Food Deserts Act
Food Deserts: Grocery Store Grants
The Food Deserts Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process within the House Committee on Agriculture. It has been sent to two subcommittees for further review, but no future votes or hearings are scheduled at this time. The bill is considered active but is not moving quickly through the system.
Legislative Progress
The bill lacks bipartisan support and faces a difficult path in a divided Congress where similar spending programs often struggle to pass.
Key Points
- The bill creates a $150 million federal grant program to help states set up loan funds for grocery stores. These funds would provide low-interest or interest-free loans to help stores open or stay open in areas that currently lack access to healthy food.
- To get a loan, a store must focus on selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods at affordable prices. The store must also provide at least 20 percent of the project's cost from its own money.
- States will give priority to stores that hire local workers, offer nutrition classes, or buy food from local urban farms. This is meant to boost the local economy while improving public health.
- The money cannot be used to build brand-new buildings. Instead, it is meant to help stores move into existing spaces or keep current stores running in neighborhoods that might otherwise lose their only source of fresh food.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E41)
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Food Deserts Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(67)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.