurement, food 
 distribution, emergency response, or other similar 
 activities within the State;
 ``
        (B) the District of Columbia;
 ``
            (C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
 ``
            (D) the United States Virgin Islands;
 ``
        (E) Guam; and
 ``
        (F) a Tribal government.
 ``

    (4) Partnership.--The term `partnership' means a 
 relationship involving close cooperation between or among 
 individuals and entities (including private, for-profit, and 
 nonprofit entities) with specified, joint rights and 
 responsibilities in the management of a project carried out 
 under the Program.
 ``

    (5) Program.--The term `Program' means the Strengthening 
 Local Food Security Program established under subsection

    (b) .
 ``

    (6) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.
 ``

    (7) Underserved community.--The term `underserved 
 community' means a community (including an urban or rural 
 community and a Tribal community) that, as determined by the 
 Secretary--
 ``
        (A) has limited access to affordable, healthy 
 foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in 
 grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct 
 markets; and
 ``
        (B) has--
 ``
            (i) a high rate of hunger or food 
 insecurity; or
 ``
            (ii) a high poverty rate.
 ``

    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program, to 
be known as the `Strengthening Local Food Security Program', under 
which the Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements with 
eligible units of government for the purposes of--
 ``

    (1) purchasing food, including seafood, produce, meat, 
 eggs, dairy, and poultry, from local and regional covered 
 producers; and
 ``

    (2) distributing that food within the geographic 
 boundaries of the eligible unit of government, including to 
 hunger relief organizations and schools participating in school 
 meal programs under the Richard B. Russell National School 
 Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the Child Nutrition Act 
 of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).
 ``
            (c) === Purposes ===
-The purposes of the Program are--
 ``

    (1) to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply 
 chain resiliency and expand economic opportunities for covered 
 producers;
 ``

    (2) to promote food security; and
 ``

    (3) to strengthen the food system for food banks, 
 schools, and childcare institutions.
 ``
            (d) Noncompetitive Allocation.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
 ``
        (A) enter into cooperative agreements with, and 
 provide funding to, eligible units of government under 
 the Program on a noncompetitive basis;
 ``
        (B) of the amounts appropriated to carry out the 
 Program for each fiscal year--
 ``
            (i) allocate 10 percent to Tribal 
 governments, to be allocated using a funding 
 formula determined by the Secretary;
 ``
            (ii) of the amounts remaining after 
 making the allocation under clause
            (i) , 
 allocate 1 percent to each State; and
 ``
            (iii) after making the allocations under 
 clauses
            (i) and
            (ii) , allocate the remaining 
 amounts to each eligible unit of government 
 (excluding Tribal governments) by applying the 
 formula described in 

section 214 of Public Law 
 98-8 (7 U.S.C. 7515); and
 ``
            (C) in the case of an eligible unit of government 
 that has not submitted to the Secretary, by the date 
 that is 1 year after the date on which amounts are 
 allocated to the eligible unit of government under 
 subparagraph
        (B) , an application under subsection

    (e) for spending those amounts, redistribute those amounts 
 to 1 or more other eligible units of government with 
 the capacity to spend those amounts.
 ``

    (2) Eligible units of government in same state.--For 
 purposes of allocating funding under paragraph

    (1) , 1 or more 
 eligible units of government described in subsection

    (a)

    (3)
        (A) in the same State shall be treated as 1 eligible unit of 
 government.
 ``

    (e) Applications.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive funding under 
 this section, an eligible unit of government shall submit to 
 the Secretary an application, at such time, in such manner, and 
 containing such information as the Secretary shall require, by 
 regulation, including--
 ``
        (A) a plan that--
 ``
            (i) identifies--
 ``
            (I) the lead agency responsible 
 for carrying out the plan; and
 ``
            (II) community partners that will 
 contribute to the implementation of the 
 plan;
 ``
            (ii) describes the means by which the 
 funds will be used--
 ``
            (I) to grow a local food system; 
 and
 ``
            (II) (aa) to promote food 
 security;
 ``

    (bb) to increase the prevalence 
 of local, nutritious food in schools; 
 or
 ``
            (cc) to carry out both items

    (aa) and

    (bb) ; and
 ``
            (iii) meets the requirements of 
 subsection

    (f) ; and
 ``
        (B) an assurance that--
 ``
            (i) the eligible unit of government will 
 comply with the requirements of the plan; and
 ``
            (ii) the funds will supplement, not 
 supplant, funds provided by the eligible unit 
 of government in support of local food, school 
 meals, or hunger relief systems.
 ``

    (2) Review.--The Secretary--
 ``
        (A) shall review each application submitted under 
 paragraph

    (1) to ensure that the plan included in the 
 application will carry out the purposes of the Program 
 described in subsection
            (c) ; and
 ``
        (B) may accept or reject each application, as the 
 Secretary determines to be appropriate.
 ``

    (f) Requirements.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Under a cooperative agreement entered 
 into under the Program, an eligible unit of government shall--
 ``
        (A) only purchase food--
 ``
            (i) from fishermen, farmers, producers, 
 and processors that are--
 ``
            (I) within the geographic 
 boundaries of the eligible unit of 
 government in which the food will be 
 delivered; or
 ``
            (II) not more than 400 miles from 
 the delivery destination of the food; 
 or
 ``
            (ii) through a subawardee described in 
 subsection

    (g)

    (1) that purchases food to 
 fulfill the subaward only from fishermen, 
 farmers, producers, and processors that are--
 ``
            (I) within the geographic 
 boundaries of the eligible unit of 
 government in which the food will be 
 delivered; or
 ``
            (II) not more than 400 miles from 
 the delivery destination of the food;
 ``
        (B) ensure that not less than 51 percent of the 
 total annual value of products purchased by the 
 eligible unit of government and any subawardees 
 comprises purchases from covered producers;
 ``
            (C) give priority to distributing food to 
 underserved communities;
 ``
            (D) expend funding not later than 3 years after 
 the date on which the funding is provided to the 
 eligible unit of government; and
 ``
        (E) subject to paragraph

    (2) , use not more than 
 25 percent of the amount allocated to the eligible unit 
 of government for Program administration and technical 
 assistance, which may include support for--
 ``
            (i) participating producers;
 ``
            (ii) efforts to grow the local 
 agricultural value chain; and
 ``
            (iii) covered producers in obtaining food 
 safety training and certifications.
 ``

    (2) Administration and technical assistance.--Of the 
 amount used for Program administration and technical assistance 
 under paragraph

    (1)
        (E) , an eligible unit of government shall 
 allocate not less than 35 percent for technical assistance.
 ``

    (g) Subcontracts and Subawards.--To effectuate the purposes of 
the Program described in subsection
            (c) , an eligible unit of 
government--
 ``

    (1) may enter into subcontracts (including with other 
 units of that government) and provide subawards to support 
 partnerships and collaborators, subject to subsection

    (f)

    (1)
        (E) ; and
 ``

    (2) on entering into a subcontract or subaward pursuant 
 to paragraph

    (1) , shall--
 ``
        (A) structure the subcontract or subaward to be 
 inclusive of all costs associated with implementing the 
 Program purposes, including the costs of--
 ``
            (i) food products;
 ``
            (ii) aggregation and distribution;
 ``
            (iii) equipment or infrastructure 
 upgrades to support food safety compliance; and
 ``
            (iv) personnel; and
 ``
        (B) require members of a partnership and 
 collaborators to demonstrate evidence of existing 
 community or industry engagement.
 ``

    (h) Availability of Funds.--To effectuate the purposes of the 
Program described in subsection
            (c) and ensure that the producers 
described in subsection

    (f)

    (1)
        (B) can meaningfully participate in the 
Program, the Secretary shall provide--
 ``

    (1) not less than 50 percent of the funding awarded to an 
 eligible unit of government in advance of the distribution of 
 food under the agreement entered into under the Program; and
 ``

    (2) the remaining funding awarded to the eligible unit of 
 government not later than the midpoint of the period of 
 performance established in that agreement.
 ``
            (i) Food Safety Training and Certification.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary may require food purchased 
 under a cooperative agreement entered into under the Program to 
 be purchased from a farm that has undergone food safety 
 training, or received a relevant food safety certification, 
 with respect to production, packaging, handling, and storage to 
 minimize risks of food safety hazards.
 ``

    (2) Training, plans, and certifications.--If the 
 Secretary imposes the requirement described in paragraph

    (1) --
 ``
        (A)
            (i) compliance with the requirement may be 
 demonstrated by--
 ``
            (I) a receipt of food safety training, 
 including Good Agricultural Practices training, 
 or an equivalent food safety curriculum; or
 ``
            (II) a relevant food safety 
 certification; but
 ``
            (ii) the Secretary shall not require such 
 compliance to be demonstrated by a Federal 
 certification; and
 ``
        (B) each eligible unit of government shall 
 provide technical assistance in obtaining the required 
 food safety training or certification, in accordance 
 with subsection

    (f)

    (1)
        (E) .
 ``

    (j) Reports.--An eligible unit of government that enters into a 
cooperative agreement under the Program shall submit to the Secretary, 
at such times as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, reports 
that shall include data relating to the procurement and distribution of 
food under the cooperative agreement.
 ``

    (k) Funding.--
 ``

    (1) Mandatory funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity 
 Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this 
 section $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year 
 thereafter.
 ``

    (2) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to 
 other funds and authorities available to the Secretary, in 
 order to carry out activities under this section, there is 
 authorized to be appropriated $200,000,000 for each of fiscal 
 years 2025 through 2029, to remain available until expended by 
 the Secretary.''.
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