119-s2772

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2772 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2772

 To authorize the Secretary of Defense to conduct a pilot program to 
 provide coupons to junior enlisted members to purchase food at 
 commissaries.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 11, 2025

 Mr. Warnock (for himself and Mr. Marshall) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed 
 Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To authorize the Secretary of Defense to conduct a pilot program to 
 provide coupons to junior enlisted members to purchase food at 
 commissaries.

 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 ``Commissary Healthy Options and 
servicemember Welfare

    (CHOW) Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE COUPONS TO JUNIOR ENLISTED MEMBERS TO 
 PURCHASE FOOD AT COMMISSARIES.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) members of the Armed Forces and their families deserve 
 access to affordable and healthy food options, including during 
 their duty day;

    (2) there has been increased awareness about the challenges 
 members and their families face in accessing affordable and 
 healthy food options;

    (3) those challenges have been especially acute for 
 unaccompanied junior enlisted members who live in government-
 provided quarters on military installations; and

    (4) the Department of Defense should explore a variety of 
 proposals for expanding the accessibility of healthy and 
 affordable food options to members, especially members who live 
 in unaccompanied housing on military installations.

    (b) Pilot Program.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense may conduct a 
 pilot program to assess the efficacy of providing junior 
 enlisted members of the Armed Forces a monthly coupon for use 
 in procuring food at commissaries.

    (2) Selection of installations.--
        (A) In general.--The Secretary may conduct the 
 pilot program authorized by paragraph

    (1) at 2 military 
 installations.
        (B) Considerations.--In selecting installations for 
 the pilot program authorized by paragraph

    (1) , the 
 Secretary shall consider installations with--
            (i) large numbers of enlisted members who 
 live in unaccompanied housing;
            (ii) the largest ratios of enlisted members 
 to commissioned officers;
            (iii) unaccompanied housing that provides 
 access to functioning kitchens that residents 
 may use to prepare meals;
            (iv) commissaries that are experimenting 
 with or expanding their selection of nutritious 
 and minimally processed ready-made and easy-to-
 make food options;
            (v) low rates of attendance at dining 
 facilities;
            (vi) low customer satisfaction ratings for 
 dining facilities, including installations with 
 complaints about dining facilities submitted 
 through the Interactive Customer Evaluation 
 system of the Department of Defense; and
            (vii) commissaries located within easily 
 accessible distances from unaccompanied 
 housing.

    (3) Coupons.--
        (A) Amount.--The Secretary may determine the amount 
 of the coupons to be provided under the pilot program 
 authorized by paragraph

    (1) .
        (B) Use.--
            (i) In general.--A coupon provided under 
 the pilot program authorized by paragraph

    (1) may be used only to purchase food at 
 commissaries.
            (ii) Exclusions.--A coupon provided under 
 the pilot program authorized by paragraph

    (1) may not be used--
            (I) to purchase alcoholic beverages 
 or tobacco; or
            (II) to pay any deposit fee in 
 excess of the amount of the State fee 
 reimbursement (if any) required to 
 purchase any food or food product 
 contained in a returnable bottle or 
 can, without regard to whether the fee 
 is included in the shelf price posted 
 for the food or food product.
            (C) Supplement to other food assistance.--A coupon 
 provided to a member under the pilot program authorized 
 by paragraph

    (1) shall be supplement and not supplant--
            (i) the basic allowance for subsistence 
 under 

section 402 of title 37, United States 
 Code; and
            (ii) any program to provide meals or 
 rations in kind for which the member is 
 eligible.

    (4) Duration of pilot program.--The pilot program 
 authorized by paragraph

    (1) shall terminate not later than one 
 year after the pilot program commences.

    (5) Report required.--
        (A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the 
 termination under paragraph

    (4) of the pilot program 
 authorized by paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary of Defense 
 shall submit to the congressional defense committees a 
 report detailing the results of the pilot program.
        (B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph
        (A) shall include an assessment of the following:
            (i) The use of coupons by members who 
 received coupons under the pilot program.
            (ii) The satisfaction of and feedback from 
 such members relating to the coupons.
            (iii) The impact of providing the coupons 
 on--
            (I) the rates at which such members 
 used commissaries; and
            (II) the rates at which such 
 members used dining facilities on their 
 installations.
            (iv) Historical rates of use of dining 
 facilities on installations and historical 
 customer satisfaction metrics for such 
 facilities, including the number of complaints 
 with respect to such facilities submitted 
 through the Interactive Customer Evaluation 
 system of the Department of Defense.
            (v) The efficacy of the pilot program in--
            (I) reducing food insecurity rates 
 among junior enlisted members;
            (II) increasing the availability of 
 nutritious food options for such 
 members at commissaries; and
            (III) increasing the availability 
 of nutritious food options for such 
 members generally, including such 
 members living in unaccompanied 
 housing.
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Congressional defense committees.--The term 
 ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given the 
 term in 

section 101

    (a)

    (16) of title 10, United States Code.

    (2) Coupon.--The term ``coupon'' means a voucher or 
 monetary benefit for a member of the Armed Forces that may be 
 used only at a commissary for the purchase of food.

    (3) Food.--The term ``food'' means any food or food product 
 intended for home consumption, including a ready-made food 
 item.
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