Food Deserts Act of 2020
Latest action · Dec 3, 2020 Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedOct 6, 2020
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Food Deserts Act of 2020
This bill establishes a Department of Agriculture program to provide grants to states for revolving funds to support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities.
An underserved community is a community that has (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger, a high rate of food insecurity, or a high poverty rate.
States must use the funds to make loans to support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for opening a store (excluding new construction), or supporting or purchasing an existing store.
States may only make loans for grocery stores that meet requirements related to
- emphasizing unprocessed, healthful foods;
- providing staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables;
- having a plan to keep the foods in stock;
- charging prices at or below market averages;
- meeting specified matching requirements using nonfederal funds; and
- being qualified to operate a store or having partnerships with organizations that provide technical assistance.
States must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria related to
- hiring workers from the underserved community,
- providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet,
- sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens,
- not selling alcohol or tobacco products, or
- demonstrating existing supply chain relationships in the grocery industry.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Nov 16, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Nov 16, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Agriculture Committee | Referred Oct 6, 2020 |
| Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee | Referred Dec 3, 2020 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 3, 2020Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations.
- Oct 6, 2020Introduced in House
- Oct 6, 2020Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E934)
- Oct 6, 2020Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E934 | André Carson D-IN | Oct 6, 2020 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 174, October 6, 2020, page H5673.
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| IF11841 | Defining Low-Income, Low-Access Food Areas (Food Deserts) Archived | Resource | Jun 1, 2021 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 3104 | Food Deserts Act of 2017 | Reintroduction of | Jul 24, 2017 |
| HR 9281 | Food Deserts Act | Reintroduced Bill | Nov 29, 2022 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to States to support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Food Deserts Act of 2020
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Agriculture and Food.
- Agricultural marketing and promotion
- Agriculture and Food
- Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
- Employee hiring
- Food assistance and relief
- Fruit and vegetables
- Government lending and loan guarantees
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Inflation and prices
- Nutrition and diet
- Poverty and welfare assistance
- Retail and wholesale trades
- Urban and suburban affairs and development
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 6, 2020Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
